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The story line is brilliant, especially as you soon realise that it is a reflection on how the prisoners of war actual lived during their captivity in the hands of the Nazi's…
Right from the very start of this movie you know your in for some exciting action, albeit sometimes a little spread ... Read review
In 1943 the Germans opened Stalag Luft North a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp ... more
designed to hold even the craftiest escape artist. In doing so however the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly po...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft North, a maximum security prisoner-of-war camp, ... more
designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly p...
One of the most famous true stories from the last war The GREAT ESCAPE tells how more ... more
than six hundred men in a German prisoner-of-war camp worked together to achieve an extraordinary break-out. Every night for a year they dug tunnels and those who weren't digging forged passports drew maps faked weapons and tailored German uniforms and civilian clothes to wear once they had escaped. All of this was conducted under the very noses of their prison guards. When the right night came the actual escape itself was timed to the split second - but of course not everything went according to plan...
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Production Year: 1958 - War - Director: J. Lee Thompson - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quayle, Harry Andrews, Diane Clare
Production Year: 1970 - War - Director: Brian G. Hutton - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles, Gavin MacLeod
Advantages: Thrilling adventure from the past Disadvantages: none
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Released in the summer of 1963 this near three hour movie, based on some true events, depicts the lives of many Prisoners of War incarcerated in a German POW camp, Stalag Luft III, during the second world war, revealing the many escapes which were planned and executed, sometimes successfully, but mostly failures…
This movie is based on the factual book by Paul Brickhill, who was actually in the camp and helped out with ... ...from actually taking part in the escape itself.
** BRIEF PLOT **
Stalag Luft III is a high security prisoners of war camp which, according to commandant Colonel Von Luger, (played by Hannes Messemer), is escape proof, so it is filled with prisoners who have previously escaped from various other prisons… but to house that many professional escapees in one place is just asking for trouble…
... more
Director and producer: John Sturges Writers: James Clavell, W.R. Burnett and Paul Brickhill Stars: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson and Donald Pleasence
Released in the summer of 1963 this near three hour movie, based on some true events, depicts the lives of many Prisoners of War incarcerated in a German POW camp, Stalag Luft III, during the second world war, revealing the many escapes which were planned and executed, sometimes successfully, but mostly failures…
This movie is based on the factual book by Paul Brickhill, who was actually in the camp and helped out with the preparations of the escape, only his claustrophobia stopping him from actually taking part in the escape itself.
** BRIEF PLOT **
Stalag Luft III is a high security prisoners of war camp which, according to commandant Colonel Von Luger, (played by Hannes Messemer), is escape proof, so it is filled with prisoners who have previously escaped from various other prisons… but to house that many professional escapees in one place is just asking for trouble…
When Squadron leader Roger Bartlett, (played by Richard Attenborough), turns up at the camp he soon begins to organise the biggest escape ever seen in German history… so with the combined efforts and individual skills of the prisoners, from Flight lieutenant Anthony Hendly, (played by James Garneraka), who has an amazing ability to scrounge anything that is needed, Flight lieutenant Colin Blythe, (played by Donald Pleasence) with his master forging skills, Flight lieutenant Danny Velinski, (played by Charles Bronson) who digs tunnels quicker than a mole and not forgetting Tom, Dick, Harry and George, who are crucial in the escape plan…
So with a sort of reconnaissance of the surrounding area from the constantly escaping U.S. air force prisoner Captain Virgil Hilts, aka 'the cooler king'( played by Steve McQueen), the escape plan is put into operation… only things don't go quite the way they should… with discoveries in the camp upsetting the apple cart and some of the prisoners running for their lives from the Nazi gunners…
** IN CONCLUSION **
What a fantastic movie made with so much emotion you can feel it in the very first few scenes. The story line is brilliant, especially as you soon realise that it is a reflection on how the prisoners of war actual lived during their captivity in the hands of the Nazi's…
Right from the very start of this movie you know your in for some exciting action, albeit sometimes a little spread out, but considering this is a three hour movie you will find yourself becoming engrossed in the lives of the men held captive at the so called inescapable Stalag Luft III… You can almost feel the tension amongst the POW as they try for their freedom in any way they can, constantly failing, their moral being sapped each day they are held in the camp… willing them to succeed in at least one of the plans to get back to there homeland, out witting the Nazi's…
For viewers looking for a stunt filled movie then this is not for you as the stunts are more or less non existent, except for what was to become a rather famous scenario concerning McQueen in a German uniform and a motorcycle, this doesn't spoil the movie one little bit, in fact it makes the movie feel as realistic as it should be…
In all this is a must to watch for everyone, even the younger children, as there is no rudeness, bad language or bloodshed, (apart from one or two scenes where escaping prisoners are gunned down, but then this isn't really bloodshed), and it may even be a little educational for the younger viewer… With it being a sort of historical fact based movie it does tend to be a little long, this one being around three hours, so some people may get a little bored, although once you start watching the time simply flies by…
Would I recommend this…?
Yes I certainly would. It is a great film showing roughly how POWs lived during there stay at the Hotel Stalag… depicting there day to day routine, showing how there chain of command never diminishes even though they are under guard from the Germans…
It is an all round entertaining and some what educational movie with some rather tense moments… a must for all you classic movie fans. So if you want to add this to your collection then you can get a copy from www.amazon.co.uk for less than £4.00... Bargain at that price indeed.
* Some more of the excellent cast
James Donald as Group Captain Ramsey aka the 'SBO' James Coburn as Flight Officer Louis Sedgwick aka "The Manufacturer" Angus Lennine as Flying Officer Archibald Ives aka 'the mole' Nigel Stock as Flight Lieutenant Denys Cavendish aka 'the surveyor' David McCullum as Lieutenant Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt aka ' dispersal' Gordon Jackson as Flight Lieutenant Sandy MacDonald aka "Intelligence" John Leyton as Flight Lieutenant William Dickes aka "The Tunneler" Robert Graf as Werner aka 'the ferret'*NOTE: For all the boffins out there…
Considering that it is based on real events there are many fictional parts added in, ( I suppose to add a little Hollywood type style action), like the famous motorbike scene for instance, plus other slight inaccuracies, but again it does nothing to spoil the movie one little bit, (unless you are a historian with nothing better to do than nit pick)
Advantages: Star studded cast, Based on a true story, Funny, And that motorcycle chase which everybody loves Disadvantages: I cant think of one honestly
The Great Escape, written by James Clavell, W.R. Burnett, and Walter Newman (who went uncredited for this film), and directed by John Sturges is a popular 1963 World War II film starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough and James Garner, based on a true story about Allied prisoners of war with a record for escaping from German prisoner-of-war camps. The Luftwaffe placed them in a new more secure camp, Stalag Luft III, from which they promptly ... ...film was based upon the factual book of the same name by Paul Brickhill, who observed the actual events as a prisoner, as did George Harsh who supplied the introduction. Harsh, one of the few Americans in the British section of Stalag Luft III, died in 1980 at age 72, according to a 1980 page of obituaries in Time magazine.
Featuring an all-star cast including McQueen (whose motorcycle chase is the film's most remembered action scene; he also did ...
XTubbzX 13.04.2008 (16.04.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Great Escape (Definitive Edition) (DVD)
Advantages: all-star cast Disadvantages: no special effects
...prisoner of war experience captures the true events that took place in Germany's Stalag Luft III, prisoner-of-war camp; This cinema achievement provided an entertainingly satirical view of the courage embraced by the British POWs, whom devised a brilliant plan while under German supervision, and resulted in the first of many successful escapes within Germany during WWII. Steve McQueen/ James Garner/ Richard Attenborough/ Charles Bronson/ James Coburn/ ...
povertyworstviolence 29.08.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of The Great Escape (Definitive Edition) (DVD)
MGM ENTERTAINMENT; 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Release date
05/03/2007
No of Discs
2
Catalogue No
1617901054
Barcode
5039036030724
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Audio Commentary By Cast And Crew, An American Icon Documentary, History Versus Hollywood Documentary, The Great Escape The Untold Story, Trivia Track, Theatrical Trailer, Photo Galleries
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital
DVD Description
Arguably the best World War II adventure film ever made, John Sturges's dramatisation of the true story of a group of British, American, and Canadian POWs who executed a massive escape from Stalag Luft III in Upper Silesia in March 1944, stars Steve McQueen as the rebellious Virgil Hilts. The German high command has filtered out all the most talented escape artists of the Allies' and placed them in a POW camp specifically designed to foil any unwanted departures. Of course, as soon as they arrive, the prisoners begin work on a series of tunnels under the direction of Roger "Big X" Bartlett (Richard Attenborough). He assigns the POWs to jobs according to their specialties: Bob "Scrounger" Hendley (James Garner) steals necessary items, Eric "Dispersal" Ashley-Pitt (David McCallum) hides the soil being dug from the tunnels, and Danny "the Tunnel King" Willinski (Charles Bronson) and Colin "the Forger" Blythe (Donald Pleasence) have self-explanatory handles. For more than a year, 600 prisoners, most of whom won't be leaving, work toward an escape that will temporarily disrupt the operations of the German army. The host of big-name stars meshes beautifully in this meticulous re-creation of the legendary escape. Although this is a film about courage, Sturges wisely takes a low-key approach, leavened with humour, rather than allowing the cast to indulge in macho antics. However, McQueen's memorable motorcycle stunts could be said to fit in that category. THE GREAT ESCAPE, based on the book by Paul Brickhill, is quite simply one of the grandest war films ever made, featuring many key scenes (McQueen's motorcycle chase, McQueen tossing the baseball against the cell wall, Bronson sliding on his chest in the tunnel) that are unforgettable.
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