'The Great Escape' Classic WWII Film Is a Hit on Free Streaming

'The Great Escape' is streaming for free and proving a hit with viewers. The film is often cited as one of the greatest action war movies, taking the audience behind enemy lines to follow Allied soldiers held in a Nazi camp. Directed by John Sturges and released in 1963, the story adapts Paul Brickhill’s account of a mass POW escape.

W.R. Burnett and James Clavell adapted the book for the screen, and Sturges' film fictionalizes parts of the true story. Steve McQueen plays Hilts, 'The Cooler King,' and what begins as a way to keep hope alive becomes a real bid for freedom when an escape window opens.

The movie holds a 94% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% audience score from more than 100,000 reviews. On IMDb it is ranked 159th among users' greatest films. The film's iconic motorcycle stunt was performed for real by Bud Ekins on a 1962 Triumph TR6 Trophy, using a hidden ramp to clear the fence.

great escape, john sturges, steve mcqueen, paul brickhill, w.r. burnett, james clavell, pow escape, wwii film, motorcycle stunt, bud ekins