It was a very welcome return for the red carpet to London this evening, with the World Premiere of The Great Escaper taking place at the BFI Southbank. The film stars Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing, Will Fletcher, Laura Marcus, Danielle Vitalis and Victor Oshi. It was directed by Oliver Parker from a script by William Ivory.
The Great Escaper will be released in cinemas nationwide from October the 6th, 2023. Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.
The Great Escaper Premiere Interviews
Plot:
Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of octogenarian Bernard Jordan’s escape from his care home to attend the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France.
In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary.
It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitised retelling of one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war.
Bernie’s adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene (Glenda Jackson). ‘The Great Escaper’ celebrates their enduring love but always with an eye to the lessons we might learn from the Greatest Generation.
