Overview
A daring tale of escape and camaraderie unfolds behind enemy lines.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- buoyant
- adventurous
- classic cinema night
- family viewing with older teens
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a classic, expertly cast and energetically directed POW adventure whose action craft and swift screenplay outweigh its length and limited psychological depth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bartlett organizes prisoners including Hilts, Hendley, Danny, and Blythe according to their separate escape skills.
The prisoners repeatedly deceive guards and engineer tunnels, disguises, documents, and escape routes inside an escape-proof camp.
The camp's early plotting and outwitting of jailers are playful, while the escape across occupied Europe becomes tense and perilous.
The film's main action unfolds in a German prisoner-of-war camp specifically designed to prevent mass escape.
Films like The Great Escape, and why
The Bridge on the River Kwai
ensemble wartime adventure, ingenious escape planning, and suspenseful movement through occupied territory
Stalag 17
classic prisoner-of-war drama combining military discipline, resourcefulness, camaraderie, and tragic consequences
The Guns of Navarone
large-scale historical adventure built around determined protagonists, elaborate logistics, and escalating wartime peril
Where Eagles Dare
spirited ensemble resistance story balancing humor, action spectacle, and grim occupation-era stakes
Movie Details
- Director
- John Sturges
- Release Date
- 1963-07-03
- Runtime
- 173 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (2954)
Cast
- Steve McQueen
- James Garner
- Richard Attenborough
- James Donald
- Charles Bronson
- Donald Pleasence
- James Coburn
- Hannes Messemer
- David McCallum
- Gordon Jackson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Escape about?
- An irrepressible Allied prisoner ensemble transforms a supposedly escape-proof German camp into the headquarters of the Second World War’s most audacious breakout.
- What is The Great Escape like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Escape as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Great Escape violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Great Escape as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Great Escape?
- Critics broadly regard it as a classic, expertly cast and energetically directed POW adventure whose action craft and swift screenplay outweigh its length and limited psychological depth.
- Which films are like The Great Escape?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bridge on the River Kwai, Stalag 17, The Guns of Navarone, and Where Eagles Dare.
- How long is The Great Escape?
- The Great Escape runs 173 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Escape?
- In United States, The Great Escape streams on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
