Fresh
This is a Boys' Own Tale, and, as boys, we wanted it, cleansed of horrors, for ourselves.
Anthony Lane, New Yorker
The Great Escape
Put a fence in front of these men... and they'll climb it!
1963 · 2h 53m · Approved
Adventure, Drama, War
Directed by
John Sturges
Overview
The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story.
Director and cast
- John Sturges Director
- Steve McQueen as Captain Hilts
- James Garner as Flight Lt. Hendley
- Richard Attenborough as Roger Bartlett
- James Donald as Group Capt. Ramsey "The SBO"
- Charles Bronson as Flight Lt. Danny Velinski
- Donald Pleasence Cast
- James Coburn Cast
- Hannes Messemer Cast
- David McCallum Cast
- Gordon Jackson Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
94%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Producer-director John Sturges has fashioned a motion picture that entertains, captivates, thrills and stirs.
Variety Staff, Variety
Fresh
Way too flabby at 168 minutes, but once this 1963 feature gets going it's good, solid stuff.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Fresh
Worth seeing the last half hour, if nothing else, for one of the best stunt sequences in years: McQueen's motor-cycle bid for freedom.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Rotten
It's a strictly mechanical adventure with make-believe men.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
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