Victory (1981)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Yabo Yablonsky (story) and
Djordje Milicevic (story) ...

Release Date:

30 July 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sport | War

Tagline:

Their goal was freedom...

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Soccer | Soccer Football | Prisoner Of War | Goal Keeper

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Captain Robert Hatch
Michael Caine	...	Capt. John Colby - The Players: England
Pelé	...	Cpl. Luis Fernandez - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Trinidad
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
John Wark	...	Arthur Hayes - The Players: Scotland
Søren Lindsted	...	Erik Ball - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Denmark
Kevin O'Callaghan	...	Tony Lewis - Allied Goalkeeper - The Players: Ireland
Max von Sydow	...	Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans (as Max Von Sydow)

Also Known As:

Escape to Victory (UK)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:L | West Germany:6 (f) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Lorimar Film Entertainment

Trivia:

Stallone nixed the idea of using a professional player as a double for the game sequences, because of that he separated his shoulder and broke a finger.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The microphone used by the radio announcer at the soccer match is an RCA model 77B, a model not introduced until the late-1940s.

Quotes:

Hatch: This frigging game is ruining my life.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pelé Eterno (2004)

Soundtrack:

Symphony 5, 4th movement

Not really a winner - but not a loser.

Totally over the top, intended feel good movie about a group of allied WW2 prisoners of war who are `invited' to take part in a `friendly' against the German national football team. Its stereotypes galore here as Michael Caine leads the pack as the former England soccer captain who organises and trains his fellow players (Ozzie Ardiles, Pele, and Bobby Moore included) to take on the Nazis. Sylvester Stallone is also involved - as the teams goalkeeper, Hatch - who has his own plans about using the team to play an away fixture - for good. Very corny, but harmless enough and I always find myself watching it everytime its on TV!!