The Great Escape
John Sturgess’ 1963 film was adapted from real-life POW Paul Brickhill’s 1950 book by screenwriter James Clavell. The book told the true story of a meticulously planned mass escape from Stalag Luft III, a POW camp under Nazi German control.
An all-star cast, including Anthony Hopkins and Steve McQueen, portray the lives of WWII prisoners tasked with achieving the impossible; escaping from a purportedly escape-proof prison camp. The details of the escape are only loosely based on the real life endeavour, as the Allies greatest escape artists break free from the camp in huge numbers, attempting to help the D-Day landings by keeping as many German soldiers as possible busy chasing them across Europe.
The Great Escape is a very glossy, star-heavy Hollywood affair, but that doesn’t diminish the power of the story at its heart. Allied soldiers risked their lives in escape attempts from camps throughout WWII, continuing to do their bit for the war effort, rather than choosing to sit out the war in relative safety.
