Review of The Great Escape (1963) by Jake G — 22 Jan 2010

Paradoxically, it is in Stalag 17, the German POW camp that the men of THE GREAT ESCAPE exhaust their energies in tunneling out of, that I find the closest semblance to a cinematic home away from home. Though Steve McQueen is no longer revving up motorcycles here on earth, and the golden age for the World War II film has long since passed, there is something reasurring in being able to come back to a familiar place, filled with familiar faces, all intent on a mutual goal, and hearing throughout that timeless, begging to be whistled melody. It's the kind of film I expect to be showing to my children years down the road, though perhaps with my dad's preface: "It's not going to have a very happy ending, but it's an unforgettable movie.".

For best effect, read this with a German accent, preferably out loud: "We have decided to put all our eggs in one basket-- and we intend to watch that basket very carefully.".

To wit, Fritz's idea isn't half bad. To quell the little insurrections, the pockets of tunneling activity each man would create in their individual assigned camps, the idea is to contain them in a central location under heavy observation. But for all his good intentions and devotion to the Fatherland, an escape commitee is nevertheless set up in the POW camp, more or less immediately. It's a clandestine organization, of course, with an experienced tunnel rat at the head, Squadron Leader Roger Bushell (played by legendary character actor Richard Attenborough).

Bushell, nicknamed Big X, is a striking, take charge kind of man. He announces in the commitee's inaugural meeting the most ambitious escape attempt of his career, a plan (a grander word is needed, perhaps subterfuge) that will require the concerted effort of over a hundred men. Not only will three full length tunnels-- Tom, Dick, and Harry-- be constructed, but the goal is that the escaped men will have a realistic chance to make it on the outside. The escapees will need the standard fake ID's and uniforms, but also a little proficience in German and a convincing alter ego.

The men in that first meeting, though thunderstruck by Bushell's audacity, make an escape dream team, fully capable of pulling off the endeavor at hand.

Hendley (James Garner) is "the Scrounger." His job is to acquire from unwitting German guards the materials necessary for the escape, whether it's a camera or a guard's wallet. The suave, smooth talking Garner was an inspired choice for the role, incidentally the character I always liked the most. Steve McQueen famously plays Captain Hilts, a lone operator (with buddy Ives) whose preturnatural ability to get under the wire is a boon for the organization and the bane of the long suffering German guards. Charles Bronson is Lt. Danny Velinski, the brawny powerhouse of the tunnel crew that has an unexpected weakness. Rounding out the team are a host of colorful characters too numerous to mention, all of which contribute to the effort in their individual areas of expertise.

Problems crop up, of course, like the conundrum posed by the need to dispose of the tunnel dirt, but each are dealt with creatively, even ingeniously at times.

By the time the stage is set for the big day (or night, rather), the stakes are indeed high. Months of preparation have gone into the project, and it could all be spoiled by the tiniest of miscues. With everyone as ready as is possible, the men go down in the tunnels, and history-- it is a feat that will go down as the largest mass escape in World War Two.

What follows are the stories of the men on the outside, the fates of which we might otherwise only wonder about. Some are indeed sucessful, monumentally against the odds, but the vast majority fail-- some of their stories, of the ones killed by German secret police, are tragic.

Elmer Bernstein's iconic score surely deserves credit for building suspense and fleshing out action sequences. Besides the classic melody we all know and love, there are quieter musical interludes (the night of the escape) and relentless musical build-ups (the motorcycle chase). But for this film I'm a bit reticient, actually, to get a copy of the soundtrack-- I want to feel that magic, every time the music surges, as if I were hearing it for the very first time.

John Sturges, who has directed a number of quality action movies like THE MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN and GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL, here boasts his best performance behind the camera, a style that, while simple, accomodates the action sequences brilliantly. Out of his ensemble cast he coaxes career-highlights of performances, and his unassuming feel fits the film perfectly.

A movie rife with drama, humor, and action, THE GREAT ESCAPE is through and through, in my book, the greatest escape film of all time. It's a near flawless movie, the very definitive film of its kind, and I suspect it will be enjoyed for a long time to come.