The Great Escape
MGM/UA / 1963 / 165 Mins / Rated PG

MOVIE
The Great Escape is without a doubt a classic in cinema history and a classic within it's genre. It's one of those movies that endures over the years. The movie, is directed by John Sturges, he directed such movies as The Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Marooned.

The Great Escape is based on the true story of a mass breakout at Stalag Luft III in Poland. All manner of prisoners were put into this camp and some were very crafty at escaping from prisons, this was the beginning of the largest escape of prisoners from a German POW camp.

This group of prisoners includes Hilts (Steve McQueen), Ramsay (James Donald), Bartlett (Richard Attenbourgh), Hendley, (James Garner), Danny (Charles Bronson), Blythe (Donald Pleasence), Sedgewick (James Coburn), with a terrible Aussie accent and MacDonald (Gordon Jackson)

There story and ingenious methods of escape are compelling viewing. Lush cinematography, wonderful music score and great acting make it a must see.

VIDEO
37 years old and this is probably the best they could get it with an anamorphic transfer all things being considered. The movie itself exhibits lush colors but not to the point of over saturation and has a common look of a lot of movies from that period. Shadow detail was excellent and looked a damn site better than some of the more recent movies that I have seen. The transfer was sharp throughout. There were no MPEG artifacts in the print but there was quite a bit of film noise, marks and grain throughout. While it is not overly noticeable there was still a lot more than what I would like.

The Great Escape is framed at 2:35:1 and is not 
16:9 enhanced.

This is a single-sided, dual layer disc.
AUDIO

There has sadly been no effort in restoring the soundtrack for this presentation. All you get is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtrack. There is no surround presence at all. For what you get though the soundtrack is quite good and easy to understand.

EXTRAS

A good set of extras on hand considering what R4 has been getting from late out of Warner Bros.

Theatrical Trailer: 1:85:1, Dolby Digital 2.0. Shocking quality trailer with film artifacts and light problems all over, but at least it's there.

Feature: Return to The Great Escape. This feature is an interesting look at the movie with interviews with the cast that are still living. Running around 20 minutes and presented at 1:33:1 with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound it make a great addition to the disc.

Booklet: Just your standard booklet MGM booklet.

Subtitles in English.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a great disc for your collection. And is easily recommended.
16:9 ENHANCEMENT DISC RATING

VIDEO:
AUDIO:
EXTRAS:
PLOT:
OVERALL:

REVIEW EQUIPMENT
Display: 48" Sony RPTV.
DVD Player: Panasonic A350 Player using S-Video Cables.
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-D508 Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
Speakers: Accusound speaker system.

Copyright © 2000 by [Roger Ward].
Revised: 25 May 2000 14:52:45 +1100 .

DVD INFORMATION
Region Coding: Region 4
No of Discs: 1
OFLC Rating PG
Running Time: 165 minutes
Case Type: Black Amaray
Release Date: 19/4/2000
Catalog Number: 56680
List Price: $34.95
Distributor: Warner Bros.
DISC SPECIFICATIONS
Disc Format: PAL
Disc Type: Picture Disc
Disc Format: SS-RSDL
Chapters: 32
Macrovision: Yes
Manufacturer: WAMO
VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS
Aspect Ratio: 2:35:1
Anamorphic: None
Film Format: 35mm
SOUND SPECIFICATIONS
Dolby Digital:

2.0 Mono
DTS: None
PCM Stereo: None
Other: None
Languages: English
Subtitles: Yes
SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary: None
Theatrical Trailer: Yes
Teaser Trailer: None
TV Spots: None
Dolby Trailer: None
Documentary: Yes
Cast & Crew Bios: None
Deleted Scenes: None
Music Videos: None
DVD Rom Content: None
Collectable Booklet: Yes
Scene Access: Yes
Animated Menus: Yes
Production Notes: None
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INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE INFO
OFFICIAL WEB SITE
NONE
VIEW TRAILER
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