i havent been here for too long! my headline said `10 days until Japan` and I`ve been here nearly 10...
i havent been here for too long! my headline said `10 days until Japan` and I`ve been here nearly 10 weeks...
Member since:12.05.2001
Reviews:32
Members who trust:17
I feel mildly guilty. The other week I was composing my top 10 list of films and The Great Escape despite being an absolutely cracking film missed out on inclusion. So to assuage my conscience I'm gonna devote a whole opinion to saying how great it is. And it isn't difficult because this is a truly brilliant film for a whole variety of reasons. But before I go into them just for anyone who's here by accident and has never heard of the Great Escape here's a quick plot run-down:
Allied Air Force officers with records for attempting lots of Escapes are all dumped in one prison camp with a carefully selected commandant - "Ve haf in effect, put all our votten eggs in von basket. And ve intend to vatch zis basket very carefully" So of course they're all immediately trying to escape and devise a plan to break out more men than ever before in one escape - 250 through three tunnels. The first half of the film sets up all of the characters and details of the planning etc. Then the escape happens and despite a cock-up 76 get away. And in case you haven't seen the film I won't entirely spoil the ending by telling you what happens to them then. Instead I'll expand on why this film is so superb:
1. Acting
This film had a truly all-star cast: Richard Attenborough as Sqd Ldr Bartlett the architect of the escape, Donald Pleasance as the Nearly-Blind Forger with a Tea Fetish (sort of!), and Steve McQueen as the 'cooler king' - the cocky American who's always in trouble with the guards. Plus James Donald, Charles Bronson, James Garner, Gordon Jackson and many others. And all of their performances are superb; there isn't a single duffer amongst them
2. Truth
I may be in a minority here but I've always felt that the best war films are based on a true story. I've never been a fan of war films which re-write history and make everything seem hunky dory. Truth adds poignancy especially as in this case where the ending has elements of tragedy.
3. Action
Superb in parts quite frankly particularly the famous Steve McQueen motorcycle chase. McQueen was of course famous in this instance for doing all his own stunts. Alas it came out recently that this wasn't entirely true - a stunt actor did parts of this chase. But that doesn't take away from it being a great action sequence which keeps you gripped to the screen
4. Wit & Quotes
In here in abundance. I can't go through all of the bits that make me chuckle as we'd be here all night but some of my favourites are
a) Sedgewick and Danny are attempting to escape by hiding amongst Russian Prisoners who are leaving the camp to work
Sedgwick: Danny, you speak Russian? Danny: A little, but only one sentence. Sedgwick: Well, let me have it, mate! Danny: Ya vei lublo. Sedgwick: Ya vei lublo. Ya vei lublo. What's it mean? Danny :I love you. Sedgwick: I love you! What bloody good is that? Danny: I don't know, I wasn't going to use it, myself.
b) After the escape a guard questions Ives and looks at his records Guard: 'Ives? Ives? (Finds Ives' record) Ah yes Ives Your photograph doesn't do you justice Ives (jams his hat on and says with great Scottish affront) 'I'd like to see one of you under similar circumstances'
c) The Commandant is annoyed at British Escapes and tells the Senior British Officer 'For the last 3 years the Reich has been forced to use an inordinate amount of men, time, resources and equipment to guard you and your men'. The Brit comments dryly: 'Well I suppose it's rather nice to know you're wanted'
:-) All in all a truly brilliant film: It's on TV fairly often and it's not really uprising because it is genuinely very good: Good Wit, Good Action, Good Acting and True. Watch it yesterday, or, at the very least, today
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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
Fantastic film. My mother informed me that she had seen it so many times she could tell who was on screen with her eyes closed, just by listening to the music. Then we watched it again... (she can) :)
kimy 04.10.2001 17:45
This is a film that is appreciated by young and old. I have only recently seen it on TV and I was fully engaged all the way through! Excellent op, I may even go out and buy this one!
bigkenny 20.05.2001 00:34
I love this movie. I have it on video and the tape has almost worn through. Great op
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 – brillia...
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