The Great Escape is one of those films that stands the test of time. Every once in a while it fades into obscurity only to be trotted back out either on a new home video edition or when a filmmaker declares how great the film is and how their latest effort is an homage to it in some way.
While the cast is all male and it is an action film set during World War II, The Great Escape has much broader appeal than to just guys. A large ensemble cast with a wide variety of people helps to keep things from being a “one note” type of story. Sure you got your tough guys, and pretty much all of them are to a certain degree since they are soldiers in a prisoner of war camp, but there’s not just the one type. The British toughness comes from within, a resoluteness and determination that is different from the American. Each character has a distinct personality, and while everybody has pretty much the same intent, they don’t always agree on how to do it. This is where the large cast works great.
Based on a true story The Great Escape is a work of fiction. Originally a true life account by Australian P.O.W. Paul Brickhill who was part of the actual escape planning the book was turned into a film and released in 1963. The film was directed by John Sturgis, a man who knew action as well as ensemble pieces previously working on Gunfight At The O.K. Corral and The Magnificent Seven as well as thrillers such as Bad Day At Black Rock. He helms the film to a fine balance of drama and tension with a little bit of humor.
The script was written in part by James Clavell, a man who would go on to write a number of intricate novels full of complicated plots and multiple characters. Also writing, officially at least, is W.R. Burnett. Not listed because he asked to have his name taken off after a dispute with the director is Walter Neman.
And I haven’t even started to discuss what the film is really about. But I don’t need to, do I? This film may be 50 years old, and in a way that’s part of its appeal. How is it that a film such as this can hold up to this day against such fare as The Expendables? Because it has integrity. It is also depicting real events. Sure, its’ a fictionalized account, but even still the “realness” of things permeates the story. This isn’t an unrealistic presentation, it’s an adaptation and dramatization.
Fine. A bunch of World War II Allied prisoners plan and execute a massive escape from a prisoner of war camp. You get folks like James Garner, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, Gordon Jackson, James Coburn, Davic McCallum, and of course Steve McQueen. It’s an epic film that takes nearly 3 hours to tell its tale, but that’s not because the filmmakers have padded out anything, but because it really does take that long to tell the tale.
Now on Blu-ray this iconic film returns to audiences to be rediscovered or appreciated for the first time by a new generation. This Blu-ray presentation doesn’t offer anything new in terms of special features, but the picture and sound are certainly upgraded – but this doesn’t look as if MGM/Fox went back and remastered it, which is a shame. Still, it’s a decent upgrade to the DVD.
All the old special features are intact, including the audio commentary and featurettes. I do wish they were in high definition. Probably they aren’t to save on space. Oh well.
If you have the DVD, price will be a consideration for upgrading. If you have the means, do it. If you don’t have the film and are on the metaphorical fence, go ahead and splurge on the Blu-ray. This is a solid addition to any film collection.