The Great Escape (1963)
Average Rating: 8.2/10
Reviews Counted: 39
Fresh: 36 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 1
liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 98,013
My Rating
Movie Info
The Great Escape is based on the true story of a group of Allied prisoners of war who managed to escape from an allegedly impenetrable Nazi prison camp during World War II. At the beginning of the film, the Nazis gather all their most devious and troublesome POWs and place them at a new prison camp, which was designed to be impervious to escapes. Immediately, the prisoners develop a scheme where they will leave the camp by building three separate escape tunnels. Richard Attenborough is the
Jul 4, 1963 Wide
Mar 31, 1998
United Artists
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Cast
-
Steve McQueen
"Cooler King" Hilts -
James Garner
"The Scrounger" Hendley -
Richard Attenborough
"Big X" Bartlett -
James Donald
Senior Officer Ramsey -
Charles Bronson
Danny Velinski -
James Coburn
"The Manufacturer" Sedg... -
David McCallum
Ashley-Pitt "Dispersal" -
Donald Pleasence
"The Forger" Blythe -
Gordon Jackson
MacDonald "Intelligence... -
John Leyton
Willie "Tunnel King" -
Angus Lennie
"The Mole" Ives -
Nigel Stock
Cavendish "The Surveyor... -
Jud Taylor
Goff -
William Russell
Sorren -
Robert Desmond
"The Tailor" Griffith -
Tom Adams
Nimmo -
Lawrence Montaigne
Haynes -
Hannes Messemer
Von Lugar "The Kommanda... -
Robert Graf
Werner "The Ferret" -
Harry Riebauer
Strachwitz -
Hans Reiser
Kuhn -
Robert Freitag
Posen -
Heinz Weiss
Kramer -
Til Kiwe
Frick -
Ulrich Beiger
Preissen -
George Mikell
Dietrich -
Karl Otto Alberty
Steinach
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All Critics (40) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (3) | DVD (29)
Way too flabby at 168 minutes, but once this 1963 feature gets going it's good, solid stuff.
Top CriticWorth seeing the last half hour, if nothing else, for one of the best stunt sequences in years: McQueen's motor-cycle bid for freedom.
It's a strictly mechanical adventure with make-believe men.
Each group of characters get their own riveting planning sequences, all skillfully told. This is one "heist" film where knowing the details of how the escape is supposed to go down before it happens only strengthens the suspense further.
John Sturges largely evades the action and horror of war, and instead focuses on an immense creative process.
This nearly three-hour beast is exhausting to sit through, but an experience every self- respecting male movie-lover must go through before he can call himself a man.
Boasting an all-star cast, headed by a terrific Steve McQueen, Great Escape is one of the greatest, most enjoyable WWII adventures Hollywood has made.
A consummate work of nuts 'n bolts filmmaking devoted to the single end of creating something that is compulsively, endlessly watchable and re-watchable.
An exceptional story about teamwork.
The title also suits the film's ultimate aim to be a great escape film.
One of the greatest 'popcorn' movies ever
Expertly directed and written with an infectious undercurrent of wry humor.
It's as blow-dried as McQueen looks even on a bad day, but The Great Escape's mix of suspense, humor, and old-fashioned derring-do pitched by a dream-team cast is so enjoyable that only a lout would complain about it.
preposterous and thrilling
Audience Reviews for The Great Escape
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- "Cooler King" Hilts: What do they call a mole in Scotland?
- "The Mole" Ives: A mole.
-
- Senior Officer Ramsey: Up the rebels.
- Goff: Down the British.
-
- "Cooler King" Hilts: What do they call a mole in Scotland?
- "The Mole" Ives: A mole.
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- Kuhn: We have reason to believe this prisoner is the mastermind behind numerous criminal escape attempts.
- Von Lugar "The Kommandant": [sarcastically] Squadron Leader Bartlett has been three months in your care! And the Gestapo has only 'reason to believe'!
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- Strachwitz: I will not take action against you, now. This is the first day here and there has been much stupidity and carelessness... on both sides!
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- "Cooler King" Hilts: Wait a minute. You aren't seriously suggesting that if I get through the wire... and case everything out there... and don't get picked up... to turn myself in and get thrown back in the cooler for a couple of months so you can get the information you need?
- "Big X" Bartlett: Yes.
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An even better reason to see it though, is the outstanding cast. You got Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and a countless number of other brilliant thespians, whom are now legends of their time. Each and every one giving it their very best, which even further amplified the power of this incredible story.
With this and "Papillon" (another prison escape film starring Steve McQueen) in recent memory, I honestly regret to have waited so long with seeing these classics. They house a soul of unparalleled intelligence, and rows upon rows of beautifully written characters, which is something we rarely get in their modern equivalents.
Indeed it really opened up my eyes to a whole new treasure trove of golden oldies, which I've been happily exploring ever since. And for those that are yet to discover it, may I suggest that you relish the same opportunity.
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