Very Good Entertaining but Not the Best Ever

Rating: 6/10 (11 February 2007)

This a very good film about the massive escape from a German concentration camp by prisoner allied officers during World War II. No doubt about it. John Surges was indeed and intelligent director whose best products where in the western genre ("Gunfight at the OK Corral", "The Magnificent Seven")in my opinion. No doubt also that "The Great Escape" reaches the rank of an epic spectacular film and is enjoyable and entertaining. Efficient actors also and a great musical score.
However, and as for me, it is perhaps the fact that the story is based on real happenings that sort of limited the script and Sturges usual daring in doing movies; it seems as if the director sort of self control himself in order to go along with the real facts and show the in the most accurate way. In such terms, the film turns out as sort of standard and lacks real impact in all.
Don't get me wrong; this is a very good movie no doubt, interesting, entertaining and tense. But I think the focus on the true story and how things really happened gives it a sort of colourful documentary sense that demerits a bit what you expect from a war film of its undenieble level.