Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
The Great Escape is a perennial bank holiday favourite that’s been repeated almost annually since time began.  Well TV anyway.  What make it special?  It could be the story – loosely based on the true escape of POW’s at the end of WW2.  It could be the cast – a whose who of 60’s talent such as Steve McQueen, James Coburn, David McCallum, Charles Bronson, James Garner, Donald Pleasence, Richard Attenborough – the list goes on.  Or it could just be they just don’t make them like this anymore – true ensembles where the cast is on fire from start to end.   Whatever it is, The Great Escape has it in spades and throws in drama, humour and pathos alongside some cracking direction.  Yup it may be over 50 years old (and then some) but The Great Escape is filmmaking at it’s finest.

Best Bit: McQueen and the bike.  Iconic.

Buy, Stream, Avoid: Buy

If You Liked this Try: Dambusters, Escape To Victory, Bullet 

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