The Great Escape

Steve McQueen ain't got nothin' on the real WWII prisoners of war who staged "the great escape" on March 24, 1944. As this enjoyable episode of NOVA demonstrates, the British and American POWs who tunneled out of the German internment camp Stalag Luft III were indeed as amazingly clever and resourceful as depicted in the classic 1963 film starring McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, and others. In digging three deep, long, and dangerous tunnels nicknamed "Tom," "Dick," and "Harry," the prisoners were able to keep their options open when their captors began to suspect that something was amiss. The diligent efforts of the Allied airmen are crosscut here with a present-day effort by battlefield archaeologists to unearth artifacts related to the "great escape" and to try to find, in a now-tranquil countryside, the remains of the camp and the secret tunnels themselves. Three of the surviving escapees are on hand to witness the discovery, and it's a thrill just to see the looks on their faces as they stand on the very spot where they and 73 other POWs escaped some 60 years earlier. As always, NOVA supports this past-and-present adventure with graphics, charts, archival footage, and historical detail. DVD extras include printable materials for educators. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)