Review of M*A*S*H (1970) by Mike S — 03 Feb 2009

This is a funny and well-made movie, but it's also very odd. The camera work is very unusual, with many quick cuts from wildly different angles, off-centre framing, and unexpected zooms. The dialog is frequently overlapping as the large ensemble cast engages in several distinct conversations at once. And there is no plot to speak of; the film is more a series of situations (some of which I remember being the focus of various episodes of the spin-off TV show). There's no clear indication of how much time passes, although I think it's several months. Character development is nearly non-existent.

And yet, it works. It's funny and engaging. The message, if there is one, is not nearly as overt as that of the TV show. I suspect that the seeming pointlessness of the movie is meant to symbolize the pointlessness of war.