review of camera and sound of The Great Escape

The Great Escape starring Steve McQueen in a classic war related film. It is maybe more light hearted than some of the more serious war films but the director has used clever techniques to make the film entertaining.

The opening sequence shows the British and American prisoners being driven to the camp. Although there is an obvious sense of capture, the first shots in the film show a lot of scenery and the trucks are quite small within the picture. This was probably done to show a glimpse of freedom before they are put in the camp. As they get closer to the camp, the shots also begin to get slightly tighter so this would also emphasise the difference between freedom and capture.

The director must have felt it was important to remind the viewer of the fact they were prisoners so there are lots of shots with subtle reminders in it, usually in the background or over someone’s shoulder. Sometimes you would see ...