Review of Hart's War (2002) by Michael R — 26 Jan 2016

This slightly over two hour WWII period picture was disappointing. The production quality starts off strong and I was rooting for the American men in the POW camp to learn some humility and become less racist.

Throughout the movie, it carried a feeling of contrived artificiality instead of truth. The first half is about surviving the western front and a German stalag where the Germans hold almost no real power.

Hart (Ferrell) investigating the murder charge placed on a black American fighter pilot to build a defense case in a makeshift court seemed promising. The whole endeavor is against the odds. He gets more help from the German in charge of the camp and there appears to be some conspiracy among the incredibly racist American officers.

Hart is portrayed as too naive and idealistic, but like him I felt so disheartened at the sacrifice that the American leadership deemed necessary.