The Great Escape

A group of Allied prisoners attempts to escape from a Luftwaffe P.O.W. camp during World War II.

The Great Escape is a grand adventure film highlighted by a stellar cast including Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Garner, and James Coburn. Each of these men has enough charisma and presence to carry a movie on his own, but director John Sturges does a good job of keeping everyone in check as he manages the cast. Granted, his decision to have Coburn play an Australian is questionable, but it’s a minor quibble and if it’s an Australian Coburn versus no Coburn at all; you take the Australian.

The screenplay by James Clavell and W.R. Burnett does a good job of establishing and maintaining a near-perfect balance between drama and adventure while fleshing out each of the characters without allowing any one to overshadow the story of the group. Unfortunately, they also include an ill-advised subplot involving Charles Bronson’s character and a sudden onset of claustrophobia. Not does this melodramatic diversion feel artificial and manufactured, but it reduces Bronson’s character to a plot device.

At 172 minutes, The Great Escape is probably 5-10 minutes too long. Losing the claustrophobia sub-plot in favor of a bit more detail regarding Bronson’s character’s post-escape actions would result in a tighter narrative that would definitely improve repeat viewings, but as it stands, the movie is still well above average.