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The Great Escape [Blu-ray] [1963]

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Steve McQueen (Actor), Charles Bronson (Actor), John Sturges (Director) Rated: Parental Guidance Format: Blu-ray
4.5 out of 5 stars 309 customer reviews
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Product details

  • Actors: Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, James Garner, James Coburn
  • Directors: John Sturges
  • Language: English
  • Region: Region B/2 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 3 Jun. 2013
  • Run Time: 172 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (309 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B003BIFR8I
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 8,946 in DVD & Blu-ray (See Top 100 in DVD & Blu-ray)

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Product Description

Product Description

In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft III, a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history--brilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and James Coburn--who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time, The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), screenwriters James Clavell (Shogun) and W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar), and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story, The Great Escape is epic entertainment that “captivates, thrills and stirs” (Variety).

From Amazon.co.uk

Rightly revered as an all-time war movie classic, The Great Escape finally gets a long overdue Blu-ray upgrade. And it proves to be worth the wait.

The film itself is a regularly-rewatched classic, although the version that gets played almost on loop on television never looks this good. Based on a true story, it tells the story of a group of prisoners of war, who plan an ambitious breakout from a Nazi prison camp in the midst of World War II.

It's a long, patient, gripping piece of cinema, expertly directed by John Sturges. And what really, really lifts it further is one of the best ensemble casts in the history of film. Where else would you find Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and James Garner alongside the likes of Richard Attenborough? Furthermore, it's one of McQueen's most iconic performances, and considering the rest of his CV, that's no small feat.

The Blu-ray works hard to pull the most out of the picture quality, and while the 1080p transfer isn't reference quality, it's still very good. Furthermore, Elmer Bernstein's classic score has rarely sounded better. Backed up by an interesting package of extra features, The Great Escape Blu-ray is a fittingly strong disc for an excellent piece of cinema. --Jon Foster

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsThe Great Escape (Blu-ray) 50th. Anniversary Edition
By J. A. Bradford on 6 Jun. 2013
Format: Blu-ray
Finally released on Blu ray, I was hoping for something good in the transfer department, but felt a slight trepidation concerning some of the reviews already circulating on Amazon regarding the shortcomings of this important films transfer to 1080p. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the other reviews seem to be correct in their observations! The film titles start off looking soft in appearance, but I accepted this because optical overlays are always involved with titles in older films,(the laying of one film element over another, then re-filming the two elements together) This is not true Blu ray. BUT after the titles finish, THEN you should be able to judge the true picture quality. But it was still soft!!! The film then proceeded, intermittently, to remain soft in its appearance, harsh grain was evident in some scenes but not others. Strangely, when Steve McQueen starts to pour his bootleg alcohol out for the whole camp to drink, the transfer quality suddenly becomes very good, but only for a short while, thereafter becoming very soft indeed, as other reviewers have pointed out. I thought this may have been a conscious choice of the D.P. or Director to add a soft-focus filter to the scene to suggest a mood of intoxication amongst the camp members, but the softness still continued! Steve McQueen's famous motorcycle chase sequence is especially noteworthy as being inconsistent in it's transfer quality! It's like no effort appears to have been made to use modern software tools to make this film shine! The Sound of Music Blu ray transfer is a good example of how a similarly shot film CAN look! Both films were made in a similar period, 1963 and 1965 respectively, both by 20th. Century Fox. Both shot in De Luxe Colour! But The Sound of Music is a true marvel to behold! Also, what happened to the extras?Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsQuite possibly the most perfect audience picture ever made
By Trevor Willsmer HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWER on 27 Nov. 2007
Format: DVD
The Great Escape may be nearly three hours long, but it moves like clockwork and holds its audience completely. There is always something happening, often with much wit and sometimes touching sentiment that avoids mawkishness. There is one remarkably bad piece of construction, following a genuinely moving death scene with McQueen's motorbike jump, but otherwise the film is perfectly constructed. Elmer Bernstein's score is one of his best, and with considerably more range and variety than you remember adds much to the proceedings.

If it seems a bit dubious making an entertainment out of one of the grimmest episodes of WW2 - 50 of the recaptured prisoners of the genuine mass escape from a German prisoner of war camp were murdered - the darker elements are not ignored, but despite being very effectively handled do tend to get swamped by the sheer exuberance of the film. It now seems particularly curious to that the impossible motorbike jump, while still a great moment, seems so much more underplayed and credible than the increasingly spectacular and cartoonish CGi action sequences of modern action films.

The cast are all outstanding. In Steve McQueen's `Cooler King' we can see the origins of Indiana Jones, the hero as eternal loser. Garner's wonderfully resourceful scrounger and his touching friendship with Donald Pleasance's near-blind forger make perhaps an even bigger impression. Bronson too is very appealing, with all the dry humour and warmth that two decades of working with Michael Winner has managed to knock out of him still intact. However, it must be said that Coburn's Aussie arc-scent is enough to make you grateful he hardly said anything in The Magnificent Seven.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsThe Great Purchase!
By Steve on 26 Jun. 2011
Format: DVD
The Great Escape - Special Edition is well worth every penny of the asking price. The Special Edition 2 disc set complete with an interesting 8 page booklet gives this timeless 'movie' classic another angle to the tale of POWs trying to escape from Stalag Luft 3. As good as the film is, the real gem for me, is with the inclusion of the second disc which features the brilliant documentry -'The Untold Story'. The untold story largely tells the story of the events that unfolded after POWs escaped from the camp and were now on the run trying to escape Germany itself. Interviews with actual escape POWs who were there at the time are included and needless to say, their version of the events differ somewhat to the movies rather 'colourful' interpretation of events! The movie itself undoubtfully had a touch of 'Hollywood' added to the mix, however for most of the part, the movie stays fairly acurate to what really happend (ableit on a smaller scale). Where the movie differs greatly from the real truth is after the breakout from the camp. Don't get me wrong, it's a great film, just not an entirely accurate one.
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2.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing picture quality !
By Rob H on 8 Jun. 2013
Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase
If you've already got the DVD, I wouldn't bother with "upgrading" to this BluRay version. I've found the picture quality to be no different from the DVD. Definetly not a showcase for BluRay. Very disappointing.
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4.0 out of 5 starsJust a different thought on the Escape...
By Dr D on 18 July 2012
Format: DVD
You can't help but enjoy the Great Escape, Sturges' produced a genuine piece of art, there's no doubt it is a truly great film... but I wonder how it changes our perception of reality. Most of us know the film is "based on real events" but which of the events it shows are real & which are fiction? A lot of people I know have seen the Great Escape, but very few know much about the historical reality.

The Escape took place in nice weather in the film, it actually took place in one of the coldest winters Poland had for decades & the weather hampered escapees more than anything else. Many were wearing light clothes, many came close to frostbite & were forced to sleep in obvious shelters, increasing their risks of being captured. The Great Escape wasn't unique, there were some 11 mass breakouts before it but the increase in security after these attempts made mass breakouts less likely to succeed, in fact, a German in Stalag Luft III even advised PoWs to escape in twos or threes to improve their chances. The idea that the escape caused huge problems for the Germans wasn't true either. No German troops were withdrawn from the frontline, they only used existing capacity inside the Reich, what the Escape did do because of the large-scale hunt was result in thousands of other escaping PoWs, regular prisoners & absent foreign workers being rounded up in the trawl as well. But maybe the obvious myth of the film was American PoWs escaping, US airmen had been moved to a different compound several months before the Escape & none were involved. The motorbike scene in the film is glorious & iconic but also proved such a gross misrepresentation that it was actually booed by former PoWs when they were first shown the film.Read more ›
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