War > Bronson, Charles War > S

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 ... Read review

Advantages: great film
Disadvantages: none

Arguebly the best war film of all time. The great escape is set during WWII in a prisoner of war camp. The main aim of the film is for the prisoners to escape and flee to a safe area. The main characters are Hilts, Roger, Hendley. Firstly there is Hilts "the cooler king" as he was well known as in the film, because of his multiple daring escape attempts which did work but he was then caught the next day and sent to the cooler. Secondly there is Roger ...
...the the escapes and did actually manage to escape but then he was caught and murdered in the final scene. Hendley or "the scrounger" as he was better known, got someone to divert the attention of the guards while he would steal something useful. The main escape plan in the great escape is to escape out of the POW camp via an underground tunnel. The characters performance in the film were amazing and like no other. The stunts and special effects ... Read review

Advantages: Everything, seeing Steve McQueen lots is a bonus =]
Disadvantages: none!

...of this movie but never the whole film, I decided to buy it on DVD. I bought it as part of a 'Great Films Starring Steve McQueen' box set. What an investment! Produced in 1963, this DVD is based on a true story of a group of Allied P.O.W's who planned an escape from an 'escape proof' camp. This was the largest planned Allied escape attempt from a German POW camp. This film features some famous names such as: Steve McQueen James Garner Charles ...
...The first half of the film focuses on various escape attempts made by the POWs, as well of the planning of the escape and digging the tunnels, Tom, Dick, and Harry. This half of the film is quite comedic, and the characters work well together. The second half of the film follows the escape of the prisoners, and follows their various journeys as they try and get back to Britain safely. It is much more dramatic than the first half, and is quite fast ... Read review

Advantages: Still the best war film ever with loads of extras
Disadvantages: Maybe not suitable for Scots, Welsh + Irish

"It is the duty of any officer in time of war...to do all in his power to escape" - General George Harsh. Never has this been shown in such passionate detail as in the The Great Escape. Based on a true story, it is set in 1943 in a brand new POW camp in Germany. This camp was constucted by the German's to hold all the troublesome Allied POW's - Summed up by Von Luger, the Commandant in the movie as "Putting all our rotten eggs in one basket". ...
...McQueen(Hilts - The Cooler King), James Garner(Hendley - The Scrounger), Richard Attenborough(Bartlett - Big X), James Donald(Ramsey - SBO), Charles Bronson(Danny - Tunnel King), Donald Pleasence(Blythe - The Forger) and James Coburn(Sedgwick - The Manufacturer). All these stars play huge parts in the film with none having a 'more important role' than another although viewers will tend to remember Steve McQueen more due to the charasmatic character ... Read review

Advantages: Looks & Sounds great
Disadvantages: A Tad Gorey

I saw this with my 3 brothers when it was released. It was the first time i've ever sat all the way through and not uttered a sound until the film was finished. That's saying something. the film was incredible in the cinema. Next watching was on DVD. the whole film all the way through with no breaks. again, the film was awesome. And today i've just seen it again on the TV. The film does get better each time I see it. I notice more and more things, ...
...me. Hanks salutes his superior when he goes for his "find Ryan" briefing but his translator is chastised for doing the same, why? The men that don't spot the Panzerfaust leaning against the wall when their trying to stop the 25mm gun from flanking them. It's right there in plain view in the middle of the screen leaning against a wall and not one of 4 men spotted it. This time I did see Ted Danson and that Vin Diesel. Second time in a week for the ... Read review