ESCAPE TO VICTORY

US, 1981, 117 minutes, Colour.
Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Pele, Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Amidou, Benoit Ferreux, Jean Francois Stevenin, Jack Lenoir, Carole Laure, Tim Pigott- Smith, Julian Curry, Maurice Roeves, Daniel Massey, Anton Diffring.
Directed by John Huston.

Escape To Victory is in the vein of the many concentration camp, prisoner of war camp escape films of the '50s which culminated in the early '60s with The Great Escape. This film tries to emulate it - but works on a smaller scale. While it is on the screen, it is enjoyable and involving. on reflection there are many holes in the screenplay. There was divided opinion about the merits of using the soccer match as a symbol for war - some alleging that it made war look too simplistic and even demeaned it; others say that it was a useful symbol and highlighted something of the human spirit in the midst of war. Whatever the case of the symbol of sport, the soccer match moves were designed by champion Pele and played by a wide range of international soccer stars of the '70s. Sylvester Stallone holds the limelight but it is very much Michael Caine's film. It was directed by John Huston after a long career blending very serious films with popular conventions and with entertainments - this is an old man directing a highly enjoyable on-the-screen entertainment.

1. The tradition of the war film, the escape film, prisoner of war camp way of life? The presentation of heroes and heroics? A rousing film with emotional involvement? Sport and audience response to the presentation of sport? Soccer? Its place in the conventions of the war escape film?

2. Why a film like this popular in the 1980s? The retrospect on war? World politics and the precariousness of world security? The status of sport and the sporting spirit? Questions of sport and politics - e.g. the 1980 Olympics and the boycott? The emergence of larger than life heroes - even comic strip style in the late 170s?

3. The film's approach to war and treatment of it? How serious? The charges that the film exploited and trivialised war?

4. Questions of politics and sport? The Germans using sport for propaganda purposes? A team using it for propaganda purposes by contrast? Can sport be separated from politics? Sport as the place where popular impact is made? Immediate response, emotional response? Striving, clash, battles? The efforts for victory? Victory and morale? How was the culminating soccer match a symbol for the war struggle?

5. The realism of the film: the opening escape attempt and the killing of the escapee? The detail of the way of life in the prisoner of war camps? Escape committees and attempts? How strong were the dangers of escape? Resistance to the Germans? The role of the guards? Rations, men together, separation?


6. The ease of life in the concentration camp: in terms of soccer playing, the preparations for the match, the training? The ease of Hatch's making plans, his actual escape, getting on the train, getting to Paris, going back? The Resistance and their work in France? The Eastern European soccer players coming to the camp? The loose ends - noticeable while the film was running, afterwards?

7. Colby and Steiner representing England and Germany? Memories of the past and sporting achievement? The human values of sport? Steiner's interest in the practice? The plans for the game? Practice? Colby and the sporting spirit and testing out the players? The challenge of the match? The question of being used or not used by the German propaganda machine? The scenes of play, the build-up of the personalities of the team - and the use of Pele and other international soccer stars? The try-outs and training? The better conditions and food? The demand for the Eastern Europeans and their emaciated appearance? Training, Colby's non-involvement in the implications of war? The pressure from the British leaders? Michael Caine's presentation of Colby - the successful Cockney dedicated to sport and then involved in war? Max Von Sydow - and sow dignity to the German adversary?

8. The British officers and their upper class running of the camp, meetings, fellowship? Escape committee? Testing hypotheses? Hatch and squashing plan, letting him go, asking him to inform the Paris Resistance? Loyalties? Their having to go to the match? Their involvement in the victory?

9. The presentation of the Germans - a much less harsh picture than in the past? Steiner and his genuine attempts to promote a proper match? The officials and their use of the match? Their presence in the stadium? The French reaction to the German presence? Thews of occupation and imprisonment? The ambitions of the Nazis in World War Two?

10. Hatch as hero - and Sylvester Stallone's presence and style? The American in the group? His plan for his escape, preparation for the passport and clothes? The match continually ruining his plans and his wry comments? His trying out and not being successful at soccer? His pushiness and incessant talk? His becoming a manager and administering first aid etc.? His ability to catch and becoming goalkeeper? His escape, the details of the shower sequence, his hiding, his getting away in the car with the girl for the German officer? The station? The men substituting a dummy in the camp? His encounter with the Resistance? Friendship with the woman and her son? The proposal to return? His being in solitary? His having to play - with the consequence of the player having his arm broken? His involvement in the play, in the plans for the escape, in the final goal and drama of stopping the German goal?

11. The picture of the British - their ruling of the camp, their being out of touch with reality - and echoes of declining empire?

12. Paris and the German occupation, the French Resistance, the people involved in it? Plans? The girl and her not wanting to remember people? The boy running with the bouquet onto the field? The counterpoint of the game and the Resistance moving through the sewers?

13. The game and its excitement? The German commentators and their bias? The referee against the allies? Comment on the Germans versus the allies -symbol of the war? Techniques, Pele and his designing of the match? His own goal after being taken off injured? The goals and atmosphere? Half time and the possibility of escape? Going down the tunnel, coming back and playing to win? The build-up to Hatch's stopping the final goal?

14. The mass response, the singing of the Marsellaise, the people swarming the field and enabling the men to escape?

15. How satisfying the film as war adventure? The conventions and stereotypes of the film? International appeal? The film as escape story, sports story? Symbol of war? The microcosm of victory?