The Legacy
Fifty years after its release, the film remains as popular as ever, regularly appearing on television (particularly around Christmas), being considered amongst the best World War II films by critics and selling reasonably well on home video formats. The iconic image of Steve McQueen on a motorcycle is often reproduced on the likes of apparel and posters, whilst Elmer Bernsteins musical theme remains in the public consciousness (in the United Kingdom, at least) due to its aforementioned relation to the England football team. Bizarrely, the film was followed by a fictional sequel in 1988, featuring Christopher Reeve and Judd Hirsch with Donald Pleasance appearing as an SS villain. Unsurprisingly, this has faded into obscurity, along with a Playstation 2 game from 2003 that allowed players to re-enact a handful of moments from the escape. It wouldnt be surprising to see the films popularity endure for another fifty years, meaning that the BBCs upcoming television production has some big shoes to fill