ESCAPE TO VICTORY (1981, UK/USA/Italy, 116m, 12) ***
Drama, Sport, War
dist. Paramount Pictures (USA), ITC Film Distributors (UK); pr co. Lorimar Film Entertainment / Victory Company; d. John Huston; w. Evan Jones, Yabo Yablonsky (based on a story by Yabo Yablonsky, Djordje Milicevic & Jeff Maguire); pr. Freddie Fields; ph. Gerry Fisher (Metrocolor | 2.35:1); m. Bill Conti; ed. Roberto Silvi; pd. J. Dennis Washington.
cast: Sylvester Stallone (Capt. Robert Hatch), Michael Caine (Capt. John Colby), Max von Sydow (Major Karl Von Steiner), Pelé (Cpl. Luis Fernandez), Tim Pigott-Smith (Rose), Julian Curry (Shurlock), Clive Merrison (The Forger), Maurice Roëves (Pyrie), Michael Cochrane (Farrell), Jack Kendrick (Williams), Daniel Massey (Colonel Waldron), Anton Diffring (Chief Commentator), Bobby Moore (Terry Brady), Osvaldo Ardiles (Carlos Rey), Mike Summerbee (Sid Harmor), Co Prins (Pieter Van Beck), Russell Osman (Doug Clure), John Wark (Arthur Hayes), Kazimierz Deyna (Paul Wolchek), Paul Van Himst (Michel Fileu).
In this gimmicky but entertaining take on the WWII prisoner-of-war escape film, the head of a German POW camp, football enthusiast Karl von Steiner (von Sydow) organizes a match between Nazi players and their Allied captives. Orchestrated to push the Third Reich agenda, the high-profile game is set to feature an international team led by John Colby (Caine), a veteran British player. While the team, which also includes Luis Fernandez (Pelé) of Trinidad, trains for the match, Robert Hatch (Stallone) plans a dangerous mass escape from the camp. Huston keeps the whole thing rolling along at a good clip and the cast of actors and players give game performances, Caine and von Sydow in particular, with the players fortunately given the minimum number of lines to deliver. The football gimmick is what lifts the story from what would be an otherwise routine retread of a familiar tale. US Title: VICTORY.
