Charlie's Analysis - The Great Escape

The Great Escape is a film from 1963 made by MGM Studios and produced and directed by John Sturges. Based on a novel by Paul Brickhill, it tells the real-life story of an attempt by allied prisoner of war to execute a mass escape from a German pow camp during World War 2. Brickhill had been a prisoner of the camp with his friend George Harsh and would later base the book on their memories of the experience.

The film is set in Germany on a very open stretch of land showing that there is nothing around, it is also very green and this makes it peaceful and like nothing is happening around. The cars and motorbikes come through and ruin the peace. The guards are wearing dark grey army uniforms this shows that they authority, also they are all armed with guns and other weapons. The set then moves to the prison which is all fenced in with large poles and metal wiring. the lighting in the opening is all natural as it is all outside.

There is a constant soundtrack at the start which is instrumental and very joyful. The music stays on until they arrive at the prison where the music stops. The camera shots used are mostly long shots so you can see the surrounding area. Also they pan along to follow the cars another shot used is the high angle shot that makes it look like the camera is hidden in the grass. so it is hiding from the German soldiers.

The pace of the opening is quite slow in between each shot and this makes it as if the guards are cruising alone. in this opening i think that it shows that the men how power which they do. the titles are bright red in very clear writing, this clashes with the background making the titles easy to read.