Micheal Caine has said that THE GREAT ESCAPER will be his last him and that he will now retire at age 90. Caine acts alongside Glenda Jackson, who passed away this year, who was, like Caine, a star of British cinema of the 60s and 70s. THE GREAT ESCAPER tells the story of real 90 year old world war veteran Bernard Jordan, who secretly disappeared from his care home in 2014 in order to attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Jordan became a media hero in Britain after the police had already issued a search notice and called it off again with #thegreatescaper - a reference to the 1965 film THE GREAT ESCAPE about the escape of hundreds of Allied prisoners of war from a German camp. Jordan only has room to stand on the ferry from Portsmouth to Ouistreham at “Sword Beach,“ where the memorial took place, but he meets other veterans on the ferry who help him. In addition to the story of his trip, Bernard meets a young Black veteran who lost his leg in the current war, helps an old comrade find peace, says goodbye to a friend who lost his life at Sword Beach, and reconciles with German veterans, even though he refused to eat a Black Forest cake the day before: “if you want to sell chocolate cake, don’t start a war.“ Glenda Jackson and Michael Caine give their characters a lot of charm and humor. THE GREAT ESCAPER is no masterpiece, but it is moving when Bernie comments on the “Great Escaper“ hype by saying: “you can’t escape aging.“

Tom Dorow

Translation: Elinor Lewy