Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Great Escape 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 15, 2022

John Sturges' "The Great Escape" (1963) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by filmmaker/critic Steve Mitchel and author/critic Steven Jay Rubin; archival documentary produced by Steven Clarke; archival interviews; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Great Escape is only slightly more believable than Stalag 17, which essentially means that it is a cinematic fairy tale suitable for adults who don’t know history or simply choose to ignore it. What you see in this film never happened, and never could have happened, because real soldiers do not think, communicate, and behave like the men that made it.

John Sturges directed the film from an original script by James Clavell and W. R. Burnett, who had adapted Paul Brickhill’s novel about a very large group of Allied officers that managed to escape from a newly built German camp operated by the Luftwaffe (the German air force). This is a true story and the real camp where the officers were held was in Sagan, Poland.

In the film, the officers begin plotting their escape almost immediately after they are transported to the camp. Many of them know each other and have done it before, so all they have to do is agree on the perfect plan. Soon after, under the guidance of Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough) men with special skills -- there are builders, forgers, scroungers, etc. -- are given specific tasks and multiple teams go to work. The only officer that chooses a different path to freedom is an American named Hilts (Steve McQueen), who eventually becomes famous as The Cooler King because he repeatedly gets caught and thrown in solitary confinement.

The original escape plan, which calls for three different tunnels to be dug in different areas of the camp, undergoes a lot of adjustments because of unexpected setbacks and errors, and some men are lost. However, the failures and sacrifices bring the prisoners even closer and eventually, with The Cooler King part of the group, they accomplish their goal. (Not too long after that, however, virtually all escapees are recaptured and more than fifty of them are executed by the Gestapo).

The star power on display is hugely impressive. Some of the greatest American and British actors of the era come together and quickly begin working as a team rather than a group of individuals trying to outdo each other. Unfortunately, this might be the biggest compliment one can give the film. Indeed, its tone and attitude are so seriously mismanaged that sizeable portions of it look like they are coming from a period comedy about a motley crew of goofy outcasts and wise guys, not a serious war film about real soldiers who are risking their lives in a dangerous mission. Even more unbelievable are the people running the prison camp, with Robert Graf’s character, Werner, going to such extremes to convince he is legitimately clueless about the real intentions of the people that he is supposed to keep an eye on that it is hard to believe no one felt the need to step up and trim his scenes a bit.

The final third of the film is where the most exciting material is, though it does very little, if anything at all, to restore its credibility as a legit war drama. There are a few nicely shot sequences from the underground tunnel and of course here is the iconic footage with McQueen riding the bike. But again, this is the type of flashy material that looks right in a period Hollywood action film, which is not what this film was meant to be.

Sturges relied on the services of cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp, whose credits include such hits as West Side Story and The Big Clock. Oscar winner Elmer Bernstein created the soundtrack for the film.

*Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray release of The Great Escape offers a presentation of the same excellent 4K restoration of the film that was first introduced by the Criterion Collection with this Blu-ray release in 2020.

The Great Escape 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and encoded with HEVC/H.265, The Great Escape arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. Please note that this is not a combo release. Therefore, a Blu-ray copy is not included.

The 4K Blu-ray release offers a presentation of the same excellent 4K restoration that was initially introduced by the folks at Criterion with this Blu-ray release. I viewed it earlier today and despite the lack of HDR in my opinion it looks terrific. The uptick in visual quality is very noticeable because of the unique density fluctuations that are part of the original cinematography. What does this mean exactly? Well, what might have appeared to be temporary softness in 1080p now translates into the type of organic dynamic shift you would expect to see on a 35mm film from the early 1960s. I specifically took screencaptures #14 and 19 to highlight this exact effect in different areas of the film. Additionally, there is darker/nighttime footage that definitely reveals more subtle nuances. Yes, the uptick in visual quality isn't consistent across the entire film, but it is because the same organic dynamic shifts are present in some darker/nighttime footage as well. The density and fluidity of the visuals are outstanding, but these are improvements I expected to see in native 4K because the higher resolution always tightens up the visuals. The overall color balance is excellent, so to be perfectly honest without having seen examples of what an HDR grade could have accomplished, I think that the current presentation is enormously impressive. There are no stability issues or conventional age-related imperfections. Also, I did not encounter encoding anomalies to report in our review. So, should you consider upgrading if you already have the previous Blu-ray release of the 4K restoration? My answer is yes. If you upscale the Blu-ray release to 4K, you will get a fine presentation of the 4K restoration, but native 4K gives you a different type of quality. Plus, the discrepancy should become even more pronounced as the size of your TV or projection screen increases as well. (Note: This is a Region-Free 4K Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your 4K Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location).

The Great Escape 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I prefer the Mono track, but this time around I viewed the entire film with the 5.1 track. According to technical credits that are provided on Criterion's Blu-ray release, the 5.1 track was created in 2002 by Chace Audio in Hollywood, California. Its dynamic range is clearly superior, so virtually all of the more elaborate action footage sounds better. I think that there are some examples of superior clarity as well, though it could be that the move to 5.1 just opens up some segments a bit better. Regardless, it is a good mix that should easily meet all kinds of different expectations. I did not encounter any technical anomalies.

The Great Escape 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Audio Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by filmmaker/critic Steve Mitchel and author/critic Steven Jay Rubin (Combat Films: American Realism, 1945-2010). The commentators are clearly very big fans of the The Great Escape and their enthusiasm produces plenty of interesting observations about its strengths, some of which, like its supposed status as 'the best film' in such and such fan category are pretty entertaining. Also, there are nice recollections about their first experiences with the film. The most valuable comments are the ones that address the the styles of John Sturges and many of the famous actors that made the film, specific decisions that were made before and during the production process, and the real escape. It is a good commentary that is definitely worth spending a couple of hours with.

• Audio Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary features an interview with director John Sturges from 1974, production manager and second unit director Robert E. Relyea, actors James Coburn, James Garner, David McCallum, Donald Pleasence, and Jud Taylor, production designer Fernando Carrerre, stuntman Bid Ekins, and Steve McQueen's manager Hillard Elkins. It is hosted by Jay Rubin.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Return to The Great Escape - this archival program focuses on the production history of The Great Escape and features clips from vintage interviews with James Garner, James Coburn, Donald Pleasence, David McCallum, and Jud Taylor, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• "The Great Escape": Heroes Underground (2001) - this vintage program focuses on the real event that inspired The Great Escape. It is narrated by Burt Reynolds. In English, not subtitled. (49 min).
  
  1. Bringing Fact to Fiction (13 min).
  2. Preparations for Freedom (20 min).
  3. The Flight to Freedom (10 min).
  4. A Standing Ovation (6 min).

• The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones (2001) - this archival program takes a closer look at United States Army Air Forces Pilot David M. Jones, who was the inspiration for Steve McQueen's character The Cooler King. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Great Escape: The Untold Story - Steven Clarke directed this TV documentary in 2001. It examines the genesis and execution of the notorious Great Escape, and features interviews with some of the men that participated in it, witnessed it, and were lucky to survive. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• Great Escape: The Untold Story - Additional Interviews - presented here are additional interviews that did not make it into the final version of Steven Clarke's documentary. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for The Great Escape. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

The Great Escape 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

German war camps were nothing like the place you would see in The Great Escape, and to assume that soldiers and civilians that were unlucky to end up there could behave like the many stars that made the film is beyond naive. This is the biggest problem with this film -- it sells a fairy tale, it does not recreate a true story. This does not mean that it is an awful film. No, not at all. There is plenty of good acting with memorable action footage in it, but it is not the masterful and authentic war drama that Hollywood wanted it to be and various critics argued it was. (You can get a much more accurate idea of what German camps were like if you see Lajos Koltai's Fateless. And for a similar viewing experience revealing the truth about the Soviet gulags, you can spend an evening with Hardy Martins' As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me).

Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray release of The Great Escape offers a presentation of the recent excellent 4K restoration of the film that was initially introduced on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection. Should you upgrade if you already have the Blu-ray release? Yes, I think that the upgrade in quality is quite easy to appreciate. RECOMMENDED.