Escape to Victory (1981)

★ 6.9 1h 56m IMDb

Drama War Sport

A group of POWs in a German prison camp during World War II play the German National Soccer Team in this powerful film depicting the role of prisoners during wartime.

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Cast

Sylvester Stallone as Captain Robert Hatch Age 79 · New York City, New York, USA Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe...

Michael Caine as Captain John Colby Age 93 · Rotherhithe, London, England, UK Sir Michael Caine CBE (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr.; 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinctive South London accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career...

Max von Sydow as Major Karl von Steiner Died 2020 · Lund, Skåne län, Sweden Max von Sydow (born Carl Adolf von Sydow; April 10, 1929 – March 8, 2020) was a Swedish actor. He also held French citizenship since 2002. He starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens m...

Pelé as Cpl. Luis Fernandez, Brazil Died 2022 · Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil Edson Arantes do Nascimento (born 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), known as Pelé, was a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Regarded as one of the greatest players of...

Carole Laure as Renée Age 77 · Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada Carole Laure O.C. (born August 5, 1948) is an actress and singer from Quebec, Canada. Throughout most of her career, Carole Laure primarily collaborated with Anglophone singer, songwriter, producer, a...

Director John Huston

Cast Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Pelé, Carole Laure, Bobby Moore, Osvaldo Ardiles, Paul Van Himst, Kazimierz Deyna, Mike Summerbee

John Chard 7.5/10 Dec 27, 2015

Arguably one of the most unfairly derided boys own movies out there.

World War II and the Nazi officers have come up with a propaganda driven idea for the German national football team to play a team composed of Allied Prisoners of War. Led by Capt. John Colby (Michael Caine) the prisoners agree, but there's more than just propaganda at stake here.

Directed by John Huston in the twilight of his career, Escape To Victory, in spite of it being a perennial Bank Holiday staple viewing in the UK, is a film that's often used as a kicking post by stuffy critics. It's hard to understand why such a fun and harmless piece can cause such derision in cinematic circles. It can't be expectation because when you read the plot and see that Sylvester Stallone is playing as the goalkeeper, and that a tubby 48 year old Caine is the captain of this soccer team, well surely you know this film isn't all about about cranial depth encompassing the propaganda machinations of the Nazi regime.

Using real footballers (notably Pelé, Bobby Moore and Osvaldo Ardilies) is what makes Escape To Victory work as entertainment for so many people in the UK. Huston, much like Stallone, hadn't got a clue how to make a football based movie. In stepped the footballers to choreograph the films football sequences - sequences that give the film some truly memorable moments (Pelé overhead kick, Ardiles rainbow flick, and erm, a Stallone penalty save). They couldn't act for toffee, none of them, but that's where Caine comes in. Guiding them through their scenes, Caine was highly thought of on the set by the players, a sort of father figure by all accounts, and not just on the set, but in the bar as well. Stallone excepted (he was off doing his own thing most of the time), it was a happy shoot, and this shines bright in the movie, with the non actors growing in confidence as the movie progresses. So while the film ultimately deals in escapist fun, it's not without moments of poignancy too. A sacrificial break for the war effort induces winces across the board, whilst the arrival of the Eastern Block players from the work camps demands our utmost heartfelt thoughts.

So is Escape To Victory a great film? No, of course not. But it is a darn good one. A film that's easy to lose oneself in during the holiday periods. With Caine flicking the eff off Vs, Max Von Sydow being classy as usual and some legendary footballers strutting their stuff, what's not to enjoy? Really? 7.5/10