There is a point in The Great Escape when I honestly thought the Germans were going to waddle across the screen like penguins and club each other with rubber mallets. That's how much of a threat they seem to project in the first few acts of the film. This completely crumbles at a key turning point, and it is this change of perspective that elevates the movie into greatness. During World War II, the Germans may not all have been homicidal fanatics, but neither were they (or any other country for that matter) willing to allow captured soldiers to convene in large groups in order to plan escapes together.
Since The Great Escape is based on a true story, I can only take the filmmakers' word for it -- soldiers who were known to have made dozens of escape attempts were allowed to wander free and almost completely unwatched within the compound. It would certainly explain the relative success alluded to in the movie's title. In a POW camp that is deemed escape-proof, the compound of captured officers from all over the world work together to find a way out. They are inspired to action by the reserved Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough, his interpretation of the part is right on the mark), who spearheads a plan to dig three separate tunnels beneath the facility in case anything goes wrong.
The execution of the plan is well-conceived. Different sounds alert covert operators if the enemy is patrolling nearby. They also enlist the help of a Forger (Donald Pleasence) to create passports upon their escape, and creatively make businessmen's clothes from whatever materials they can find. Steve McQueen plays Hilts, a renegade escapist who agrees to map out the terrain of the outside world for Bartlett after he sees the stark reality of his situation first-hand.
Other than some truly jarring accents, it's a great ensemble piece, with a testosterone-only cast. My favourite scenes involved, of all people, Charles Bronson as Willinski, the quiet, dedicated digger who suddenly develops a debilitating case of claustrophobia when it's time to leave. Other notables include James Garner as Hendley, the con man with the heart of gold, James Coburn as Sedgwick, the Australian "Manufacturer", and Angus Lennie as Ives, the Mole who Hilts befriends while spending time in "the Cooler".
I had a lot of nitpicky questions while I watched the Great Escape. If the Germans catch on to one of the tunnels being dug, won't they check the entire facility for other tunnels? Why are the prisoners allowed to wear their country's uniforms? Why do the Germans allow the prisoners to celebrate the Fourth of July on their premises, let them drink moonshine, and basically disappear altogether during that entire scene? And how much access to props, trinkets and collectables would the Scrounger really have?
These questions stand apart from an interesting and often-imitated work. Like all World War II movies, it works best when the stakes are at their highest, so don't worry if you find yourself wondering where a scene is leading -- you will get there. In terms of prison break films, this is pure escapist fun.
