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You can hear it right now, can’t you? I would be willing to bet folding money that Elmer Bernstein’s theme has entered your head and has you whistling a tune eerily familiar to a movie about the Second World War. I am, of course, referring to John Sturges’s masterful ensemble wartime thriller, The Great Escape, which I now consider to be the greatest “dad movie” that stands proudly alongside Goldfinger and The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. This film has singlehandedly earned itself a place as the go-to film for overfed men to doze off to over Christmas.
However, for the younger generation raised in the anti-war environment, the thought of watching a movie centered around a German POW camp every year does seem appalling, so it would do such an audience well to sit down with a movie that blends fantasy and realism magnificently with a dose of “what were those good old days” together with an ensemble cast that could put to shame any modern-day flick. Either way, people will be humming that striking theme for the entire day.
It is 1943 and to accommodate prisoners of war who managed to escape numerous times, the Nazis built a camp specially created to box up all the troublemakers in One set. The purpose of this was to contain all the repeat escape masters and mischief makers into a single area where it would be more convenient to keep track of them, along with trying to make them partake in various hobbies and sports so they would not be bored for the rest of the war in some sense. It is, however, very clear that the new inmates have some other plans in mind.
Every captured POW has the expected duty of being a thorn in the Germans’ plan by either trying to escape or acting difficult regarding the circumstances. With all the defiance and attempts to be as difficult as possible, quickly after being admitted, many are attempting to test for the blind spots of the watch towers or ride out the back of trucks disguised as trees. However, that’s fine because Bartlett Roger, Squadron Leader of the RAF, has something rather ‘outlandish’ in mind.
Bartlett interrogated as many experts in the field of subterfuge as he could gather and went ahead with the plan of having three separate tunnels created for reaching out (which he dubbed Tom, Dick, and Harry) with the intention of smuggling 250 men out. While the ideal escape did not come to fruition, much German equipment would be wasted in the attempt to capture them all.
This group of peculiar tunnelers, scavengers, forgers, and engineers does their best to outsmart their captors in every single move. They try to execute an exit plan on a night with no moon, but regardless of their avoiding the guards, there’s still a phobic tunnel digger and claustrophobic, nearly blind forger to work with. And if there is any willingness to accommodate those, if the Luftwaffe fails to show up for their assignment, the Gestapo will gladly come to action.
John Sturges, with his constant attempt at devising a master plan for assembling complicated multi-person performances, was able to make his mark in the industry of films with the 1960 release of “The Magnificent Seven”. With an almost entire genre in his control due to the score provided by Elmer Penerstien, he was able to heavily disguise the darker side of his movie.
Claiming that he just copied the formula and changed the genre to war movies in order to make The Great Escape may sound somewhat cynical, but during the films, he carried over enough of the good stuff to arguably make one of the most loved WWII movies.
The enigma itself, Cast and Tone and to adequately do justice to the incredible lineup of talents the film boasts would require a whole article by itself, so I’ll try to cut through the chase as best I can. There is, of course, the incomparable cool of Steve McQueen’s Hilts, who iconically bounces a baseball off of the wall in his solitary confinement cell as he plots yet another caper, and later attempts to jump a fence on a motorcycle after leading German troops on a wild goose chase. Then comes Richard Attenborough as Bartlett, a tense, controlled figure who bears the strain of the war believing it is his total duty to be, in any way possible, a wrench in the works of the German war machine.
And still it goes on The terribly battered Polish tunnel digger of Charles Bronson, the endlessly charming scrounging James Garner, Coburn’s Australian accent which is so ridiculous it’s almost funny, Pleasence’s pathetic forger, Jackson’s reliable second in command, McCallum’s selfless giving every one of them has something to contribute in their own way through the skills of the character they portray or from the roles themselves, all parts of a machine which seamlessly complements the other. Nobody is truly wasted and all have such charm that when the fortunate few manage to sprint for the trees during the mad dash breakout, you can’t help but root for them to all succeed.
Moreover, there’s the tone too. Once again, that theme turns around and hammers the film with the distinct feeling of a giddy and exuberant character, to the extent that you might be convinced into believing that this is little more than an overblown retake of Hogan’s Heroes. The German guards are nothing if not disciplined, and they do gun down one poor lad who tries to break through the barbwire and climb over it. But most of the time, the retarded prisoners of war seem to enjoy being herded around like misbehaved schoolboys under the rule of a nazi who is no more than a buttoned-up schoolmaster. But Sturges is simply guiding you to the final third, just like everyone who assumes that The Magnificent Seven is primarily a fantastic depiction of guys together.
The first part of the movie captivates you with scenes lasting 173 minutes, each focusing on the protagonist boys. In the second part, they begin to prep and execute their plan. The third is where the movie takes an unexpected sharp turn, revealing to you the consequences of bold attempts at trying to set a plan during World War 2. By then it’s too late. From that moment you are drawn into Barlett, Hilts, Danny, and Blythe trying to escape the clutches of the war and what ensues is the equivalent of seeing Michael Fassbender on repeat with the wrong three fingers in Inglorious Basterds, echoed by spine-chilling blunders of fate aiding the Germans in their horrific objectives.
It’s monumentally puzzling how Sturges is able to deftly intertwine such cheerful and lively moments with scenes that display genuine tragedy, only for the viewer to still feel a sense of hope from within. This indeed ought to be studied for the advancement of humanity. The dampened will many characters face during the rather grim ending manages to somehow push through the indomitable desire to keep battling on. In doing so, it becomes something that is more than optimistic and in turn, even more beautiful.
One could argue that it has quite literally been homaged so much so that it could be essentially viewed as an art piece. It has also been critiqued and in some cases, even undermined for its reputation as a “dad movie”. The Great Escape doesn’t deserve this ridicule, as it lives up to its name by letting the audience escape into something horrifying and yet, great at the same time.
Play us out from the top, Bernstein.
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