The Great Escape Review

 

        It’s an embarrassment on my end that I didn’t include a Steve McQueen film during my summer slate. Hopefully this gets rectified in what’s considered his best film. Anyways, now I’ll be looking at World War 2 films. It’s become a sub-genre in terms of war movies. Since there’s so many of them with different vantage points, but mostly the Nazi’s are the bad guys. Very rarely, does a World War 2 film gain critical reception. The Great Escape is one of the films. 

1. The Escape

        Obviously, the film is inspired by an actual event that was featured in the book of the same name. The camp called Stalag Luft 3 contained prisoners of war consisting of the British, Australian, and American. Albeit some of the names have been changed and how the actual escape happened. Anyways, the film has McQueen play Captain Virgil Hilts as a prisoner who is once again brought back. 

        Meanwhile, a group of escapees called the “X” Organization plans an escape using tunnels that they dig in their huts to find their way to freedom. That’s basically the whole film just by me simply typing it out. Oh but that’s barely scratching the surface. We do see in the beginning as various members in the organization try to escape by going with a group of Russians to cut timber. 

        The Nazi colonel overseeing them knows and just admonishes them. I find it interesting that the whole camp is depicted as a harsh environment. Mind you, I haven’t read the book or was even aware that this event took place. As I was saying, the commandant who is like a warden tells one of the prisoners to just do the activities and to not escape. This is probably one of the first instances where the filmmakers make some of the Nazi officers into an understanding character. 

        Specifically with the guard named Warner. He is young and he gets taken advantage of one of the prisoners when he just wants to talk to him. This is probably one of the first instances of having a very subdued and sympathetic antagonists. Simply that it makes them human and not moustache twirling nefarious. 

        While the whole film hinges on the escape, we do see the prisoners dig a cave. What I like is not just a simple montage of them getting the materials and hashing out a way to dig an exit. Throughout the whole film is where the prisoners barter and just rip the wood out of their huts to have the support beams for the dirt. One character in particular becomes messed up from the digs. His name is Danny and when you see him react to his anxiety, its tragic but at the same time inspiring given the circumstances. 

        One last thing is the actual prison camp itself. Mostly all the shots in the place feels enclosed. That’s most of the time when the characters are together, they’re mostly close. It’s even echoed when they’re in their bunks trying to hash out a plan of escape. The whole thing is being communicated by us by saying that they’re trapped. And that there’s no way out by any means. 

2. How to Handle an Ensemble Cast

        It’s just a miracle that when you have a movie deal with such a huge cast of characters, there’s almost hardly any time to give them equal time so that you don’t feel that not one character feels left out. The best strategy to deal with a large cast is to divide them up. Mostly what I saw is that two characters share a scene and it gives them enough depth to show just who they are. A particular group is Danny and Willie. Willie comforts Danny with his debilitating issue and calms him down so that he can escape. 

        Although, Hilt’s character does have a partner, but throughout the rest of the film he tries to go solo. I might as well say that his stunt work is impressive for the time. Probably one of the most recognized moments in film that will be forever associated with Steve McQueen. 

3. Overall 

        This is my first film with Steve McQueen. Aside from that, this is a great World War 2 film, though it lacks action, it makes up for it with the determination to escape. A simple concept that anybody can understand and want to root for the prisoners to be free. 

        The Great Escape gets a four out of five.