Great Escape, The (DVD)

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Although this is an action film, there is a minimum of violence and no profanity, so, if you're interested in such things, it is suitable for family viewing. Furthermore, it has aged well; unlike many older films, it does not look in any way dated. Indeed, I would say it remains as fresh and inspiring today as when it was made. And let us not forget that Elmer Bernstein's remarkable music is still instantly recognizable. That popular march tune that plays throughout the picture is an inspiration in itself.

Minutiae notes: McQueen's passion for motorcycles led to the director's adding the famous chase scene toward the end of the movie, but McQueen did not do the most hazardous jump himself; stuntman Bud Ekins did that. In one scene, through the magic of editing, McQueen plays a German cyclist and is chasing himself! And the bike McQueen rides in the film, which is supposed to be a wartime BMW, is really a Triumph TTS Special 650 in disguise. In matters non-McQueen, Charles Bronson had been a coal miner in real life before becoming an actor, so his digging scenes were old hat. Stalag Luft III, near Zagan, Poland, was the actual prison that this film's camp was patterned after. Finally, "The Great Escape" was not only based on the Brickhill book but on the 1959 POW movie "Danger Within" (aka, "Breakout), which also co-starred Richard Attenborough. Ah, the movies.

Video:
Anyway, the video quality of this new anamorphic transfer is excellent, and the screen is plenty wide. The color remains as natural as it was in the first DVD, but this time it is not so faded, except in a brief Fourth of July sequence toward the middle of the film. Otherwise, hues come off with a splendid depth, richness, and vitality. Jittery lines are now pretty much absent; there is little or no grain to speak of, except during the opening credits; definition is good; but faces are sometimes a tad glassy. All told, the image quality is among the best I've seen for a movie of this vintage and should disappoint no one. Let me put it another way: If I loved this movie, which I do, and if I owned the older DVD of it, which I do, and if I were shown this new Special Edition, I'd fork over the money immediately for the improved video alone.

Audio:
The soundtrack of the older DVD was labeled Dolby Digital and, in fact, there were two signals sent to the main front speakers; whether these were true stereo signals or not was unclear, but for all intents and purposes, the sound was 2.0 monaural, with a hint of background noise to suggest its 1963 origins. This time out, the MGM engineers have provided the film with a more aggressive DD 5.1 soundtrack, a true stereo sound emerging more clearly from all five speakers. The front-channel spread is wider, the balance is more neutral and less bright, there is less noise, and occasionally one can even detect some information in the rear channels.

Extras:
In addition to the movie's improved picture and sound, the new special-edition has a lorry load of new extras. Disc one contains the feature film; the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack; thirty-two scene selections; and English, French, and Spanish spoken languages and subtitles. In addition, the first disc contains an audio commentary with actors living and dead: James Garner, Jud Taylor, David McCallum, James Coburn, and Donald Pleasence, plus others of the filmmaking crew. It was presumably put together from various previous recordings, with further notes by the late John Sturges taken from a 1974 interview. The commentary is hosted by combat film historian and writer Steven Rubin. Together with an optional text trivia track and the several documentaries on disc two, the sheer bulk of information provided about the movie is quite exhaustive.

Disc two contains mostly documentaries and featurettes. The first documentary is called "The Great Escape: The Untold Story." It is fifty minutes long and was made in 2001, followed up by "The Untold Story: Additional Interviews," nine minutes long. A second documentary is titled "The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones," twenty-five minutes, narrated by James Coburn. And the third major documentary is a reprise from the first DVD, Steven Rubin's "Return to The Great Escape," twenty-four minutes, made in 1993, and narrated by Miguel Ferrer. Then, there are four, shorter featurettes: "Bringing Fact to Fiction," twelve minutes; "Preparations for Freedom," nineteen minutes; "The Flight to Freedom," nine minutes; and "A Standing Ovation," six minutes, the latter items narrated by Burt Reynolds. Some of this material becomes repetitious, but it's all fascinating and enlightening. The package concludes with a photo gallery, an original widescreen theatrical trailer, and an eight-page informational booklet insert.

Parting Thoughts:
In our own day and age when the term "blockbuster" too often suggests digital special effects or a place to rent movies, "The Great Escape" serves to remind us of the true meaning of the word. It is a blockbuster from beginning to end.