an all-time great

Rating: 10/10 (8 May 2013)

Some films never get old. A group of Allied POWs decide they will stage a mass escape from their camp. The objective is not so much personal freedom. More than that, they plan to continue their mission as soldiers by disrupting the German war effort, even if it turns out to be a suicide mission.
Cue one of the best ensemble casts ever, with heavyweights of USA and UK cinema including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn James Coburn, David McCallum and Gordon Jackson all featured. Impressively, they don't all just appear but actually turn up, each character distinctive and expertly fleshed out by the actors plying their trade. Some of the escapees inevitably meet a grislier fate than others: people remember the comedy and the pathos, but there are quite cathartic moments here, too. The film also makes brave choices - Steve McQueen and Angus Lennie as a double act? I see a game of casting the remake is current. I hope it stays a game. Some films are timeless and defy comparison.