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The Great Escape

1963

John Sturges

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough ...

8.2

67,955

Drama. Adventure The German high command has filtered out all of the allies' most talented escape artists and placed them in a POW camp specifically designed to foil any unwanted departures. But as soon as they arrive, the prisoners begin to work on a series of tunnels under the direction of Roger "Big X" Bartlett (Richard Attenborough). He assigns the POWs to jobs according to their specialties. For more than a year, countless prisoners, most of whom ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Variety	"John Sturges has fashioned a motion picture that entertains, captivates, thrills and stirs."	POS
United Kingdom	Bob McCabe Empire	"'The Great Escape' should always be seen. It reminds us of a history that is all too quickly forgotten (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Chris Petit Time Out	"Uneven but entertaining World War II escape drama, which even when it first appeared seemed very old-fashioned."	NEU
United States	Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"A few of the wilder episodes in this over-long melodrama (...) are so far beyond plausibility that they could not have happened anyplace."	NEG
United States	Chris Cabin Slant	"[It] feels less burdened by the model it takes off from, which allows the film to build its own distinct style and thematic preoccupations, even as its influences remain clear (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Scott Tobias AV Club	"It's a triumph of sorts that a tale that ends in war crimes could have such a rousing conclusion."	POS
United States	Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"Once this 1963 feature gets going it's good, solid stuff"	POS
United Kingdom	Sinclair McKay Telegraph	"The film is now enthralling a new generation."	POS
United States	Jesse Hassenger AV Club	"The inmates are likable and compelling (...) The formal logistics of the movie are fun, in an orderly and methodical sort of way."	POS

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