The Great Escape (Definitive Edition) (DVD)

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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…
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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) 

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