Movie #213: The Great Escape

Movie #: 213
Movie Title: The Great Escape
Year Released: 1963

Director: John Sturges
Notable Cast: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn

Short Description: Allied POWs plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II. (IMDB.com)


Rank on the Top 100 Lists

AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: N/A
Empire.com: #82
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: N/A



Date Watched: 6/11/2013

What I Liked: Though there were a lot of different characters in the movie, they all seemed to have a fair amount of screen time and a chance to develop their characters. I thought Richard Attenborough was particularly good and it was a nice surprise when I found out that he was John Hammond in Jurassic Park. When the main characters do escape, I was pleased that the movie showed a resolution for each one, whether it was recapture, freedom, or death.

What I Disliked: Given that this movie was based on a true story and I don’t feel like researching how much of it was true, it’s hard to argue with it. That said, knowing some history of WWII, I was amazed to see the POWs were treated generally well their German captors and supplies that one would think wouldn’t be available to them were indeed easily accessible. It’s not really something I disliked, but I don’t understand how Steve McQueen gets top billing for this movie when there are many others, like Richard Attenborough, that have larger roles and more screen time. I know Steve McQueen was a big name back in the day, but if that’s the only reason he got top billing that doesn’t seem right.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Though three hours is long for a movie, The Great Escape used the time well to develop characters you care about and to tell a story without skimping on detail.