"We have in effect, put all our rotten eggs in one basket, and we intend to watch this basket carefully."
No film conjures up as much cheery, yet suspicious whistling as the classic John Sturges war film The Great Escape, based on the mass escape of British and Commonwealth prisoners from German POW camp Stalag Luft III.
The year is 1943, and the German High Command have build a specialised POW camp to house the most troublesome prisoners, namely those that are constantly attempting to escape. As the senior British Officer, Grp. Captain Ramsey (James Donald) says to the Commandant, Colonel Von Luger (Hannes Messemer), it is the men's duty to try to escape and that is exactly what they plan to do. The men spend the first few days trying different escape methods, which only result in the American Captain Hilts (Steve McQueen) "Cooler King", and the short Officer Ives (Angus Lennie) the "Mole" being sent to the Cooler, which they both seem quite proud of. After the arrival of Sqn. Leader Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough) "Big X", a meticulous plan is designed to take out 250 men underground, one of the most ambitious escapes ever attempted.
The Great Escape has become a seminal Christmas movie in Britain, despite having little to nothing to do with the festive season. Perhaps it's the British spirit and camaraderie which they want to be reminded about as they all sit down to relax. It manages to keep you interested all the way through, despite the nearly three hour running time. The intricate details required to complete the escape, from the forged documents, to the civilian clothing, will please even the most reformed of obsessive viewers, and the methodology and planning behind the whole project is beautiful to watch unfold. Even just the activities going on around the POW camp when they're not trying to escape, like when Hilts and the other Americans ferment potatoes into alcohol to celebrate the 4th of July with the other prisoners. It's a detailed and compelling look into the life of these men and their eagerness to get back to fighting the war.
Of course, this is a war movie, and despite being from an era before the true anti-war films, it can't avoid the tragedy and bloodshed behind the events that it follows. Without spoiling the ending, it's no surprise that not all the men gain their freedom, despite their valiant efforts. Much debate has raged about the historical accuracy behind the film, particularly how the men that were recaptured were treated. Inaccuracies aside, the often tense and severely bittersweet implications behind who survives and who dies serves to remind the viewer that this is a war, and not everything can be enjoyable banter and good old fashioned British ingenuity.
The Great Escape could never be anything other than an ensemble piece, and whilst everybody remembers it as that Steve McQueen movie, all the performances are phenomenal. Attenborough is especially good as the cunning yet cautious Bartlett. As is Charles Bronson as the claustrophobic Danny Velinski, Angus Lennie as Ives and of course, Steve McQueen as Hilts.
The Great Escape is one of many great films by John Sturges, and was made in an era when Hollywood produced some adventurous yet honest war films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai. Its portrayal of these men and their boundless spirit will bring you back to view it again, and again.
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