Review of Castle Keep (1969) by Erron S — 17 Jul 2007

Castle Keep is a great movie that eludes easy classification. The simple version of the story is that a rag-tag group of walking wounded American soldiers in the Ardennes occupies a beautiful medieval castle and then has to defend it against the Nazis in the Battle of the Bulge.

Defending the castle dooms its beautiful art treasures to destruction and the soldiers to death although they could flee this militarily insignifcant location. We would probably wish that they had done that, but would have missed one hell of a movie.

Burt Lancaster is sublime as the morally ambiguous Major Falconer! If you love Burt Lancaster, this rivals his swashbuckler movies, but this is not a war film; it is an allegorial plea for peace and sanity in an insane world.

THe saddest thing about Major Falconer is that he knows it is insane to fight and yet he justifies doing it anyway. He gives up a wife, riches and a hell of a life for nothing--but that's why he ultimately does it.

I find this movie profoundly beautiful, moving and confusing. It bridges the tough WWII action movie with the 1960's in a n interesting way that does a disservice to neither. In many ways, the Nazi evil is downplayed and you feel like the war is a summer camp or slumber party throughout the movie until it hits you in the face during the last act.