Knowing it is every prisoner's duty to escape, Allied prisoners, hatch an ingenious plan to do just that. Inspired by Greek mythology, the soldiers use their wooden vaulting horse to cover an escape tunnel that hopes to make its way under the camp's wire fence. Inspired by one of the most famous escapes attempts undertaken during World War Two. Based on Eric Williams' novel The Tunnel Escape, The Wooden Horse brought the legendary escape attempt to life only five years after the end of the war. The influence of documentary practitioners such as John Grierson and Humphrey Jennings can be felt throughout the austere photography of the film, as director Jack Lee began his career making wartime documentaries.
