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The Cow and I

The Cow and I

War · Comedy · Adventure · 1959

In 1942, a French prisonner of war in Germany decide to escape to France using a cow hold by a lunge as a decoy. He cross all Germany in this way.

Movie details

The Cow and I

1959 War · Comedy · Adventure 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.1 / 10

1.7K votes

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

In 1942, a French prisonner of war in Germany decide to escape to France using a cow hold by a lunge as a decoy. He cross all Germany in this way.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Cow and I?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Ace of Aces

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The second part of the Seventh Company adventures.

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1940: During the chaotic running fights of the French army the 7th company disappears - nobody knows they've been taken captive. Only their scouting patrol, three witty but lazy guys, can escape and now wanders around behind the German lines. They'd like to just stay out the fights, but a Lieutenant urges them to use a captured truck to break through to their troops.

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Action · 1964

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Henri Verneuil

Written by

Henri Jeanson · Jean Manse · Henri Verneuil

Fernandel

Fernandel

Charles Bailly

René Havard

René Havard

Bussière

Bernard Musson

Bernard Musson

Pommier

Ellen Schwiers

Ellen Schwiers

Josépha, la fermière

Pierre-Louis

Pierre-Louis

un évadé déguisé

Franziska Kinz

Franziska Kinz

la mère d'Helga

Maurice Nasil

Maurice Nasil

Bertoux

Court is in session

Put The Cow and I on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Arthouse Gremlin

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.