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Author Topic: The Great Escape  (Read 684 times)

Offline Sandman

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The Great Escape
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2005, 12:10:30 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Jackal1
Another great book dealing with POWs is King Rat .


Yeah.. that one got me started on a Clavell kick for awhile.
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Offline DiabloTX

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« Reply #16 on: May 11, 2005, 04:49:43 AM »
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Originally posted by Jackal1
Another great book dealing with POWs is King Rat .


So was "Five Years To Freedom" by Nick Rowe.  From what I understand he was later killed by terrorists in the Philippines.  Amazing story anway.
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Offline MiloMorai

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The Great Escape
« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2005, 07:09:52 AM »
Anyone see the 2002 movie Hart's War staring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrel?

"There is nothing inherently original about Hart's War, and contrary to its promotional trailers and television advertisements, it is not a big war movie shoot-em up. Hart's War, based on the novel by John Katzenbach (which is based on his father's experiences in World War II) is a classic prison escape movie, in the style of Stalag 17 or The Great Escape. It is also a chance for a wider audience to see Irish actor Colin Farrell (American Outlaws, The War Zone), who wowed critics in Tigerland. Bruce Willis is in the movie too (he's the main character if people believe the ads) but this is Farrell's movie. Not a great movie, but a nice wide introduction. Farrell is Lt. Thomas Hart, the son of a Senator. This status keeps him out of combat, but he still ends up in a German concentration camp.

Colonel William McNamara (Bruce Willis, Bandits, Unbreakable), the ranking U.S. officer in the camp. The German officer in charge of the camp, Col. Werner Visser (Marcel Iures, The Peacemaker, I Hope...) split the camp amongst Russians and Americans. The Russians work for a munitions factory, while the Americans idle. To Hart's dismay, McNamara does not place him with the officers, although there is extra space. McNamara stations him with the enlisted men. To make matters worse, McNamara places two black officers with Hart, which inflames tensions with the soldiers. This leads to a murder, first of one of the black officers, then of Staff Sgt. Vic Bedford (Cole Hauser, Pitch Black, Tigerland), an unabashed racist. The other black officer, Lt. Lincoln Scott (Terrence Dashon Howard, Glitter, Angel Eyes) is the primary suspect. McNamara convinces Visser to allow them to hold a court martial, and assigns Hart, a second year law student, as Scott's counsel.

It takes a while to get to this point, but now, Terry George (The Boxer, Bright Shining Lie) and Billy Ray's (Legalese, Volcano) adaptation picks up in intensity. Hart must participate in a tense trial that he believes already has an outcome. He is not sure if McNamara has a bias against Scott, but it sure seems like it. McNamara also has a cordial yet tense relationship with Visser, which affords him a large amount of freedom. Visser offers his help to Hart, perhaps to annoy McNamara. Hart just does not know Visser's actual motivations. Hart also feels ill prepared as a lawyer, and does not have the trust of Scott. In actuality, McNamara is plotting an escape, with the trial as a distraction. This is not a spoiler, it's in all the trailers. Hart discovers this and faces a moral dilemma; is it right to trade the life of Scott for the freedom of other soldiers?

The main thing hampering Hart's War is its familiarity. Director Gregory Hoblit (Frequency, Fallen) does a decent job at keeping the courtroom tension high, and for a minute, it actually looks like the ending may be ambiguous. Willis' acting is a little too stoic to be of any use. He lords over everybody else, acting mysterious and answers questions evasively, as his character should. It's just not that interesting. Farrell is better, but his character is also on autopilot. He carries the movie with his role as a neophyte rising to the occasion. And just because the movie is familiar doesn't mean that it's bad. Hart's War is the same movie people have seen before, but it is enjoyable watching something familiar, even though the outcome is a given."

http://www.haro-online.com/movies/harts_war.html
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Offline Angus

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« Reply #18 on: May 11, 2005, 08:30:03 AM »
Here is something of a more funny side to this.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060474/#comment

I almost laughed myself to death when I saw this one some 20 years ago!

Nothing beats La Grande vadrouille.....
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It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. (Werner Mölders)

Offline Angus

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« Reply #19 on: May 11, 2005, 08:46:31 AM »
hehe

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It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. (Werner Mölders)

Offline Jackal1

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« Reply #20 on: May 11, 2005, 10:16:50 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by DiabloTX
So was "Five Years To Freedom" by Nick Rowe.  From what I understand he was later killed by terrorists in the Philippines.  Amazing story anway.


Hmmmmm..... I`ll have to check that one out. Thanks.
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Offline Guppy35

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« Reply #21 on: May 11, 2005, 11:55:45 AM »
Stalag 17 was a classic in terms of POW movies.

Any of the books on Colditz Castle are worth reading too.  What those guys did from the supposadly unescapable Colditz was amazing.  Even had a glider built in hidden part.  War ended before it flew but that they got away with is is amazing.

Dan/CorkyJr
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Offline Guppy35

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« Reply #22 on: May 11, 2005, 11:57:34 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Angus
I have one great book about all sorts of escape attempts.
It's called "Escape from Germany", editor Tim Coates.
It covers the great escape and so many others, mostly they failed.
My favourite is the "Wooden Chest" escape, but there were some other smart ones as well.
Some even escaped from Colditz, - dressed as German officers!
Anyway, some odds and ends from the RL of the great escape, and other bits....

- One of the ones involved was RAF ace R.S.Tuck. His luck was there, - he was transferred some day or so before the escape
- Only some 2 or 3 actually made it all the way back. Some 50 were executed, - the order was from Hitler.
- Some VIP's from the LW went furious about the executions. Nowotny for instance.
- Brickhill was also a RAF person, and a POW himself.
- The actor Denholm Elliot was also a POW.
- The famous actor James Stewart was a bomber pilot, but never a POW. Clark Gable was just a rear gunner.

Lots of material in WW2, wasn't it....
-


Book just came out called "Jimmy Stewart-Bomber Pilot"  about his WW2 and military career.  Looks fairly decent.

Dan/CorkyJr
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Offline slimm50

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« Reply #23 on: May 11, 2005, 12:06:39 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35
Book just came out called "Jimmy Stewart-Bomber Pilot"  about his WW2 and military career.  Looks fairly decent.

Dan/CorkyJr

Ahhh, one of my boyhood heroes. I'll definately check that on eout. Thanks for the heads up.
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Offline Angus

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« Reply #24 on: May 11, 2005, 12:34:11 PM »
I have the description of how the succesful escape was made out of Colditz.
And the glider, - it was destroyed by the townsfolk after the war ended, but rebuilt and I belive, is there. I think Colditz is a muesum now.

For gamers, Commandos II had an episode where one was supposed to get the POW's out of Colditz by supplying them with uniforms from the Germans. Completely hilarious.

And Medal of Honour has somewhere a MP map from Colditz, - and yes, the Glider is actually there!
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It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. (Werner Mölders)

Offline Angus

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« Reply #25 on: May 11, 2005, 12:35:02 PM »
Oh, naming Jimmy Stewart, one must not forget the flight of the Phoenix, - now that one was really good.
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It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. (Werner Mölders)

Offline DiabloTX

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« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2005, 03:27:07 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Jackal1
Hmmmmm..... I`ll have to check that one out. Thanks.


Colonel "Nick" Rowe graduated from West Point in 1960 and made the Army his career. When his country became engaged in Vietnam, he served there as a Special Forces Officer (Green Beret) and was captured by enemy forces on October 29, 1963. He struggled against the depravity of the prison camps, never giving up hope, until finally on December 31, 1968 he escaped his captors and made his way back to allied lines.

Sadly, he was killed by Communist guerrilas in Manila, Philippines, on April 21, 1989 and was buried in Section 48 of Arlington National Cemetery.

He had once written, "So look up ahead at times to come, despair is not for us. We have a world and more to see, while this remains behind." This is enscribed on his gravestone and is a fitting memorial for yet another American Hero who left us entirely too soon.
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Offline bunch

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The Great Escape
« Reply #27 on: May 11, 2005, 06:59:04 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35
Book just came out called "Jimmy Stewart-Bomber Pilot"  about his WW2 and military career.  Looks fairly decent.

Dan/CorkyJr


That looks good.  I've been hoping for some further info on Ted Williams fighter piloting than I've been able to find
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