Prison Camp is a war movie sub-genre we've been sentenced to several times.

Most often, within the context of World War II.

And it's not a perfect fit in the category of war films because these films take

place so far from any battlefront and don't occupy the same emotional realm. We're not finding

out if it's possible for an atheist to be in a foxhole or gripping the edges of our seats while a pilot initiates a barrel roll to avoid a missile.

These films about prisoners of war rarely break out into combat and explosions unless John Rambo shows up to take some photos.

They, by their very nature, unfold at a different pace and explore a different kind of drama experienced during war.

It's not the sudden impact of combat but the slow burn, the building pressure of captivity at the hands of an enemy that creates the tension.

And we've already hit some of the high points of this sub-genre on previous episodes of

Friendly Fire, but it's been impossible up to now to have had a comprehensive conversation about POW films without talking about today's

1963 John Sturgis Classic.

With a cast led by Cool as Hell Steve McQueen, stunningly good-looking James Garner and absolute unit Charles

Bronson.

The film follows British Anzac and American officers of their respective Air Corps who have respecialized in their captivity as an

ingenious squadron of escape artists.

They have reimagined the command structure to include new jobs like manufacturer, scrounger, forager, and Tunnel King.

Sir Richard Attenborough serves as Big X who oversees the construction of three tunnels out of

camp through which the plan is to send out dozens if not hundreds of men.

To achieve this objective would mean the Nazis would have to use their resources to round

up the escapees, drawing their focus away from the front lines.

During its nearly three-hour runtime, the film pits Luftwaffe prison guards in charge of this

freshly constructed prison camp against a hyper resourceful group of prisoners depicting their relentless demonstration of prison-break tradecraft.

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