One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time, The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), screenwriters James Clavell ("Shogun") and W.R. Burnett and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story this film also stars, Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and James Coburn
i bought it because it is a classic film and i love the film steve mcqueen is brillant in it and i love all the action in it it is a must have film i recomend it to anyone
really great film best bit is when steve mcqueen runs away from the enemy on the motorbike its set in 1943 the germans opened stalag luft north a maximam security prisnor of war camp desighned to hold even the craftiest escape artists in doing so however the nazis unwittingly assemebled the finest escape team in military history brilliantly portrayed here by steve mcqueen james gardner charles bronson and james coburn. great film well recomended aaaaaa***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
One of the top 5 films ever made. A true classic, they certainly do'nt make films like this any more. A brillant cast of actors, imagine the cost now of trying to get this many top actors in one film. Steve McQueen best film.
The Great Escape is the type of film that you can watch, put away and watch again, without losing any of its interest. It's full of fantastic actors: Steve McQueen, Gordon Jackson, Donald Pleasance, Richard Attenborough, David McCallum etc. Always a favourite at Christmas or any other time for that matter.
This is for me the best POW film ever. Set in Germany in WW2, Allied prisoners are expected to escape and the germans are supposed to keep them locked up.
Steve McQueen and his motorbike sequences are well worthy of a place in this film which also highlights the Gestapo massacre of 50 recaptured prisoners.
This film has so many stars it is simple one of the best made and a reflection on the quality that over 25 years on it still is remembered as The best Prisoner of War film ever
The Great Escape, one of the most famous war-films of all time. One of the regular films which is shown year-in-year-out on the TV at Christmas time. Directed and Produced by John Sturgess in 1963, based on a true story by Paul Brickhill. Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and James Coburn. The film is an account of the mass escape of 76 prisoners from a POW camp, and of what happens to the major characters of the film thereafter. 50 of the escapees were killed and 12 were recaptured. Steve McQueen is excellent in the starring role of a captured US airman, but it is Donald Pleasence who provides the sentiment as an ageing POW who is the camp forger but who is quickly losing his eyesight. The final scenes are tense and tragic (not often the good guy loses!) and the attempt to escape over the border by Steve Mcqueen on board a motorcycle must go down in cineamatic history. If there is a negative to the film, maybe it is a little too long at nearly 3 hours running time, but at least with a video or dvd you can pause and go and make a cup of tea. My verdict is to get this classic film and it is a must have to keep it in your collection.
I've seen this film dozens of times and know it off by heart. It's based on true events and people but all the names have been changed. As with war films of that era, the Germans are shown as being either bastards or just stupid, or both. They don't make films like this any more, and it's a pity as far as I'm concerned. It might seem a bit corny by toaday's standards but that's the way I like it.