The Great Escape (1963)

Intro.
Lately I've felt like I've seen so many films, but only in pieces.  I'll catch the first twenty minutes here and maybe the ending there, or a piece or two in the middle a few weeks later.  The Great Escape was one of those films for a long time.  Of course I had seen Steve McQueen in "the cooler" with his baseball - it's iconic.  So awhile ago I sat down and saw the entire thing and loved it.  Then this past weekend when the whole state of Maryland got a nice two feet of snow, I curled up with a few movies and happily found this one on Turner Classic Movies (in High-Def!!!).  So I thought I should probably write about it.

Overview
Based on a true story, The Great Escape tells the tale of 76 men who successfully escaped a German POW camp during WWII.  This camp had specifically been designed for prisoners who had escaped from other camps.  The hard work and organization that went into their escape is fascinating and drives the entire film.  It is very much a character driven film as well, as we get to know and care about each of the main prisoners.  Steve McQueen plays Hilts, the "cooler king", whose main job is to keep the Germans busy with his escape attempts so as to divert attention from the big escape.  James Gardner plays Hendley, the "scrounger", who must come up with a set of travel papers so that the forgers can copy them, as well as other provisions.  The two main leaders are Richard Attenborough (playing Roger Bartlett) and Gordon Jackson (playing MacDonald).  The entire group digs three tunnels (Tom, Dick and Harry), forges travel papers, makes civilian suits and bags, and one night sneaks out into the woods where they part ways and try their best to make it out of Germany.

Highlights
The acting in this film is outstanding.  I can't go on enough about all of the actors involved.  In addition to the ones I mentioned, there's also Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and James Donald (who, in a side note, also BRILLIANTLY played my favorite movie doctor, Clipton, in the Bridge Over the River Kwai in 1957).  All of the details, all of the planning is so well organized and orchestrated.  The directors wanted it that way - they even hired a survivor of the original camp to come and be a technical advisor on set.  That's why the details really make this movie.  Watching this film reminds you of the determination of the spirit to be free. It's breathtaking and terribly sad at the end; worse still when you read about the real story and learn just how much of this was true.

Should be Mentioned...
Steve McQueen's character does feel a bit out of place, but according to history sources, there were some Americans in the camp.  His timing at the end is a bit off, as Steve almost makes Switzerland on a motorcycle while simultaneously James Gardner tries to make it there in a plane and crashes 20 miles short.  But in light of the history and how well made the film is, you can overlook some of the Hollywood-ness.  I can almost hear comedian Eddie Izzard's voice now: "Steve McQueen plays the American who is dropped into British films to make them sell."  Well, that may be true, but the film still earns its place as a classic.  As it compares to another classic, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, it's fascinating how differently the POWs deal with their imprisonment.  Both groups are distinctly British and go about their plans with great foresight and attention to detail.  (And on a side note, Hilts gets time in solitary called "the cooler" while Alec Guiness gets time in solitary called "the oven.")  Then both films end tragically, reminding us (in the words of Clipton) that war is madness.

Review
I love this movie more each time I see it.  Every time another character captivates me and I have to follow and root for him clear through to the end.  It's amazing, humbling, and undeniably devastating to know that real men lived this life and died trying to escape.  If you haven't seen this movie yet, or if you are like I was and only saw a few bits, do yourself a favor and watch it.  All of it.  Straight through.  And you may need a tissue.

Want to learn more?  I read a lot about the film and the story behind it at HistoryinFilm.com.  Also, if you want to see Eddie Izzard's routine about the movie, click here (he starts around 1:45, but please note that he does use a few obscenities).