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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed
by John Sturges
USA 1963
NOTE: The Criterion Blu-ray of The Great Escape is compared HERE
In 1943, the Germans opened Stalag Luft III, a maximum-security prisoner-of-war camp designed to hold even the craftiest escape artists. In doing so, however, the Nazis unwittingly assembled the finest escape team in military history - brilliantly portrayed here by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson and James Coburn - who worked on what became the largest prison breakout ever attempted. One of the most ingenious and suspenseful adventure films of all time, The Great Escape is a masterful collaboration between director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), screenwriters James Clavell (Shogun) and W.R. Burnett (Little Caesar), and composer Elmer Bernstein. Based on a true story, The Great Escape is epic entertainment that 'captivates, thrills and stirs' (Variety). |
Posters
Theatrical Release: July 4th, 1963
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
MGM (Original 2-disc) - Region 2 - PAL vs. MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. MGM (SE 2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Big thanks Henrik Sylow for the PAL captures and Enrique B Chamorro for the rest!
1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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Distribution |
MGM Region 2 - PAL |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
Criterion Region 0 - NTSC |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
MGM Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:45:05 (4% PAL speedup) | 2:52:00 | 2:51:00 | 2:51:54 | 2:52:13.323 |
Video |
2.30:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
2.69:1
Aspect Ratio |
2.35:1
Aspect Ratio |
2.30:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 46,902,465,029 bytesFeature: 38,254,565,376 bytesVideo Bitrate: 18.19 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
MGM Region 2- PAL (Original) and MGM Region 1 (original) |
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Bitrate:
Criterion (Laserdisc)
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NOT AVAILABLE |
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Bitrate:
MGM (SE)
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Bitrate:
MGM Blu-ray
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Audio | English DD 5.1 | English DD 2.0, French DD 2.0 |
English DD 2.0 |
English DD 5.1 & 2.0, French & Spanish 2.0 |
English (SDH), Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Thai, Japanese |
Subtitles | Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, English for hearing impaired, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Swedish, Turkish and none. | English, French, Spanish | none | English, French, Spanish | DTS-HD Master Audio
English 3990 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3990 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz
/ 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit DTS Audio Italian 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit DTS Audio German 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit * DTS-HD Master Audio Japanese 1075 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1075 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio Polish 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date:
May 20th, 2002 Chapters 32 |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters
32 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: 1991 Chapters 36
CLICK HERE for a scan of the inside of the Criterion laserdisc jacket. It is a sketch of the camp used by Sturges during the filming |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD
Release Date: 05/18/04 Chapters 32 |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 46,902,465,029 bytesFeature: 38,254,565,376 bytesVideo Bitrate: 18.19 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: •
The Great Escape: Bringing Fact to Fiction (12:21) • The Great Escape: The Flight to Freedom (9:22)
• The Great Escape: A Standing Ovation (5:58) • The Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones (25:01)
• Return to The Great Escape (24:09)
Blu-ray
Release Date: May 7th, 2013 Chapters 32 |
Comments |
NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
NOTE: The Criterion Blu-ray of The Great Escape is compared HERE
ADDITION: MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray (May 2013): A little heavy on the teal - but otherwise certainly improves over the other digital editions. More information in the 2.35:1 frame on most - except the original 2.69:1 aspect ratio DVD from 1998. There remains a touch of grain and some heaviness - the film never looked ultra-crisp (it will never be impressive in that regard) but detail does move up a notch with some of the digging scenes showing previously hidden background information. I toggled back and forth between the SE - and it's quite evident that the 1080P - even with a low-ish bitrate due to the almost 3-hour length of the film - is a pleasing improvement. My only complaint was the way blue is rendered but overall this is better than I was anticipating from MGM.
Fans will love how Elmer Bernstein's score, along with the iconic Colonel Bogey March (or Bernstein variation of), sounds in DTS-HD Master lossless. The bump is a 5.1 at a whopping 3990 kbps. A beautiful high-end. Separations aren't crisp but there are a few that sneakily make it to the rear speakers. Sound effects used to mask the digging show depth and range. There are multiple foreign language DUBs and subtitle options signifying the Blu-ray as being Region FREE.
The Blu-ray includes most of the supplements found on the previous digital editions. We get the Steven J. Rubin hosted commentary with John Sturges, cast and crew - the six part featurette (The Great Escape: Bringing Fact to Fiction, Preparations For Freedom, The Flight to, A Standing Ovation, The Untold Story and The Untold Story - Additional Interviews.) We get the 25-minute Real Virgil Hilts: A Man Called Jones piece and the equal-length'ed Return to The Great Escape. Lastly there is a trailer in 1080P - everything else is in 480i. This classic never seems to get old - with the great cast. Despite any weaknesses the MGM Blu-ray IS recommended to fans of the film. *** ON THE DVDs: The history of the LD transfers may bare light on the differences between the DVD transfers. The Criterion edition of The Great Escape was transferred digitally from a 35mm inter-positive in its correct wide-screen aspect ratio of around 2.35:1, and released with the approval of director John Sturges who states that the (approx.) 2.30:1 framing is the proper one. The first MGM LD aspect ratio was too wide (about 2.59:1) because The Great Escape was initially filmed that way so that Sturges could make framing adjustments later, also the original print used for the MGM LD did not contain soundtrack information thereby displaying a wider image. The soundtrack was mastered digitally from a 35mm magnetic track afterward. MGM may have used the same methodology for the original DVD transfer. Notice that the old DVD has more image on the left and right vs. the old LD has more info mostly on the left only.
The Region 2 release is in the correct aspect ratio and superior to the original Region 1 release (and is anamorphic!) but is not as sharp as the New SE (which can tend to look saturated. I see some edge enhancement). The colors are also not a vibrant. The old Region 1 release shows some damage marks. Colors match closest to the Region 2 and the new SE, where the original Region 1 looked a little washed out. Contrast and shadow detail are best on the new SE as is the audio. Extras look to be almost exactly the same in the R2 and SE, but I think the Region 1 SE has thrown in some extra trailers and a photo gallery (looks to be the same booklet). Glad to see this film finally done correctly although it has too much digital manipulation (any is usually too much!)! It's a been a long wait in Region 1 - Region 2 has had the correct aspect ratio and a 2nd disc of extras for over 2 years! |
Menus
(MGM (Original) - Region 2- PAL - LEFT vs. MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Samples
1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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Screen Captures
1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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These look to be edge enhancement halos in the new SE
1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM (Original) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) MGM (Original) - Region 1 - NTSC SECOND3) Criterion (Laserdisc) - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) MGM (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - FOURTH 5) MGM - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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Report Card:
Image: |
Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 2 - PAL |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
Criterion Region 0 - NTSC |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
MGM Region FREE - Blu-ray |