Essay Questions

In what way does the film differ from the book that it was adapted from?

The main difference between the film and Paul Brickhill's book is the inclusion of American "prisoners" (and therefore actors) in the movie. The camp, Stalag Luft III, housed only British and Commonwealth prisoners of war, the only exception being Johnnie Dodge who had been born in America but who became British after marrying a girl from the south of England, and a handful of American officers who could not be housed in American P.O.W. camps because of their rank. The film also almost totally omits the contribution made to the escape by Canadian soldiers, largely unmentioned in the screenplay, but pivotal to the success of the attempt in real life.

There are other historical inaccuracies that ironically make the movie the iconic production that it is; there was no motorcycle escape scene, and no chase through the Polish countryside. Both were added to the original script because Steve McQueen was a motorcycle enthusiast and believed a chase on motorbikes would add to the audience's excitement.

One of the omissions in the film was deliberate; survivors of the camp asked that the producers make no reference to the ways in which they received help from their own countries in the escape attempt, because they did not want future war or escape efforts to be sabotaged by an enemy having prior knowledge about home nation support or any spy networks that enabled the men to receive information, assistance or provisions.

What was the purpose of the men's escape attempt?

There were two purposes of the escape attempt from Stalag Luft III. The first, most obviously, was to get as many men out of the camp as possible, to enable them to return either home or to their units, and continue their involvement in the war effort again. These men would also be able to share information about Germany's plans and strategies that they had gleaned from German camp guards who were actually opposed to the Nazi regime.

The second objective was to divert German attention from the front line, and to waste their time, manpower and resources. The men believed that the search for over two hundred "fugitives" would monopolize resources to such an extent that German action at the front would be severely minimized. This plan was expanded when it was decided to divide the two hundred and fifty escapees into groups of four, all of which would spread out in different directions after escaping the camp itself. This would take up even more resources that the Germans would then be unable to deploy to the front line, decimating their army, and their resources as well.

What are some of the methods the men use to escape? Why are so few successful in their escape attempts?

The majority of the escapes are historically accurate; for example, Danny and Willie find a small rowboat tied up by the river, which they steal and use to row downstream until they come to a major port where they board a ship to Sweden; once on board they are considered to be on Swedish territory and are therefore safe. Sedgewick steals a bicycle and pedals all the way to France, where he is met by members of the French Resistance and eventually smuggled into Spain, again, to safety. These are the only three men who escape successfully, predominantly because they are aided by the topography of the land, and the fact they have a specific plan that they begin to utilize immediately. They are also among the first to escape which gives them a significant head start over their captors.

Other escapees are not so fortunate; although initially successful in taking a small plane and flying towards neutral Switzerland, Hendley and Blythe crash just feet from the border, and are captured. Blythe is shot dead by German soldiers, and Hendley is taken alive. Those relying on more public transportation, such as the train, or a bus, are recognized by Gestapo agents looking for them.