Excellent characters and an excellent plot

Rating: Null/10 (5 November 1999)

A facinating portrayal of characters ranging from American to English to Australian who are held prisoner in an allied POW camp. With Richard Attenborough as the leader and Steve McQueen as the unforgettable "Cooler King" who tries and tries again unsucessfully to escape from the enemy prison. Filmed on location with beautiful cinematography (especially in widescreen) of the German countryside, The Great Escape tells the true story of a mass plan to escape not only the camp but Nazi Germany as well via underground tunnels. A highly organized exodus strung together by intricate coordination using where everyone involved has a job to do. Escape from Germany uses every means possible whether it be by boat, plane, bike, motorcycle, or train. Great near finale scene with McQueen (who did all his own stunts) trying to jump over the Swiss border on motorcycle while being pursude on all sides by the enemy. A must see wonder which I find a little underrated. 4 stars/4 stars