Review of The Great Escape (1963) by Dave H — 30 May 2010

The deliberate, laggard, well-worn machinations of escape are benignly entertaining, but offer nothing new on the genre. The characters are mostly two dimensionally written partly because the huge star studded cast each receives a tight allotment of screen time. The actors do the best with the material supplied and it is a treat to see so many fine headliners in one film. Some ploys were added to force additional suspense, but were often too clumsy or obvious. For example Charles Bronson losing his marbles to claustrophobia after spending half the movie as the main digger in the dark appears completely makeshift and drags the momentum.

One positive is that despite being laconic there is a steadiness to the undertaking that matches the military nature of the story giving the operation solid grounding. I also enjoyed the picturesque terrain outside the prison as various escapees further their attempts at freedom in more isolated and even less probable plans. These last efforts were absorbing. One had no idea who might succeed on enemy territory.

The prison chief is the most nuanced role of the venture, a man clearly stuck uncomfortably between his loyalties as a German and to his job while disgusted by his gestapo counterparts. Unfortunately this conflict never reaches inspired revelations.

Relentless resistance to fascism with untamable American spirit along with a few of her allies are the message which resonates when the tale concludes. That's a worthy enough message to bump this movie into the positive side of the film scale. But there is little that hasn't been done better in other shadows of the same concept.