Great Escape is another classic World War II film that depicts the English side of the war. It represents the air power side of the war as well, which also helped turn the tide of the war and keep the Nazis off British soil. Like "Saving Private Ryan," this film is at least loosely based on a true story. This film portrays the British POWs as craftier as and wilier than the Germans, and indicates how feelings were at the time. The Germans were definitely the "bad guys" in the war, and this film makes that very clear. It is hard for the viewer not to root for the British men who secretly dig a tunnel and then lead the Gestapo on a chase through Europe before they gain their freedom.
This film shows another side of war - the side for those who are held prisoner while their comrades are still fighting. It shows the difficulties of captivity, from lack of decent food to the guilt the prisoners feel about being captured and not fighting. The plan they concoct is convoluted and complicated, and indicates the ingenuity and dedication of the flyers. They are determined to stage a mass escape and then engage the German Army to chase them, leaving the way clear for Allied forces to move through the area. It also shows the bravery of the men, who know they can be caught at any time. They are determined to escape and rejoin the fight, as well as outwit the Germans.
This film does not cover a pivotal point in the war, but it shows the drudgery of war, and some of the background that many people often do not think about. It shows a kind of "behind the scenes" aspect, about men on both sides who were dedicated to their own cause for their own reasons. The R.A.F. fighters were brave, witty, and determined, and that could describe just about all of the people who fought in World War II. They were average men who rose to become much more than average when necessary.
