 Tagline: From a barbed-wire camp to a barbed-wire country, they made... [The Great Escape] In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft North, a maximum security prisoner-of-war camp, designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history. Storyline: Based on a true story, a group of allied escape artist type prisoners of war are all put in an 'escape proof' camp. Their leader decides to try to take out several hundred all at once. The first half of the film is played for comedy as the prisoners mostly outwit their jailers to dig the escape tunnel. The second half is high adventure as they use boats and trains and planes to get out of occupied Europe. Written by John Vogel Cast Notes: Steve McQueen (Captain Virgil Hilts 'The Cooler King'), James Garner (Flight Lieutenant Bob Anthony Hendley), Richard Attenborough (Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett 'Big X'), James Donald [I] (Group Captain Rupert Ramsey 'The SBO'), Charles Bronson (Flight Lieutenant Danny Willinski 'The Tunnel King'), Donald Pleasence (Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe 'The Forger'), James Coburn (Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick 'The Manufacturer'), Hannes Messemer (Colonel Von Luger 'The Kommandant'), David McCallum [I] (Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'), Gordon Jackson (Flight Lieutenant Andy MacDonald 'Intelligence'), John Leyton (Flight Lieutenant William Dickes 'The Tunneller'), Angus Lennie (Flying Officer Archibald Ives 'The Mole'), Nigel Stock [I] (Flight Lieutenant Denys Cavendish 'The Surveyor'), Robert Graf [I] (Werner 'The Ferret'), Jud Taylor (Goff). User Comment: (akira@sonnatine.freeserve.co.uk) Birmingham England • A good all action war-drama that remains entertaining regardless of the repeat viewings. Based on a true story, but with one or two glitzy bits added by Hollywood and Steve McQueen himself, although this doesn't really deter from the film. Big stars fill their characters like a glove, especially Charles Bronson, Attenborough, James Garner & of course Steve McQueen. The action doesn't slide & the interaction between the main protagonists is stimulating, especially during the build up to the escape. There are no weak points, although James Coburn's attempts at an Aussie really leaves a lot to be desired. In spite of all the entertainment that takes up the majority of the film its not until the escape itself does the movie take a slightly more dramatic/darker turn. Perhaps the most disturbing of all is the mass execution of some of our heroes at the end of the film, which works well because it jolts us out of our comfy attitude of seeing these cool troops fool the Germans so easily and makes us realise that they paid a heavy price for their actions. Having said that the movie is really an excellent vehicle for the Big Mac and the Cooler King. Without him the film would still be entertaining but there would be no real focal point for us to relate to. However, McQueen is our cool hero. And every time I see that scene of him on the bike I keep thinking that one day he will jump that damn fence!! Oh, and the music is excellent as well, the main title of which seems to have been adopted by English soccer fans who chant it from the stands when England have had a lucky win!! Summary: One day, McQueen WILL jump that fence!!! IMDb Rating (03/14/15): 8.3/10 from 139,091 users Top 250: #118 IMDb Rating (10/15/07): 8.3/10 from 36,509 users Top 250: #80 IMDb Rating (06/13/02): 8.3/10 from 9,510 users Top 250: #80
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