Toronto International Film Festival Movies in Fort Erie

​In Honour of Remembrance Day our feature film is The Great Escaper.

 

​​The Great Escaper tells the poignant true story of Bernard Jordan, an 89-year-old veteran who felt compelled to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in France. Living in a Hove care home with his wife Rene, he fears he has missed his chance to honour his fallen comrades, having left it too late to go with an organised group. But Rene encourages him to go regardless, by himself. Cue the titular “escape”, as Bernie sneaks past carers and heads across the channel to Normandy.

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The primary joy of director Oliver Parker and screenwriter William Ivory’s film is the pair of beautiful performances from Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson in the lead roles. Their kindly, understated, lifelong love for one another is a real heartstring-tugger. Jackson is also wonderful in her interactions with the care home staff, covering for her husband until she’s sure he’s far away enough not to be intercepted and brought back. These chucklesome moments of her rebellious demeanour are punctuated with romantic flashbacks showing the younger Bernie and Rene (Will Fletcher and Laura Marcus), and how they fell in love during the war.

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Bernie also experiences flashbacks, but these are mainly to what took place on the landing craft during D-Day. Although there are moments of comedy, Caine brings a grim seriousness to the proceedings, as he is haunted by survivor’s guilt over an event that is gradually revealed. I’m hoping for an Oscar nomination for Caine and a posthumous nomination for the late Glenda Jackson. It probably won’t happen, but still, they are the main reason to see this heartwarming film.

 

During his journey across the channel, Bernie befriends kindly ex-RAF veteran Arthur (John Standing). Arthur has his own demons, and Standing gives an excellent, sympathetic supporting performance. Back in the care home, Rene’s interactions with young nurse Adele (Danielle Vitalis) provide added moments of emotional heft, as revelations also emerge about Rene.

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To its credit, despite the patriotism stirred when this story made headlines, this film is not overly sentimental, nor does it indulge in jingoism. In fact, it goes out of its way to acknowledge German war trauma too. One brilliant scene, in which Bernie and Arthur meet a group of German veterans, features an incredibly powerful, wordless close-up from one of their number, Heinrich (Wolf Kahler). All thoughts of that’s-Dietrich-from-Raiders of the Lost Ark were immediately banished. Bernie also meets Scott (Victor Oshin), a veteran of a more recent war, and gives him some tough love advice about seeking help for PTSD.

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On top of this, when Bernie visits the Normandy graves, all he can manage to mutter is a bitterly sad “What a waste”. At the same time, the film makes clear that the sacrifice of these men was not in vain. An elderly French woman approaches Bernie and thanks him with profound sincerity, underlining this point.

 

There are criticisms one could make about things like narrative flaws, but it seems churlish to dwell on these, given the immense pleasure of seeing Caine and Jackson give such lovely performances. I’m also thrilled to say that Parker resists the temptation to include photos or video footage of the real people at the end; a cliché that appears with depressing ubiquity in films of this kind. Instead, this left me with a tear in my eye. On that basis, I’d certainly recommend The Great Escaper.

By Simon Dillon Cinema

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Interesting Film Trivia

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Sir Michael Caine said he would only appear in this film if his old friend Sir John Standing was also cast. They had known each other since the 1950s when they were both struggling unknown actors and had previously appeared together in The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

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During the London premiere of this film in September 2023, Sir Michael Caine announced his retirement from acting stating that; "I am bloody 90 now, and I can't walk properly and all that. I sort of am retired now." 

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