It's hard to judge Pontecorvo's concentration camp scenes because they're rather prototypical. Still, the overwrought scoring and general indulgences of melodrama prevent this from initially feeling harrowing, particularly as this plays into so many cliches of women in prison dramas. Once it evolves into a survival drama, Susan Strasberg's loss of innocence makes Kapo disheartening and compelling. First, she eagerly gives up her virginity for food, but it's all the more crushing to see how she becomes increasingly brutal towards her peers once she's placed in charge of them. The arc and overall plotting are choppy with a forced, sentimental romance to fill in the third act, but this has some strong moments. Strasberg's affection for her cat over the human prisoners, for instance, makes quite a statement.
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