Catch-22
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Movie Reviews of Catch-22
Movie Review: italy is a weak country
Summary: 5 Stars
Film is similar to the following review--takes a bunch of material, edits until bored and releases the product.
Film repeats two flash backs--primary character Yossarian gets stabbed with a knife and another scene in which airman named Snowden having been injured in flight receives comfort from Yossarian. I do not understand why those two scenes are important.
weather conditions have improved. you will have no trouble seeing the target. of course that means they will have no trouble seeing you. anyone who wants out of combat duty is not crazy. at 5 cents a piece, and clear profit of 2 cents an egg. oranges, olive oil, blankets. what will be good for M&M enterprises will be good for the country. cotton is a particularly liquid commodity. we'll trade for it. silk. a hell of a good deal in Alexandria.
the syndicate is organized by an acting mess officer named Milo who trades his unit's supplies for other commodities. in one scene, the home airfield is being destroyed by the unit's own bombers. Milo had made a deal with Germans who would buy Milo's oversupply of indian cotton in exchange for making it appear that the Germans successfully attacked the US base. the syndicate theme extends to silk parachutes, airplane's morphine stolen and sold by the syndicate. as one prostitute says "everyone works for Milo."
Capt Major is promoted to squadron commander--rank of major. Maj Major will only see people in his office when he is not there. if he is in his office, he wants the sgt to ask people to wait until he is not there. he does not want the sgt to enter his office unless he is not in and then the sgt should do whatever needs to be done. comedy writing in 1970 did not have to be funny, the writers merely had to pretend it was funny.
Catch-22 principle is stated by an old Italian woman in the ruined brothel: "they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing."
Movie Review: An Indictment for the Ages
Summary: 5 Stars
The dystopia that is Catch-22 comes to life in this film. The cinematography is great and the story arch is very nicely envisioned through flashback narratives that prove affective in use. My reason for writing this review, however, is to quell the notion that the film isn't true to the text.
A first reader of Catch-22 will likely find humor in the fantastical aspects of the novel. Actually, everyone who has read the book will attest to the fact that the humor is in the tone and presentation of it; yet, to be able to do so, one has to always recognize that the humor is a product of a far-fetched reality. Clearly, this humor, which is often found at the sentence level, is lost when put to screen.
Once the surface of the novel is scratched, a new text emerges, and this is what comes to life in this film adaptation. The core of the novel is layed bare in this film, and to not recongize this requires a deeper read.
I don't want to take away from the humor of the novel. In viewing this film, a lover of Catch-22 will further recognize how dynamic a book Joseph Heller actually gave us. To laugh at the situations, characters, and overall logic while recognizing the social commentary that pervades each character-based chapter is the real testament to the novel's worth.
The novel is laced with humor, but to move beyond our own personal first encounters with Catch-22 will be the factor proves the story one for the ages. It isn't the humor that gets us every time; it's the glaring reality of faulty logic that continues to replicate itself from war to war. Catch-22 plays to that eternal theme and should be viewed with this in mind.
In our unflinching acceptance of Heller's wit, Mike Nichols gets us to flinch. I, for one, think he should be accredited for doing so.
Movie Review: A movie lost in the shadow of a book
Summary: 5 Stars
Its a shame that Catch 22 (the book) was so critically aclaimed and popular. Not that I don't believe it deserves it, it is certainly one of my favorite works! However, had it been an unknown, hidden book, I think this movie would have gotten a great deal more credit. This is without a doubt one of my favorite movies, and I can watch it over and over without feeling unsatisfied. Why so much backlash towards this film? Because it something it was not supposed to be. The book is excellent, the movie is excellent, but they are excellent in their own rights. They must be watched with great distance placed between each other, and to watch the movie and expect the book is a mistake. The casting and acting is excellent, the cinimentography is extraordinary, the transitions are brilliant, the plot is tight, the humour is high grade, the tone is masterfully manipulated throughtout, there is nothing bad I can pin on this movie. What is important to note is that the director is taking single concepts from the book and expanding on them. Thus, the movie is more focused than the book. This should make it neither inferior nor superior to the book, merely different.
And different it is. The shift from humour to dark drama is so seamless, it intensifies the emotional impact of the events that take place. The artistic maneuvering of time is disorienting at first, but you'll soon wonder why more movies aren't done this way. Some dialogue scenes are so well done, they pick up a life of their own and will play on in your head long after the movie is over.
Rent this movie, and if its your kind of thing, buy it. And then, watch it over and over again...
"Who is this man?"
"Major Danby!" "Danby. D - A - N - B - Y"
"Take him out and shoot him."
<Danby Faints>
- Seth
Movie Review: For a movie: BEST MOVIE Compared to book: NO CONTEST
Summary: 5 Stars
I read 'Catch-22' first, and it instantly became my favorite book (as soon as I finally got through it). When I heard of the movied version, I was estatic, but in wonderment. How can such a complex book with no linear structure ever be adapted to movie form? My expectations were high, but weary...First of all, casting was excellent. Alan Arkin played a perfect Yossarian, as well as Jon Voigt as Milo, and so on. The settings were great, really convincing from what I read from the book.
As far as the comparison to the book. If it stands true for one instance, the book is worlds better than the movie. As a reader, you get so much more out of Joe Heller's sardonic universe. The complex plot, the meticulous descriptions (in which he used words I never knew existed...either have a dictionary with you when you read 'Catch-22', or have a vast vocabulary!), and all the rest...
The movie does attempt to follow Heller's complex plot structure, hopping back and forth to unravel plot points with each pass. The movie does this well with Yossarian's epidemic with Snowden. Most of the ingeniously clever dialogue is brought to the screen, but that's what makes the book/movie so great.
At any rate, I highly recommend this movie, as well as anything from Joe Heller...the best writer of the 20th century.
Movie Review: You either Love it or Hate it...
Summary: 5 Stars
Sitting down to watch Catch-22 after finishing the novel, I was curious how the movie was going to work. The anti-war comedy novel is filled with many more characters, and storylines, than what would feasibly fit into a feature length movie. Understanding this, I was thoroughly impressed with the liberties that were taken with the story to make it into a movie. Furthermore, I had such a comical picture of Yossarian in my head after finishing the book, I thought that the theatrical representation of the main character would be severely lacking and ruin the movie. I couldn't have been more wrong. Watching Alan Arkin bring Yossarian to life was a treat and a pleasure to watch.
As far as the cinematography of the film, there are some instances where the sound quality is not the best when character dialog is set over the roar of airplane engines. But there sure are some great film moments. That opening sequence is amazing and the long single take opening on Yossarian is just something that you typically don't see in today's movies.
Some love it and some hate it. I subscribe to the former group, and I believe this is one of the best book to movie adaptations that I've ever seen. A must have for your DVD collection.