The Great Escape
Composite Score: 85.8
Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald, Donald Pleasance, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, Angus Lennie, Nigel Stock, and Robert Graf
Director: John Sturges
Writers: James Clavell and W.R. Burnett
Genres: Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller, War
MPAA Rating: Approved
Box Office: $228,178 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
The Great Escape is the film adaptation of the nonfiction book of the same name by Paul Brickhill about a breakout from Stalag Luft III during World War II by British and American prisoners of war. The film stars Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasance, and many more in an ensemble cast of POWs and Nazi soldiers. McQueen’s performance, in particular, has become iconic in pop culture, inspiring future ne’er-do-wells with his motorcycle riding across the German countryside and games of catch by himself while in solitary confinement. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing and currently sits at 155th on IMDB’s list of the 250 highest rated films.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The biggest flaw in The Great Escape comes in its treatment of the German soldiers who work at the camp. It takes something akin to a “not all Nazis” stance toward the commandant and a few of the less suspecting guards that is a bit troubling in a more modern context. Granted, a study of the actual escape does portray some of these figures as being less than pro-Nazi themselves, but they still served as part of Hitler’s military, so they don’t just get a free pass because they weren’t as bad as the Gestapo or SS. I think the film does do a good job of villainizing that side of the German World War II apparatus, making it clear in every scene where they show up that the Gestapo and members of the SS are villains of the highest degree. At the same time, it tries to make the commandant (Hannes Messemer) out to be a sympathetic figure, playing his dismissal from his post after the breakout as some tragedy of duty or something, and I’m just not buying it. Nazis are bad, period. I don’t feel like this is an issue that requires any level of nuance, but here we are. (I really do love this film; I just don’t love that it only makes some of the Nazis into bad guys.)
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
For a film that’s nearly three hours in its entirety and reserves most of its action for the last hour or so of screentime, The Great Escape feels remarkably well-paced and doesn’t really drag thanks to the skillful writing and acting of those involved. It opens with its iconic theme song playing over a line of trucks driving to the prison camp and the opening credits popping up on screen before ending with one of the most brilliant disclaimers ever given in a historical film – it basically lets the audience know that the characters in the film have been fictionalized to make the movie good, but the escape happened basically as it’s depicted – setting the stage for the excellent pacing of the rest of the film. The first two-thirds of the film is spent on getting to know the characters and watching them execute their plan and pivot when things go wrong. It builds anticipation so well, giving weight to every conversation, every complication, and every nod and movement, setting up the climactic third act when everything goes into motion. Without great work in the first two hours of the film, the final act would feel either unearned or overstuffed, but it instead feels like the natural culmination of the characters’ story that has been unfolding on the screen. It helps that you have the star-studded group of escapees leading the way (James Coburn’s questionable Australian accent notwithstanding). By the time it’s all said and done, you feel the weight of what they accomplished, what they risked, and what they lost and are left with a profound sense of catharsis – recognizing the tragedy of those who didn’t make it while celebrating the dedication to defiance in the face of tyranny at all costs. It’s an excellent war film that succeeds because of its reliance on characters over action.
The brilliant pacing, storytelling, and character work done by all those involved in The Great Escape have turned it into one of the most iconic and Greatest Films of All Time. Its less harsh treatment of some of its supporting cast of Nazis should give you some pause when you watch it, but its overall message of refusing to roll over for fascists and fighting to be free from that form of government at all costs is one that remains poignant even today. You can currently watch this film for free with ads via Freevee on Prime Video if you’d like to check it out in the coming days.
