The Great Escape
1 Oscar Nominations
The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story.
What critics thought
The Great Escape was broadly well-received on release as a rousing, efficiently crafted action picture, though even admirers noted its considerable length and its reluctance to develop its characters as anything more than types. The film's reputation has only grown over the decades, cementing it as a classic of the genre despite those early reservations.
“The Great Escape grinds out its tormenting story without a peek beneath the surface of any man, without a real sense of human involvement. It's a strictly mechanical adventure with make-believe men.”
Bosley Crowther·The New York Times
“pretty good but overlong POW adventure with a tragic ending”
Leslie Halliwell·Halliwell's Film and Video Guide
“With accurate casting, a swift screenplay, and authentic German settings, Producer-Director John Sturges has created classic cinema of action. There is no sermonizing, no soul probing, no sex. The Great Escape is simply great escapism”
Time
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Sturges
StarringSteve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson
ComposerElmer Bernstein
The Great Escape
1 Oscar Nominations
The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story.
What critics thought
The Great Escape was broadly well-received on release as a rousing, efficiently crafted action picture, though even admirers noted its considerable length and its reluctance to develop its characters as anything more than types. The film's reputation has only grown over the decades, cementing it as a classic of the genre despite those early reservations.
“The Great Escape grinds out its tormenting story without a peek beneath the surface of any man, without a real sense of human involvement. It's a strictly mechanical adventure with make-believe men.”
Bosley Crowther·The New York Times
“pretty good but overlong POW adventure with a tragic ending”
Leslie Halliwell·Halliwell's Film and Video Guide
“With accurate casting, a swift screenplay, and authentic German settings, Producer-Director John Sturges has created classic cinema of action. There is no sermonizing, no soul probing, no sex. The Great Escape is simply great escapism”
Time
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Sturges
StarringSteve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson
ComposerElmer Bernstein