War! What Is It Good For? Apparently, Extremely Compelling Films…

18. The Great Escape

18. The Great Escape
Image Source: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

The Great Escape, released in 1963, was loosely based on the true story of an ambitious escape by Allied prisoners in World War II. The film’s central protagonists are American, British, and Australian POWs. They are confined to a prison camp deep inside Nazi Germany. Widely considered a classic, the movie was especially known for the direction by John Sturges and for a cast that included Steve McQueen in one of his defining roles.