Catch-22

6/24/19702h 1m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The nice thing about war is that the person who kills you really has nothing against you. Personally. ~

Overview:

A WWII military pilot makes a valiant effort to be certified insane in order to be excused from flying missions. But there's a catch.

Director:

Mike Nichols

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$18,000,000.00

Revenue:

$24,911,670.00

Key words:

suicide
island
based on novel or book
fascism
world war ii
bomber
satire
us army
fascist
soldier
american
u.s. soldier
military
anti war
bombardier
italian occupation
1940s
air force pilot
air force base
u.s. army air corps
aircraft
american soldiers
war against fascism
war absurdity
ensemble cast
absurd comedy
war profiteer
war satire

Cast

Alan Arkin

~ as ~

Capt. John Yossarian

Martin Balsam

~ as ~

Col. Cathcart

Richard Benjamin

~ as ~

Maj. Danby

Art Garfunkel

~ as ~

Capt. Nately

Jack Gilford

~ as ~

Dr. "Doc" Daneeka

Buck Henry

~ as ~

Lt. Col. Korn

Bob Newhart

~ as ~

Maj. Major Major

Anthony Perkins

~ as ~

Chaplain Capt. A.T. Tappman

Paula Prentiss

~ as ~

Nurse Duckett

Martin Sheen

~ as ~

1st Lt. Dobbs

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
Alan Arkin is "Yossarian" - a flight bombardier determined to get himself invalided home from combat during WWII. He's been dropping bombs on Italy for ages and is tired of being shot at and is also becoming less sure of his chances of survival each time. He is also quite suspicious of his CO - "Cathcart" (Martin Balsam) who seems to make sure that every time a tour of duty ends, there is another reason for him to stick around. How to get home? Well, he hits on a plan that will bring his mental acuity under suspicion. Thing is, this plan is not without risks and what now ensues is quite a complex analysis of the horrors of a wartime existence. Though I found the predictable comedy elements of this wore thin really quickly, it does offer quite a seriously thought-provoking look at just how warfare can affect a man. The constant pressures of remaining alert and vigilant whilst simultaneously dealing with day-to-day threat and tragedy are quite well illustrated in Mike Nichols' adaptation of the poignant Joseph Heller bestseller. There is a pretty stellar supporting cast, but their largely cameo roles augment rather than outshine the effort from Arkin as things gradually become more immediate for the man. It's very, very verbose and I found the third quarter of the film just a bit slow and contrived - but as a glimpse of just how war might have looked and impacted on the people involved, it's interesting and at times the darker elements of the story are potently effective.