Director John Sturges reunites with The Magnificent Seven stars Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Charles Bronson in this timeless adaptation of Paul Brickhill’s World War II memoir of an audacious prisoner breakout.
Stalag Luft III: an impenetrable camp built to hold the most persistent escapees. Under the ruthless vigilance of the Nazi guards, a multinational group of prisoners must work together to enact their daring plan: to break out of the camp, forcing the Germans to divert precious military resources towards apprehending them. But getting beyond the camp’s barbed wire fences and gun-towers is only the beginning. Once out, the escapees must make the perilous journey to the border, all the while evading the relentless pursuit of their former captors.
Beautifully shot by Oscar®-winning cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp (West Side Story) and featuring a rousing, infectiously hummable score by Elmer Bernstein (The Ten Commandments), The Great Escape remains one of the most beloved Hollywood historical action movies – a testament to human ingenuity, camaraderie under pressure and indomitability of the spirit.
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 – THE GREAT ESCAPE
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
- 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 – 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
DISC 3 – THE GREAT ESCAPE II: THE UNTOLD STORY [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
- High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
- Original lossless 2.0 stereo soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Original Trailer
