The War Lover
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Actor: Gary Cockrell, Michael Crawford, Robert Wagner, Shirley Anne Field, Steve McQueenBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
Published: 2003-05-01
DVD Release Date: 2003-05-13
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of The War Lover
DVD Review: A major influence on me back when it first came out.
Summary: 5 Stars
I read John Hersey's novel the War Lover and later saw the movie when I was in my teens. It was the first adult novel I read. The novel and the movie were among the most profound influences on me at the time. In the novel, the story is seen through the eyes of Lt. Boman (who is Lt. Boland in the movie) and is the co pilot on the B-17 bomber they call "The Body." The pilot is Captain Buzz Marrow (whose name in the movie is Buzz Rickson) and he is the war lover. I'll use the movie names for the review. The movie does not employ Boland as the narrator; the story is told in the third person.
On one level, it is an excellent account of the 8th Army Air Force and their strategic bombing missions over occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. It features the B-17 bomber and the Norden bomb sight. The movie had the authentic look and feel of 1940's England in my father's photographs. It also shows starkly the dangers of those missions. As destructive as the bombing was on the ground, the toll on men and airplanes was staggering. The 1,000 plane mission over Leipzig cost 300 planes shot down and another 150 came back too damaged to fly again. The toll on the surviving crews were terrible as well. This story puts names and faces on those numbers.
On another level, it is a psychological story about Rickson. Rickson is the best pilot in the outfit and most of the crew is loyal to him. He is something of a rebel; he doesn't do things by the book. He also is highly competitive. Whether flying in the squadron or engaging in barroom contests, he has to come out on top. He wants things done his way and when his crew or his superiors let him down, he retaliates. Howard Koch in writing the script advances the story by peeling the skin off the onion layer by layer from Rickson's barroom jousts to his attempt to steal Daphne away from Boland. When Rickson buzzes the field over his disappointment with dropping leaflets rather than bombs, the colonel calls in Boland and the flight surgeon to evaluate Ricksons fitness to fly. Boland remains loyal but he discovers Ricksons disloyalty to other crew members. The flight surgeon tells Boland there is a fine line between being a hero and being a psychopath.Then, Rickson tries to steal Daphne away from Boland and fails. Boland comes to hate Rickson. I better stop here to avoid spoiling the ending.
Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, and Shirley Ann Field played their roles perfectly. McQueen, the flawed hero who unravels gradually has the right amount of quirky charm alternating with enough menace to keep the other characters, except Daphne, off balance.
I read the novel at 12 and saw the movie when I was 14. During those years, I went to three different junior highs, and always felt like the new kid who had to prove himself. This story was important in my understanding of human nature. I strongly recommend the movie; it holds up really well in every way. I bought the DVD of this movie that comes in a box set with Baby the Rain Must Fall. I wish the novel were still in print.
Description of The War Lover
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