THE
GREAT ESCAPE ($30) is one of the most memorable and most enjoyable
wartime movies ever made. Although the subject matter is deadly serious,
many aspects of the story are presented with a lighthearted tone that
makes the overall experience of seeing THE GREAT ESCAPE an
uplifting one. Set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second
World War, THE GREAT ESCAPE is a fictionalized account of actual
events. Because of numerous escape attempts at various POW camps and the
resources required to hunt down repeated escapees, the Germans decide to
put all of their "rotten eggs" into one basket- in what they
believe to be an escape-proof camp. Of course, immediately after the
Allied POWs arrive at this supposedly "escape-proof camp" do
they begin planning the biggest, most elaborate escape in the history of
the war.
One
of the things that makes THE GREAT ESCAPE such a great motion
picture is its truly wonderful ensemble cast of actors, who vividly
portray the Allied prisoners of various nationalities and skills. Steve
McQueen is Captain Hilts, who earns the nickname "The Cooler
King" for all the time he spends in solitary confinement, due to his
various failed escape attempts. James Garner is Flight Lieutenant Hendley
AKA "The Scrounger," who is able to acquire all the
un-acquirable items required for the escape. Richard Attenborough is
Squadron Leader Bartlett AKA "Big X"- the brains behind the
escape plan. Charles Bronson is Flight Lieutenant Danny Velinski, called
"The Tunnel King" for his ability to dig out the escape route
under the camp. Donald Pleasence is Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, who
serves as "The Forger," producing the necessary documents to get
the escapees out of Germany. James Coburn is Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick
AKA "The Manufacturer" for his ability to assemble necessary
items out of scavenged parts. The cast of THE GREAT ESCAPE also
features James Donald, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson,
John Leyton, Angus Lennie and Nigel Stock.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made THE GREAT ESCAPE available on DVD in a
2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for 16:9 displays.
This Special Edition release is a marked improvement over MGM’s previous
DVD offering, as it is indeed enhanced for wide screen monitors, plus it
offers better, more accurate framing of the film’s Panavision
dimensions. The image is also sharper and provides better definition than
the previous release. Of course, there are still some mildly soft spots in
the image, which primarily occur during optical fades or other effects.
Colors generally appear quite strong and are rendered with good-looking
flesh tones. Again, hues are slightly skewed during the opticals, but it
isn’t particularly bothersome. Blacks are accurate, whites are clean and
shadow detail is good for a film that is over forty years old. Contrast is
generally good, but there are a few brief instances where it appears a bit
harsh, again related to limitations in the original production or film
elements, and not a flaw in this fine transfer. The film elements
themselves are in generally free of blemishes, although there is a
noticeable grain structure at various points in the presentation. Digital
compression artifacts are always well concealed.
For
this release, the sound elements for THE GREAT ESCAPE have been
upgraded to provide a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel track. The new mix adds a
nice spaciousness to the soundtrack, without becoming excessive or
artificial. Sound effects are implemented subtly and effectively around
the soundstage, with the forward channels handling the majority of the
work and the rears kicking in where appropriate. Dialogue is always
completely understandable and the voices are well preserved. Elmer
Bernstein’s memorable score is well represented in the 5.1 mix, and one
is sure to be humming the infectious main theme by the end of the film.
Spanish and French language tracks are also encoded onto the DVD, as are
English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have been
spread across both discs of this set. Featured on disc one is a running
audio commentary with author Steven J. Ruben, as well as various members
of the cast and crew including the late director John Sturges (whose
comments are taken from a 1974 interview). While not screen specific, the
track is a terrific source of information on THE GREAT ESCAPE. Also
on disc one, is an informative Trivia Track that is
available through one of the subtitle channels.
Going
over to disc two, one will find the remainder of the supplemental
programming. In the featurette section, one will find The Great
Escape: The Untold Story, a terrific nearly hour-long program that
looks at the real life events that inspired the film’s story; this
program is followed by another section of additional interviews. The
Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones clocks in at twenty minutes
and looks at the man the inspired Steve McQueen’s character. Return
to The Great Escape runs twenty-four minutes and provides another
look at the real locations and events. Also in the featurette section one
will find the following four programs Bringing Fact To Fiction
(twelve minutes), Preparations For Freedom (nineteen
minutes), The Flight To Freedom (nine minutes) and A
Standing Ovation (six minutes). A still gallery, theatrical
trailer and bonus trailers close out the supplemental materials.
THE
GREAT ESCAPE is indeed a true motion picture classic. Not only is THE
GREAT ESCAPE a superb war movie- it is also outstanding entertainment.
MGM has done a fine job with the film’s presentation on DVD, as offering
a solid body of supplemental materials. If you are a fan, this DVD is a
worthwhile upgrade. If you have never seen THE GREAT ESCAPE, then
this DVD is the best form of introduction to this classic. Very highly
recommended.
THE
GREAT ESCAPE ($30) is one of the most memorable and most enjoyable
wartime movies ever made. Although the subject matter is deadly serious,
many aspects of the story are presented with a lighthearted tone that
makes the overall experience of seeing THE GREAT ESCAPE an
uplifting one. Set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second
World War, THE GREAT ESCAPE is a fictionalized account of actual
events. Because of numerous escape attempts at various POW camps and the
resources required to hunt down repeated escapees, the Germans decide to
put all of their "rotten eggs" into one basket- in what they
believe to be an escape-proof camp. Of course, immediately after the
Allied POWs arrive at this supposedly "escape-proof camp" do
they begin planning the biggest, most elaborate escape in the history of
the war.
One
of the things that makes THE GREAT ESCAPE such a great motion
picture is its truly wonderful ensemble cast of actors, who vividly
portray the Allied prisoners of various nationalities and skills. Steve
McQueen is Captain Hilts, who earns the nickname "The Cooler
King" for all the time he spends in solitary confinement, due to his
various failed escape attempts. James Garner is Flight Lieutenant Hendley
AKA "The Scrounger," who is able to acquire all the
un-acquirable items required for the escape. Richard Attenborough is
Squadron Leader Bartlett AKA "Big X"- the brains behind the
escape plan. Charles Bronson is Flight Lieutenant Danny Velinski, called
"The Tunnel King" for his ability to dig out the escape route
under the camp. Donald Pleasence is Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe, who
serves as "The Forger," producing the necessary documents to get
the escapees out of Germany. James Coburn is Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick
AKA "The Manufacturer" for his ability to assemble necessary
items out of scavenged parts. The cast of THE GREAT ESCAPE also
features James Donald, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson,
John Leyton, Angus Lennie and Nigel Stock.
MGM
Home Entertainment has made THE GREAT ESCAPE available on DVD in a
2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been enhanced for 16:9 displays.
This Special Edition release is a marked improvement over MGM’s previous
DVD offering, as it is indeed enhanced for wide screen monitors, plus it
offers better, more accurate framing of the film’s Panavision
dimensions. The image is also sharper and provides better definition than
the previous release. Of course, there are still some mildly soft spots in
the image, which primarily occur during optical fades or other effects.
Colors generally appear quite strong and are rendered with good-looking
flesh tones. Again, hues are slightly skewed during the opticals, but it
isn’t particularly bothersome. Blacks are accurate, whites are clean and
shadow detail is good for a film that is over forty years old. Contrast is
generally good, but there are a few brief instances where it appears a bit
harsh, again related to limitations in the original production or film
elements, and not a flaw in this fine transfer. The film elements
themselves are in generally free of blemishes, although there is a
noticeable grain structure at various points in the presentation. Digital
compression artifacts are always well concealed.
For
this release, the sound elements for THE GREAT ESCAPE have been
upgraded to provide a Dolby Digital 5.1 channel track. The new mix adds a
nice spaciousness to the soundtrack, without becoming excessive or
artificial. Sound effects are implemented subtly and effectively around
the soundstage, with the forward channels handling the majority of the
work and the rears kicking in where appropriate. Dialogue is always
completely understandable and the voices are well preserved. Elmer
Bernstein’s memorable score is well represented in the 5.1 mix, and one
is sure to be humming the infectious main theme by the end of the film.
Spanish and French language tracks are also encoded onto the DVD, as are
English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Full
motion video, animation and sound serve to enhance the DVD's interactive
menus. Through the menus, one has access to standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as the supplemental materials, which have been
spread across both discs of this set. Featured on disc one is a running
audio commentary with author Steven J. Ruben, as well as various members
of the cast and crew including the late director John Sturges (whose
comments are taken from a 1974 interview). While not screen specific, the
track is a terrific source of information on THE GREAT ESCAPE. Also
on disc one, is an informative Trivia Track that is
available through one of the subtitle channels.
Going
over to disc two, one will find the remainder of the supplemental
programming. In the featurette section, one will find The Great
Escape: The Untold Story, a terrific nearly hour-long program that
looks at the real life events that inspired the film’s story; this
program is followed by another section of additional interviews. The
Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones clocks in at twenty minutes
and looks at the man the inspired Steve McQueen’s character. Return
to The Great Escape runs twenty-four minutes and provides another
look at the real locations and events. Also in the featurette section one
will find the following four programs Bringing Fact To Fiction
(twelve minutes), Preparations For Freedom (nineteen
minutes), The Flight To Freedom (nine minutes) and A
Standing Ovation (six minutes). A still gallery, theatrical
trailer and bonus trailers close out the supplemental materials.
THE
GREAT ESCAPE is indeed a true motion picture classic. Not only is THE
GREAT ESCAPE a superb war movie- it is also outstanding entertainment.
MGM has done a fine job with the film’s presentation on DVD, as offering
a solid body of supplemental materials. If you are a fan, this DVD is a
worthwhile upgrade. If you have never seen THE GREAT ESCAPE, then
this DVD is the best form of introduction to this classic. Very highly
recommended.
