In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft North, a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp, designed tohold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military historybrilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and James Coburnwho worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time, The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), screenwriters James Clavell (Shogun) and W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar), and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story, The Great Escape is epic entertainment that “entertains,captivates, thrills and stirs” (Variety).A stirring example of courage and the indomitable human spirit, for many John Sturges’s The Great Escape is both the definitive World War II drama and the nonpareil prison escape movie. Featuring an unequalled ensemble cast in a rivetingly authentic true-life scenario set to Elmer Bernstein’s admirable music, this picture is both a template for subsequent action-adventure movies and one of the last glories of Golden Age Hollywood. Reunited with the director who made him a star in The Magnificent Seven, Steve McQueen gives a career-defining performance as the laconic Hilts, the baseball-loving, motorbike-riding “Cooler King.” The rest of the all-male Anglo-American cast–Dickie Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Garner, Charles Bronson, David McCallum, James Coburn, and Gordon Jackson–make the most of their meaty roles (though you have to forgive Coburn his Australian accent). Closely based on Paul Brickhill’s book, the various escape attempts, scrounging, forging, and ferreting activities are authentically realized thanks also to technical advisor Wally Flood, one of the original tunnel-digging POWs. Sturges orchestrates the climax with total conviction, giving us both high action and very poignant human drama. Without trivializing the grim reality, The Great Escape thrillingly celebrates the heroism of men who never gave up the fight. –Mark Walker
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April 18, 2010
#1
I am in utter disbelief by the amount of positive reviews this movie received. It is a sad state of affairs when so many people rank this movie in the same class with movies like Patton, The Longest Day, and Cross of Iron. This film was a joke from start to finish. I felt like the director got his insight on German behavior from watching re-runs of Hogan’s Heroes. This movie had no depth, no moments that made you respect war, and the intensity(which is a must in war movies) ranked right up there with Cannonball Run. Well, that is all I have to say about that.
April 19, 2010
#2
This flick is like a prequel to “Hogan’s Heroes.” The Allied POWs are plucky, cocky and handsome. The German soldiers who guard them are bumbling oafs. At the end of the movie the German guns come out and many of the POWs are slaughtered.
Disgusting.
April 19, 2010
#3
Ah geeze ….. For starters, the German officers acted more like a bunch of pissed off hair dressers on the rag, rather than cold blooded Nazis. The prisoners also seem to be a bit openly blatant in their attitude towards the Germans as they taunt the authority in charge. In a way the story is a borderline comedy. My father had spent time in in a prison camp in World War II, and in real life if anybody acted this way towards their captors believe me they would have been dissected and executed, in that order. The other part I’ll never figure out is why Steve McQueen gets top billing in this flick. Most likely this was some kind of deal his agent struck with the producers. He only had a supporting role, and his acting is adequate at best. It’s strange that the movie has a reputation that precedes itself. For quite some time all I heard was that this was Steve McQueen’s classic performance that launched his image, yadda yadda yadda so in fact I liked the picture before I saw it, then I saw it. I didn’t realize that all you needed to be the King of Cool is to look good on a motorcycle. I’m not saying he did a bad job in this movie, but his contribution is hyped waaay too much. But if you are a die hard McQueen fan, then ANYTHING he does is always going to outshine anything else, as opposed to keeping things in proper perspective. If there is anything good to state is that I think that The Great Escape is worth having in your DVD collection because it is afterall, a GUY flick, which is rare these days in the World of feminist dominated entertainment crap.
April 19, 2010
#4
For being one of the most popular movies of its kind, it really was a big waste of time. I never new a Steve McQueen movie could be so overrated until I saw this. I had never seen the movie until last week, and boy was I dissapointed. All these years of hearing and reading all the hype, for nothing. I admit I was convinced it was good even before I saw it, again, I was wrong. It is not that thrilling or suspensfull. I know it was based on the true story, and I admire the real POWs for everything they endured, but this movie does them a disservice by trying to make it funny at times. Not admirable. Don’t waste your money, just rent it if you want to see it. Forgetable after its over and done with.
April 19, 2010
#5
I have ordered 2 DVDs on August 9, 2007 and today is September 11th 2007 but yet I have no clue about my DVDs. This is pathetic and very shameful thing for a name like AMAZON. I ask everyone not to buy anything before they commit you fast delivery.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY DVDs YET.