Underplayed Gems

The Great Escape (1963)

The Great Escape poster
Directed by
John Sturges
Genre
drama film, adventure film, war film, thriller film, historical film
Country
United States
Runtime
2h 45m
Rated
NR
Rating
7.9 of 10 from 2,872 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Allied prisoners of war in a German camp plan and execute a massive escape attempt. The story follows several men as they dig tunnels and prepare forged documents in hopes of getting away.

tenseupbeatinventivebriskdeterminedspiritedsuspenseful

What happens

The Great Escape is a 1963 American epic war adventure film starring Steve McQueen, James Garner and Richard Attenborough and featuring James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton and Angus Lennie. It was filmed in Panavision, and its musical score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. Adapted from Paul Brickhill's 1950 non-fiction book of the same name, the film depicts a heavily fictionalized version of the mass escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from German POW camp Stalag Luft III in World War II. The film made numerous compromises for its commercial appeal, including its portrayal of American involvement in the escape. The Great Escape was made by The Mirisch Company, released by United Artists, and produced and directed by John Sturges. The film had its Royal World Premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London's West End on 20 June 1963. The Great Escape received critical acclaim and emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year, winning McQueen the award for Best Actor at the Moscow International Film Festival, and in later years has gained a cult following. The film is also noted for its motorcycle chase and jump scene, which is considered one of the best stunts ever performed. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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