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The true story behind the daring escape of WWII veteran Bernard Jordan. GREAT ESCAPER ON MASTERPIECE – Nov. 23 at 9
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Sunday, November 23 at 9:00 pm
Follow the daring escape of Bernard Jordan, an 89-year-old WWII veteran, to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. Driven by love and the memory of fallen comrades, this true story is a tribute to heroism, healing, and remembrance.
Credit: Courtesy of MASTERPIECE, Pathé, and BBC Films; Rob Youngson
“The Great Escaper” tells the true story of Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) who made global headlines in the summer of 2014. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitized retelling of one man’s need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war.
Bernie’s adventure, spanning a mere 48 hours, also marked the culmination of his 60-
year marriage to Rene (Glenda Jackson) – “The Great Escaper:” celebrates their
enduring love but always with an eye to the lessons we might learn from the Greatest
Generation.