Director
John Sturges
Leading Actors/Actresses
Steve McQueen
Supporting Actors/Actresses
James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, and Donald Pleasence
Genre
War
Language
English
Awards
The Great Escape was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Date of Release
July 4th, 1963
Producer
John Sturges
Setting and Context
Nazi Prisoner of War Camp during WWII, in Poland
Narrator and Point of View
Through the point of view of Steve McQueen's Captain Virgil Hilts "The Cooler King"
Tone and Mood
Mysterious, Sneaky, Violent, Harsh, and Unrelenting
Protagonist and Antagonist
Captain Hilts and the other POWs (Protagonist) vs. the Nazi's
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the film involves the POWs' struggle to escape the Nazi Prisoner of War camp.
Climax
When Roger is recognized by the Getstapo at the train station and the group of fifty captured prisoners are killed
Foreshadowing
Roger's death is foreshadowed early on in the film
Understatement
The sheer perseverance of all the prisoners is understated throughout the film. For example, after Hilts witnesses 50 of his fellow POWs being killed, he once again starts to bounce a baseball against a wall, planning and scheming for another escape attempt.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
The Great Escape is no doubt well-made and well-shot, but it was not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.
Allusions
La Grande Illusion (film), the book of the same name on which this film is based, mythology, religion, other books, other films, geography, and history (predominately the history of WWII).
Paradox
The POWs plan the escape for an inordinate amount of time, yet do not know that their is a lot of barbed wire surrounding the camp.
Parallelism
N/A
