The Great Escape Literary Elements

The Great Escape Literary Elements

Director

John Sturges

Leading Actors/Actresses

Steve McQueen

Supporting Actors/Actresses

James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, and Donald Pleasence

Genre

War

Language

English

Awards

The Great Escape was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing

Date of Release

July 4th, 1963

Producer

John Sturges

Setting and Context

Nazi Prisoner of War Camp during WWII, in Poland

Narrator and Point of View

Through the point of view of Steve McQueen's Captain Virgil Hilts "The Cooler King"

Tone and Mood

Mysterious, Sneaky, Violent, Harsh, and Unrelenting

Protagonist and Antagonist

Captain Hilts and the other POWs (Protagonist) vs. the Nazi's

Major Conflict

The major conflict of the film involves the POWs' struggle to escape the Nazi Prisoner of War camp.

Climax

When Roger is recognized by the Getstapo at the train station and the group of fifty captured prisoners are killed

Foreshadowing

Roger's death is foreshadowed early on in the film

Understatement

The sheer perseverance of all the prisoners is understated throughout the film. For example, after Hilts witnesses 50 of his fellow POWs being killed, he once again starts to bounce a baseball against a wall, planning and scheming for another escape attempt.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

The Great Escape is no doubt well-made and well-shot, but it was not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.

Allusions

La Grande Illusion (film), the book of the same name on which this film is based, mythology, religion, other books, other films, geography, and history (predominately the history of WWII).

Paradox

The POWs plan the escape for an inordinate amount of time, yet do not know that their is a lot of barbed wire surrounding the camp.

Parallelism

N/A

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