5 Star

The One, The Only.

In time for the festive period, Arrow Video brings out ‘The’ epic escape movie, in The Great Escape. WWII prisoners unite against their Nazi captors, to halt the German war machine. Directed by John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral), and filmed by cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp (West Side Story, Ice Station Zebra) they bring us one of the most iconic war films of the twentieth century. Arrow Video’s limited edition comes packed with special features (See Below) and is the ideal gift for the war film lover in the house.

Set in 1943, World War II has been raging for four years and European and American soldiers have been captured all over Europe. The Germans have them captive in camps, but a hard core few spend all their captive time trying to change that status. The considerable effort the Germans have to put into returning these captives back into captivity has annoyed the Gestapo and they decide that all repeat offenders are to be sent to an impenetrable camp, run by Luftwaffe Colonel von Luger (Hannes Messemer, Il Generale Della Rovere, Nachts wenn der Teufel kam). He explains to his new inmates that if you try to escape you will be shot as punishment and a deterrent to anyone else thinking of trying to escape.

His new wards have some specialist skills in escaping, such as Bob Hendley (‘The Scrounger’) (James Garner, The Rockford Files (TV Series), Space Cowboys), Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett (‘Big X’) (Richard Attenborough, The Flight of the Phoenix, Jurassic Park), Flight Lieutenant Danny Welinski (‘Tunnel King’) (Charles Bronson, Hard Times, Breakheart Pass), Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe (‘The Forger’) (Donald Pleasence, The Night Of The Generals, Wake in Fright), Flying Officer Sedgwick (‘The Manufacturer’) (James Coburn, A Fistful Of Dynamite, Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia), Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt (‘Dispersal’) (David McCallum, Sapphire & Steel (TV Series), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series)), Flight Lieutenant Andy MacDonald (‘Intelligence’) (Gordon Jackson, Upstairs, Downstairs (TV Series), Yesterday’s Enemy), and Captain Virgil Hilts (‘The Cooler King’) (Steve McQueen, Papillon, Bullitt).

With a wealth of experience, it is not long before they start the ‘X Organisation’ a commitee that wants to get so many prisoners out that it will severely disrupt Germany’s war effort. Watch this epic tale of pure grit and determination to get back into the fight. And with that awesome stunt, this is one heck of a package (See Below).

The Great Escape Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD is available from

Arrow Films

3-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw, Neil Mitchell, Wickham Clayton and Mark Cunliffe
Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley

DISC 1 (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY) – THE GREAT ESCAPE

4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Newly restored original lossless mono soundtrack
Optional lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by filmmaker/historian Steve Mitchell and Steven Jay Rubin, author of Combat Films: American Realism
Audio commentary featuring director John Sturges and members of the cast and crew, moderated by Steven Jay Rubin
Theatrical trailer

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY) – BONUS FEATURES

The Real Great Escape – author and historian Guy Walters separates fact from fiction in this brand-new interview
The Great Escapism – brand-new appreciation of the film by Jose Arroyo, Associate Professor in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick
The Great Composer – brand-new interview with composer/author Neil Brand, discussing Elmer Bernstein and his iconic score
Freedom Forged – critic and educator Rich Johnson explores the film’s place within the war movie canon in this brand-new visual essay
Michael Sragow on The Great Escape – 2020 interview exploring the career of John Sturges and the making of the film
Heroes Underground – 2001 four-part documentary exploring the making of the film and the events which inspired it, featuring interviews with former POWs
The Real Virgil Hilts – 2001 featurette interviewing former POW David M. Jones, widely seen as the inspiration for Steve McQueen’s character
The Untold Story – 2001 documentary exploring the planning and execution of the real-life escape
The Untold Story: Additional Interviews
Return to The Great Escape – 1993 featurette exploring the making of the film
Image gallery