Such a classic. It's been over 10 years since I first watched this, and returning to it tonight, I think I liked it even more.
You could argue this is THE prison escape movie. Even if it's not the best prison movie ever, the fact that it's almost 100% about setting up and executing the escape for almost three hours means it's hard to imagine something with a similar premise being much better.
It's well-paced for its length, and it's a good sign that all the set-up is just as good as the pay-offs in the second half. You could argue the last hour drags a little, but it also contains many of the film's most memorable scenes (yes I know the movie's nearly 60 years old, but I'm still going to be vague in case anyone who reads this hasn't seen it 😅)
Goes without saying but Steve McQueen is incredibly cool, but it's a testament to how great the rest of the cast is that McQueen's character can spend so much time in solitary confinement and the movie still moves well and entertains without him.
Closest thing to a flaw, if I had to pick one? Prison looks almost a little too fun here because of how likeable the characters are. They're all cool and funny, and in a way, that makes this prison camp look less hellish than it could be. I definitely understand why they want to escape, but it doesn't capture the horrors of prison life as much as other prison movies.
That being said, there are a few heavy scenes in the movie that do serve as reminders of how terrible the war was as a whole, and how ruthless the German army could be. So the atmosphere being relaxed at times in the first half is a pretty minor complaint.
So: great acting, great pacing, great music, exciting scenes, and plenty of suspense... it all adds up to a great time, and it's aged brilliantly for a movie of its age. It stands as both an essential WW2 film and an essential prison movie.
You could argue this is THE prison escape movie. Even if it's not the best prison movie ever, the fact that it's almost 100% about setting up and executing the escape for almost three hours means it's hard to imagine something with a similar premise being much better.
It's well-paced for its length, and it's a good sign that all the set-up is just as good as the pay-offs in the second half. You could argue the last hour drags a little, but it also contains many of the film's most memorable scenes (yes I know the movie's nearly 60 years old, but I'm still going to be vague in case anyone who reads this hasn't seen it 😅)
Goes without saying but Steve McQueen is incredibly cool, but it's a testament to how great the rest of the cast is that McQueen's character can spend so much time in solitary confinement and the movie still moves well and entertains without him.
Closest thing to a flaw, if I had to pick one? Prison looks almost a little too fun here because of how likeable the characters are. They're all cool and funny, and in a way, that makes this prison camp look less hellish than it could be. I definitely understand why they want to escape, but it doesn't capture the horrors of prison life as much as other prison movies.
That being said, there are a few heavy scenes in the movie that do serve as reminders of how terrible the war was as a whole, and how ruthless the German army could be. So the atmosphere being relaxed at times in the first half is a pretty minor complaint.
So: great acting, great pacing, great music, exciting scenes, and plenty of suspense... it all adds up to a great time, and it's aged brilliantly for a movie of its age. It stands as both an essential WW2 film and an essential prison movie.