Escape to Victory (1981)
"Victory" (original title)

As allied POWs prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Yabo Yablonsky (story), Djordje Milicevic (story),

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Pelé

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Captain Robert Hatch - The Players: U.S.A.
Michael Caine	...	Capt. John Colby - The Players: England
Pelé	...	Cpl. Luis Fernandez - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Brazil
Bobby Moore	...	Terry Brady - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England
Osvaldo Ardiles	...	Carlos Rey - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Argentina
Paul Van Himst	...	Michel Fileu - The Players: Belgium
Kazimierz Deyna	...	Paul Wolchek - The Players: Poland
Hallvar Thoresen	...	Gunnar Hilsson - The Players: Norway
Mike Summerbee	...	Sid Harmor - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England
Co Prins	...	Pieter Van Beck - The Players: Holland
Russell Osman	...	Doug Clure - The Players: England
John Wark	...	Arthur Hayes - The Players: Scotland
Søren Lindsted	...	Erik Ball - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Denmark (as Soren Linsted)
Kevin O'Callaghan	...	Tony Lewis - Allied Goalkeeper - The Players: Ireland (as Kevin O'Calloghan)
Max von Sydow	...	Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans (as Max Von Sydow)

Storyline

In World War II, a group of Nazi officers come up with a propaganda event in which an all star Nazi team will play a team composed of Allied Prisoners of War in a Soccer (Football) game. The Prisoners agree, planning on using the game as a means of escape from the camp.

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Plot Keywords:

escape | football | prisoner of war | intrigue | world war two | 

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Taglines:

Now is the time for heroes.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sport | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Escape a la victoria

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Film Entertainment, Victory Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The MTK Stadium in Budapest, Hungary was used to play the Stade Colombes (Coombes Stadium) in Paris, France where the movie's climactic football match takes place. The producers had had difficulty finding a large stadium without floodlights, as floodlights at football stadiums were largely unknown until well after World War II. The MTK stadium, now known as the Hidegkuti Nándor Stadium, was the biggest one without lights (but at the same time structurally similar to Continental stadiums that were around during WW2) that they could find. The stadium today is the home of the MTK Hungária Football Club.

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Goofs

Around the 61th min. after Hatch escaped, when the German soldier comes to report the number of prisoners, he speaks in Hungarian, but not in German.

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Quotes

Renée - The French: [Hatch has asked how she feels about sheltering him] How do I feel? I feel responsible. Hopeful. When I get word that someone I sheltered is safe, then I'm happy. I can forget them. But when I hear that they've been caught or killed, then I remember everything. I remember their face, their voices, what they said about their parents, their child, their pets, and I mourn for them. I don't want to mourn for you.
Hatch: Well, you're safe with me, Renée.
Renée - The French: How?
Hatch: Well, I'm, uh... an orphan, a bastard. I have no...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Copycats: Episode #1.12 (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Symphony 5, 4th movement"
Dimitri Shostakovich

User Reviews

"Take me out from the ball game"

The script of this unusual war/escape movie was nothing special, and neither was the acting. Not surprising about the latter since half the performers weren't actually experienced actors. However I loved every minute of it, and thought it was great fun and terrific entertainment. Of course there are those who won't quite see it that way and will dismiss it out of hand. And they'd be perfectly sane to do so. Everything about "Victory" (aka "Escape to Victory" in the UK) says it's one to leave well alone.

Even if you disregard the lack of aesthetic qualities, and tut-tut over the reality of it all, it's worth watching if only to see again a few of the great past-masters of what the Brits like to call "the beautiful game" (i.e. soccer). And Sylvester Stallone as a goalkeeper is something to behold.

As far as escape stories go this is about as original as they get, but even here it's possible to see plundering from other story lines, i.e "The Great Escape", "The Password is Courage", "Albert RN", to name but three, and as at least one reviewer has pointed out, the music is extremely reminiscent of the first one.

One of my favourites snippets is that of the Nazi sports commentator, portrayed by Anton Diffring, that stalwart of war movies, broadcasting his gramophone record of enthusiastic crowd applause, when in "reality" the whole stadium was as quiet as the grave.

I think this is one of those rare occasions, if taken in the right vein, when a bad movie can be a crowd pleaser. Forget the war pundits, the realists and the purists. Just enjoy the movie for what it is. Tremendous fun!