Review of Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) by Jeffrey B — 04 Feb 2014
How do you follow the massive hit of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid?
Well if your director George Roy Hill you go all tricky and adapt Kurt Vonneguts time jumping novel.
Having not read the book I was drawn to the interweaving plotlines and the jumping from one time to the next.
Pauline Kael often called Roy Hill a workmanlike director ,but I have to say there is nothing workmanlike going on here.
His visual eye is top grade as Michael Sacks gives and outstanding performance as Billy Pilgrim an everyman with a gift which delights and frustrates him in equal measure.
The film is also bolstered by fine perfomances from Ron Liebman as Pilgrim crazed enemy and Sharon Gans as Billys annoying wife.
The film is packed with memeorable moments from the horrible attack on Dresden to a very funny scene involving the destruction of a Cadillac.
So my fianl word would be although the jumpy narrative takes some getting used to,Roy Hill has created a cracking early 70s timepiece.
This review of Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) was written by Jeffrey B on 04 Feb 2014.
Slaughterhouse-Five has generally received positive reviews.
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