Escape from Stalag Lufte III Allegory
In some ways, because it is based on a real-life, first person account of an actual historical event, the movie cannot be considered an allegory in the true sense of the word; however, it is allegorical in that although it is inspired by real-life historical events, it deviates considerably from the historical and instead presents events and characters that are an allegory of historical facts. An example of this would be the iconic motorcycle escape and subsequent chase that made Steve McQueen a superstar. There was no real-life motorcycle chase - in fact, there were no escapes made by motorcycle at all. The escape on a motorcycle was entirely fictional and added for the benefit of McQueen who was an avid motorcycle enthusiast, and was also allegorical of the type of bravery that was needed to execute such an audacious escape. Similarly, because of the need to add American characters into the movie, many of the characters were allegorical amalgamations of real-life historical characters in order to fit the marketing requirements of the narrative.
Baseball Symbol
The director wanted to accentuate Hilts' American identity and so deliberately gave him habits and nicknames that drew attention to this amongst overseas audiences. The baseball that he continually bounces against the wall serves two symbolic purposes; baseball being America's game makes the ball itself symbolic of Hilts' nationality, and the action of bouncing symbolizes his being in the middle of coming up with another plan, as it is something that he does as an aid to thinking, and also to assuage some of his boredom.
Roger Bushell Allegory
The character of Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, played by Sir Richard Attenborough, is an allegory of real-life war hero Rogher Bushell, a South African prisoner of war who was the brains behind the entire escape plan. Although he was the escape's mastermind, and strategized with the objective of taking resources from the front line, the mission turned out to be a suicide mission for him as after he was re-captured he was murdered by the Gestapo.
Herbert Massey Allegory
Group Captain Herbert Massey was the real-life soldier who inspired the character of Group Captain Ramsey. Having sustained severe leg injuries in combat in both World War One and World War Two, he walked with a cane, which James Donald used in the movie in his portrayal of Ramsey. The historical figure and his allegorical counterpart both sat out the actual escape attempt due to their physical limitations, but were involved in the planning stages.
Speaking English Symbol
Whilst escaping on a bus, MacDonald accidentally replies in English to the questions of an undercover Gestapo officer. This is a symbol of his nationality and therefore also a symbol of his identity as an escapee because there were no other English speakers in the town other than those who had previously been imprisoned in the camp.
