The Great Escape (1963)

 John Sturges's "The Great Escape"

Considered an American classic, John Sturges's 1963 film "The Great Escape" has heavy commercial appeal. Pulling the layers underneath will not satisfy anyone searching for human depth, especially given the film's context. However, if one throws out the need for dimensionality or depth and simply views this as the commercial vehicle it is, it does its job adequately.

The film centers on a group of Allied POWs attempting to escape the confines of a new camp in Germany. With almost 3 hours of runtime, we spend most of it with the POWs in the camp - getting to know them so that we have an emotional attachment to them by the time their dangerous escape comes. The last 45 minutes or so is their planned escape, told in exhilarating and suspenseful fashion.

Despite spending ample time with these fellows, I found it hard to connect to them. They are not fully fleshed out characters and seem to only be character traits in human form. Despite this lack of connection, the final escape is thrilling on its own. This is precisely why the first couple of hours of the film could be trimmed down. The reason for this length might be because the writers needing the audience to spend as much time with the characters as possible to overcompensate for their lack of depth.

All in all, "The Great Escape" was a mildly entertaining spectacle. It didn't quite have the intrigue or character introspection I typically enjoy. However, it's an American classic that has some merit in the department of general entertainment.