Review of M*A*S*H (1970) by Richard S — 25 Mar 2009
This was a little low-budget war film that caused a big revolution. It put it's director, Robert Altman, who came from doing low-budget films and TV, it would make stars out of it's cast, who were then all unknowns.
Most famously, it would have a spin-off TV series which ran from 1972 to 1983. It's dated a bit since it's release, but it still feels relevent now. Set during the Korean War, and based upon a book by Richard Hooker, M*A*S*H stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and it follows the exploits of 3 doctors working in this unit.
Captain "Hawkeye" Pierce (Donald Sutherland), Captain "Duke" Forrest (Tom Skerritt) and Captain "Trapper" McIntyre (Elliot Gould), they arrive to the horrors of the casualties of war, and they use humour and an anti-establishment stance to prevent from going mad from the horrors around them, whether it be going to Tokyo to operate on a congressman's son or the arrival of Major "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Sally Kellerman), stirs things up.
It is a powerful film, but it does have a dark edge to it. It does have good performances, but it says alot more about America in Vietnam than the Korean war, still Altman went on to better things with Brewster McCloud (1970), Nashville (1975) and Short Cuts (1993).
:D.
This review of M*A*S*H (1970) was written by Richard S on 25 Mar 2009.
M*A*S*H has generally received very positive reviews.
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