A likable ensemble in a desperate gamble

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2013)

One of many fine ensemble war epics that appeared in the 1960s, "The Great Escape" stands apart for its exhilarating final act. After painstaking preparations in which each major character puts his particular escape- oriented skills to use, the prisoners encounter a hitch in their plan. The great escape then becomes a great race as the Germans pursue the former captives on trains, on city streets, in the air, and (in the case of Steve McQueen's character) on motorcycles. Charles Bronson, Richard Attenborough, and the rest of the ensemble are innately likable and sympathetic actors, and their relatability elevates the stakes and invites emotional investment from the viewer. The escape sequence is nail-biting but great fun to watch, as the characters we like so well confront their final, impossible barriers to freedom.