Review of The Great Escape (1963) by Brett C — 15 Jul 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

The Great Escape is a strong and entertaining film, featuring interesting characters and memorable sequences. The film also showed a bit of depth through its characters, speaking about the loss of hope. The film's first two hours were almost perfect, fleshing out its characters and setting, containing frank but unforced dialogue, and an escape sequence that rivals among the best of thrillers. The third act was a disappointment, concerning too much on its spectacle and executed nowhere near as well as the escape sequence. Thankfully it ended on a high note, maintaining my affection towards this film. The Elmer Bernstein's memorable score inserted a sense of energy and lightness to its atmosphere and at the same time avoiding the film from coming off as comedically light; and definitely head over heels than his already unforgettable score in Sturges' previous film The Magnificent Seven. The acting in this film was strong, with great performances from James Garner, Donald Pleasence, Charles Bronson, and Richard Attenborough. I thought Steve McQueen did fine with his role but it was far from outstanding. This film would have trumped The Magnificent Seven if it weren't for its third act, but nevertheless Sturges succeeded in making an entertaining POW film.