The Great Escape
1963 · Movie · NR · 173 min · ★ 7.9 · 90% critics
In WWII, prisoners are moved to a high-security “escape-proof” camp after repeated breakouts. Refusing to give up, they plan an ambitious escape attempt to disrupt their captors, with the story drawn from real accounts.
Based on The Great Escape
Also known as Great Escape
Where to watch
Watch free on Amazon Freevee and Tubi — also streaming on TCM and Wonder Project.
3 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1963
- Release date
- 1963-07-03
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 173 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 90/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.9/10 (2,842 votes)
- Box office
- $11,972,799
- Budget
- $3,800,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a classic WWII escape adventure with an all-star cast and steady suspense like Von Ryan's Express or The Hill; Not for you if you dislike long movies or need light, war-free content.
Pros: true-story tension; all-star ensemble; memorable set pieces | Cons: long runtime; some war-harsh moments; can feel padded
Themes
- prison
- uniform
- swastika
- prisoner
- based on novel or book
- nazi
- escape
- optimism
- freedom
- machinegun
- switzerland
- shower
- +20 more
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1964 · nominated
Cast & crew
Steve McQueen
as Hilts 'The Cooler King'
James Garner
as Hendley 'The Scrounger'
Richard Attenborough
as Bartlett 'Big X'
James Donald
as Ramsey 'The SBO'
Charles Bronson
as Danny 'Tunnel King'
Donald Pleasence
as Blythe 'The Forger'
James Coburn
as Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'
Hannes Messemer
as Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
David McCallum
as Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'
Gordon Jackson
as MacDonald 'Intelligence'
Directed by John Sturges