Review of Battle Circus (1953) by Chelsea K — 21 Apr 2010
I'd avoided seeing this initially because it was rated so poorly on Imdb. Then I actually watched it. A pre-"MASH" movie about a MASH unit, backed by solid performances from Bogart, Allyson and Keenan Wynn.
Allyson is not exactly a weighty actress, but the part doesn't demand that of her. Bogart's character starts off as a thinly veiled womanizer pushing the boundaries of harassment with Allyson.
But about midway through, we begin to understand the character. He's seen one too many wars and lost one too many patients, reducing him to living from minute to minute, never planning, and avoiding too close human contact.
Allyson of course brings him right out of that simply by loving him (isn't that how it works?). Fortunately, the film largely avoids cliche, either in the depictions of war and the aftermath of violence, or in the love story.
She accepts that she loves him, whether it will be for a day or for a lifetime; and he likewise accepts that he can't hide from his own caring impulses. He sums it all up nearing the end, telling her 'I'll come find you.
Not because I have to, but because I want to.'.
This review of Battle Circus (1953) was written by Chelsea K on 21 Apr 2010.
Battle Circus has generally received mixed reviews.
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