ESCAPE TO ATHENA

US, 1979, 119 minutes, Colour.
Roger Moore, Telly Savalas, Claudia Cardinale, David Niven, Stephanie Powers, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono, Elliott Gould, William Holden.
Directed by George P. Cosmatos.

Escape to Athena is an easy entertainment – and is rather silly. It shows a number of prisoners of war on a Greek island during World War Two who want to escape. However, in the spirit of heist comedies, they also want to rob a monastery of its treasure as they escape.

The film has a rather spectacular international cast – though they don’t always click in their range of performances.

The film was written by Edward Anhalt whose credits range from writing the screenplay for Beckett to the Elvis Presley vehicle, Girls, Girls, Girls. It was directed by George Pan Cosmatos who directed only a few films in his career. They include The Cassandra Crossing, the second Rambo film, Cobra with Sylvester Stallone and the rather fine version of the Wyatt Earp story, Tombstone, in 1993.

A literal hit-and-miss comedy drama – with spectacular scenery.

1. A good film? Total impact? Its reliance on the World War II film conventions? The popularity of this kind of film in the seventies?

2. The presentation of standard war ingredients? Audience expectations, fulfilment?

3. The attitude of the writers, producers and it the director towards the subject? Serious? Comedy? Parody and satire? eg. William Holden's guest appearance as in Stalag 17? Stephanie Powers' presence and her entertainment and striptease? The ending?

4. The use of colour, Panavision, Greek locations, music? What did these contribute to the atmosphere of the film and its communication? The title and its references? its meaning?

6. The basic situation - credibility? Attitude towards the Germans, the English, Italians, Greeks? The Germans and their occupation of Greece, the Stalag and its atmosphere? The officer in charge, his German superiors? The British escapes? The preoccupation with stealing Greek treasure?

7. The presentation of the Commander - the suitability of Roger Moore for the role? German type, his place in the camp, attitudes towards justice and the war, towards the treasure, towards the woman prisoner? How did he change throughout the film? His succumbing to the pressures of the British and Americans? Throwing in his lot with them at the end?

8. The presentation of the prisoners - expected types, for example David Niven and his stiff upper lip, archaeological background? Sonny Bono and the humour on the Italians? The techniques of escape, the introduction of the characters? How well were they developed during the film? Comedy, contribution to the action?

9. The introduction of Elliot Gould and his style of comedy? How did it fit in with the basic plot? The ironic touches, parody, comments on the Germans, the British? Comedy routines? His relationship with the girl? His using her with the Commandant? His entertainment, helping the sabotage, his final heroics? A credible American war character?

10. Stephanie Powers as the prisoner? Background in entertainment, striptease, the prostitute background? Relationship with her partner, with the Commandant and the bond with him? The humour of her striptease? The participation in the plot, the heroics especially the swimming?

11. The presentation of the Greek Resistance - how seriously? Telly Savalas' seriousness as Zino? His being presented as a priest, his liaison with the woman in the brothel, leading the Resistance from there? His jealousy, the elaborate killing of the officers? His leading the band, pressurising people, the assault on the hill and the monastery?

12. Claudia Cardinale, in the presentation of the brothel - conventional material, work for the Resistance?

13. The picture of Resistance activities - the rescue of the hostages, the assault on the monastery and the breaking down of the communications, the action on the waterfront?

14. The background of the treasure and the archaeological information? How important to the film?

15. The action sequences and their tension? The siege, the climb, the bombs, the diving?

16. The final irony? To what purpose this film?