Perhaps the most iconic presentation of POW camps ever captured on celluloid. The wonderful World War II epic The Great Escape is flagship cinema and of hallmark quality; fondly recalled by all who have seen. At the heart of the picture is the band of British Commonwealth Prisoners of War who make a desperate flee from German camp Stalag, and whilst all the men are survivalist heroes in their own right, it is Steve McQueen's legendary Captain Virgil Hilts who attains the highest honour. Interrogating guards, the "Cooler King" has made habit of escape plans, but together with Archibald Ives - an RAF Officer - the pair devise a scheme to escape through a short tunnel by optimising a potential blind spot from the vast surveillance towers. Adapted from the true-life memoir, the heroics and bravery of these men is entirely factual; the mass escape really did occur and the intelligence, will and struggle to achieve such a goal is a wild testament to the human spirit. The Great Escape brilliantly and enthrallingly replicated these events with what is now one of the most celebrated works of the 1960s, and a large percentage of its recurring relevance is due to McQueen's fantastic involvement.
Film and UFC obsessive with a passion for scribbling words about them. Avid NFL fan and big Chelsea supporter too.
Film Studies degree graduate from the University of Brighton.
