The Great Escape

This 1963 movie tells the tale of a mass escape from a prisoner of war camp in WWII. It is an excellent movie. Based on a true story the movie has a very strong cast and is the traditional male hero movie. Tellingly however as it is from 1963 they convey the urgency of the escape without bombs, limbs being blown off and cursing.

I know the world was a different place then but I challenge anybody to find me a war movie made in the last twenty years with all those modern tools at their disposal which is as good as this.

As the movie begins a new group of POW's is arriving at the camp. Greeted by the Commander in charge he tells them that all of them have long records of escape attempts and that they should cease these efforts as the camp is escape proof and in fact they all were sent to this camp to " put all the bad apples in one bunch" in a camp designed to protect against escape.

James Donald playing Admiral Ramsey, the Sr Officer in the Camp reminds him that is the duty of all officers to attempt to escape. The Commandant does not agree but it is also clear that he is a man of honor and understand the challenges both sides face. Soon a Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett is brought into camp by Gestapo Agents. As he has been the leader of several large escape attempts he has been interrogated and marked by the Gestapo to no avail. They have brought him to this camp to be held but the Commandant is advised to keep him separate from the other prisoners. The Commandant does not respect the Gestapo, finds them distasteful in fact and does not hide the fact. He does not follow the instructions and places Bartlett with the regular troops.

Soon enough a plan to escape is set up. Not just a single escape or two but a large scale attempt involving over 250 officers. This requires the digging of tunnels and all of the secrecy and effort this takes.

The cast in this movie is incredibly strong. Richard Attenborough as Squadron Leader Bartlett, James Garner is incredibly strong in his role as Flight Lt RAF Handley and Steve McQueen as Virgil Hilts an American from the USAF, who is known as the Cooler King for all of his time spent in isolation for infractions.

The movie is very good. Very strong. Interestingly, at least for me it does not end the way I anticipated as I watched it. This movie does not have a cookie cutter ending.

The Great Escape is a Great Movie