The Great Escape - World War II Film - Action Adventure Movie

The Great Escape is a 1963 war picture starring James Garner, Steve McQueen, and Richard Attenborough, based on a 1950 book by Paul Brickhill. The story revolves around an escape by prisoners of war from a World War II German POW camp, known as Stalag Luft III (Zagan).

The nonfiction book of the mass escape from Stalag III details the desire of the Nazi authorities to group "every escape artist in Germany" in one prison, because their continued escape attempts had squandered too many German resources. With 250 escape artists in prison camp, it's only a matter of time before the mass escape is attempted.

The Great Escape A key moment in the movie involves what happened to "The 50", to whom the film is dedicated. I won't get any more specific than that, but one should remember this film is based on real events, so the story might not turn out how you might always expect.

Great War Movies

If you like great war films, then The Great Escape should be on your must-watch list. This is Steve McQueen at his finest. In fact, the scene where Steve McQueen tries his escape on the motorcycle is the clip usually seen in a one-image summation of McQueen's career, because it's so famous and because McQueen did many of his own stunts.

The performances by Richard Attenborough and James Garner are also excellent. Attenborough's performance is especially important, as he's the organizer of the mass escape. Richard Attenborough is also the major indication this isn't just an American war, but an Allied War, as he is an officer of the United Kingdom.

The Great Escape Reviews

The Great Escape was not well-received at the time. The New York Times panned the film, calling it a "mechanical adventure with make-believe men", which is a jarring criticism for a film about real life events. World War II veterans seemed to have viewed the parts depicting camp life as authentic, though more than one criticized Steve McQueen for glamorizing the life of a POW.

Over the years, though, The Great Escape has gathered an audience, and the critics have softened their stance on the film. In England, The Great Escape finished #3 in a 2006 poll of tv watchers on which film they would most prefer to see on Christmas Day. I can't imagine a U.S. audience considering a war film for Christmas viewing.

These days, The Great Escape is a history film, because most Americans would never know about the courageous escape attempts from Stalag Luft III, or other German prison camps, were it not for The Great Escape. And in an era of action movie blockbusters, whatever excesses Steve McQueen had in the day seem minor in comparison.