The Great Escape (1963)
Genre: War / Drama
Duration: 172 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: John Sturges
Stars: Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough
IMDb score:
8,2 (280.183)
Releasedate: 3 July 1963
The Great Escape plot
"Put a fence in front of these men... and they'll climb it!"
During World War II the Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners, led by Captain Virgil Hilts (Steve McQUeen) plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts in history. Based on a true story.
Actors and actresses
Hilts 'The Cooler King'
Hendley 'The Scrounger'
Bartlett 'Big X'
Ramsey 'The SBO'
Danny 'Tunnel King'
Blythe 'The Forger'
Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'
Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'
MacDonald 'Intelligence'
Reviews & comments
Shadowed
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- 11846 messages
- 6971 votes
Nice.
Been standing between the recordings for a long time (had been there for 2 years already) but I doubted and doubted. Until I was presented with a poster of "100 Movies You Must See Before You Die" that said it. So just turned it on.
I really liked it, the film grabs you right from the start. Despite the long running time, the film seems to be shorter and that is already a very big compliment. McQueen plays very nice, and the rest is also fun to watch.
I got a bit lost with the characters at times but got back to it over time, the tunnel escapes are the highlight of the film where it even wants to get exciting. The second part is therefore much more fun to watch, but I didn't find it that exciting.
Kamp didn't seem very threatening and the soldiers only stood by a bit, which is a shame. Still a sufficient one.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
Not the classic or the topper I expected. First of all, I had to struggle through the script or premise which to me looked more like a scout camp with games than a prisoner of war camp. The cat-and-mouse game that escape was a right and the isolation cell a joke was initially difficult for me to place. The very nice melodic tune also gives an airy undertone to the film. The latter reminded me a bit of The Bridge on the River Kwai, although the tone of that film was never lighthearted. You'd almost think it was a comedy. It doesn't help the tension, although it does improve later in the film.
Nevertheless, the film has its qualities. The meticulous and detailed planning and ingenuity to escape was cleverly executed. The tone of the film changes slightly after the escape. The hopes and despair of fleeing and remaining a fugitive was strongly approached from within each character. And realistically, not every escape attempt ended well. The motorcycle scene with McQueen is a highlight, but the other escapes were also interesting to follow. Film that falls into two major parts. Excellent performances with a great cast, but the script and the atmosphere are rather unbelievable, especially in the first part. Narrow 3.5* as far as I'm concerned.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10262 messages
- 4804 votes
I was a bit disappointed, partly because of the unreasonable length. The whole preparation of the escape took way too long and because of the many characters I didn't find this all that interesting; it is only from the escape itself that it becomes exciting and the film shows its best side. The plus is that the film barely has a happy ending which I didn't expect. A lot of actors pass by with McQueen as the "Cooler King" who does not mind the solitary cell and a claustrophobia suffering "Tunnel King", played by a still mustacheless Charles Bronson. I found Garner and Coburn disappointing. What the prisoners forgot in their entire undertaking was that the German state itself was a large open-air prison...
Translated from Dutch · View original
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