Great Escape-Great Movie
4/4 stars

The Great Escape is one of those rare gems of a movie - that when you're channel surfing and happen upon it - you just stop and watch it. What is it that makes this movie so appealing, particularly to men? First, each character is extremely well-developed. The director takes extra care to make sure we understand each of their roles and motivations. Second, the interplay of the characters is so well done, that even though we know it's just a movie, we're hanging on to every word. But the real reason why this movie appeals so much to men, is that it shows male friendship in the most powerful way possible - against the backdrop of life and death in a German POW camp.

For example, consider the relationship between Hendley (the Scrounger) and Blythe (the Forger). This interplay could have been left out of the movie, but we would have lost what these characters cared about. Instead, we see these men, caught in a desperate situation, helping each other. In particular, Garner, goes out of his way to secure Blythe's freedom, and the payoff comes by showing Garner's face when his friend is killed. The sheer horror on his face is completely transferred to the viewer - and the emotion we feel here is heavy, indeed.

Also, consider the scene where Bartlett (Attenborough) and MacDonald (Gordon Jackson) are boarding the train, and are discovered by the Gestapo. The trick used by the Gestapo ("Good luck.") is the very same trick MacDonald warned his men to watch out for. This is a very tense moment in the film, and suddenly, their cover is blown and a chase ensues. Masterfully done.

Finally, there's Virgil Hilts (Steve McQueen). While his role was mostly a fictional creation, McQueen's personality embodies the eternal human spirit. We get this message in several ways. McQueen does not wear an army/air-force uniform - instead he wears jeans and a sweatshirt - visually not fitting into the military at all. Second, we cannot help but sense his desire to get out of there as soon as possible. He's not waiting around for the big escape plan. And third, there's the trademark Steve McQueen smirk, particularly evident when confronted by Col von Luger during his first escape attempt, and later, when he's caught in the barbed wire at the end. That smirk tells you everything you need to know about his character. If you watch closely, when Hilts is placed in the cooler for the last time, we see the same German guard locking him up as before. Hilts starts his usual baseball routine, and the guard, sensing Hilt's unstoppable rebel nature for the very first time, simply shakes his head as he walks away. It's just a little detail most people miss - but for those who catch it, it's kind of an "a-ha" moment for the audience.

If you've never seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to give it a viewing. If you have seen it, watch it again, and study how the director uses friendship throughout the film to make an emotional connection with his audience. Great film.

The Great Escape
John Sturges
Steve McQueen, James Garner
PG for Some Blood
172 minutes, 2 hours 52 minutes

Review by Wolfman