Review: Criterion's 4K Restoration Makes 'The Great Escape' A Great Home Entertainment Experience

Held up in the pantheon of great movies, and justifiably so, "The Great Escape" has been copied over the years, but never successfully. John Sturges' unfussy direction, a cast of colorful characters, and breathtaking adventure all add up to an engaging epic. Even though Steve McQueen is frequently cited as being the dramatic anchor of the film, it's the community of prisoners the story builds that really stands out. Sturges rightfully trusts the story in his direction, never being too showy and always filling the frame with characters that don't overwhelm one another. It's visual economy par excellence.

The Criterion Collection brings the classic to Blu-ray with a brand-new 4K digital restoration that's stunning. Add in a wealth of special features, and you have another winner from Criterion. Plus, both the original monaural soundtrack and the 5.1 surround soundtrack created in 2002 are included. This is the best the film has looked and sounded at home.

The film recounts the planning, execution, and aftermath of a daring true-life escape from a German POW camp during WWII. Based upon Paul Brickhill's 1950 nonfiction book of the same name, this is the story of 250 men who came together to dig a tunnel to freedom. While the film itself adds plenty of fictional flair to the original story, it's still anchored by strong performances.

"The Great Escape" is noted as being the film that made McQueen a bankable box office star, which is odd considering he had many reservations about the story during its production. James Garner once recounted that he and James Coburn had to convince McQueen to go back to set, as McQueen didn't really understand why the project was so important. You can even see McQueen's growing trust in the material in the film today, especially in the scene where he tries to save Archibald Ives from being shot.

What I find so winning about the cast in "The Great Escape" is that Sturges filled the project with international performers who didn't have the kind of box office success in the U.S. that the studio wanted. Specifically, this was the film that made Richard Attenborough a household name, despite starring in many UK-based projects before this. Plus, many of the actors had their own war stories from their time in the service, which informed and bolstered the film even more.

The 4K restoration of the film makes for a fascinating story, too. Since original release prints are either hard to find or are harshly faded, MGM looked to the prints owned by Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese for color referencing. Plenty of the sequences suffer from clear damage, but they all still look stronger than prior releases. As for special features, there's a terrific conversation with critic Michael Sragow that dives deep into production stories and the life and legacy of John Sturges. I highly recommend watching "Return to The Great Escape," an archival program from 1993 featuring clips and interviews from the cast and crew. It's clear that this film meant so much to everyone interviewed, and it's really interesting to see how the production created a community out of all these incredible performers. I can't recommend this release highly enough. Other special features include:

� Two audio commentaries: One from 1991, featuring director John Sturges and composer Elmer Bernstein; the other, from 2003, featuring actors James Coburn, James Garner, and Donald Pleasence
� "The Great Escape: Heroes Under Ground," a four-part 2001 documentary about the real-life escape from the Stalag Luft III prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, including interviews with POWs held there
� The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones, a 2001 program on the United States Army Air Forces pilot David Jones, the inspiration for Steve McQueen's character in the film
� Trailer
� PLUS: An essay by critic Sheila O'Malley

"The Great Escape"
Blu-ray
$39.95
https://www.criterion.com/films/29149-the-great-escape