Catch-22

"It's the Best There Is!"
Finally ...... one of those DVD re-releases I've been practically holding my breath for, and was not disappointed. This criminally overlooked gem was trashed by critics upon its release in 1970, and never enjoyed a video transfer worthy of the filmmaker's effort, not even on laserdisc! And as you can see from the varying reviews, the controversy rages on. Which just proves how alive and well and timely a film Catch-22 truly is.

Mike Nichols captures the essence of Joseph Heller's defining anti-war classic quite admirably, with a faithful adaptation by Buck Henry (who can be seen along with a veritable Who's Who period ensemble cast), with an eye as removed and objective as Kubrick, yet at times very visually subjective ..... an approach used to great advantage in his previous hit film The Graduate. All the verbal and ethical contradictions of the book bring its dark humor to demented life, through a kaleidoscopic cavalcade of archtypical characters who make up the living...

I love this movie!
Catch-22 is probably my all-time favorite novel and favorite movie. I constantly read reviews of the film version claiming that it doesn't quite reach the level of insanity the novel elevates to and that it is clouded and too literal. I know, there are a lot of things that one just cannot believe are not in the movie, like General Peckem or ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen or Hungry Joe screaming in his sleep whenever he is off combat duty again or Chief White Halfoat waiting to die of pnuemonia and threatening to slit Flume's throat ear ot ear or the chaplain's morbid, introverted struggles or Yossarian censoring letters as Washington Irving. But you can't put EVERYTHING in a movie. I love this movie a lot. I think it sort of becomes its own thing, apart from the novel. Plus, it does bring across the main points and feelings of the novel. In fact, I'm surprised how understandingly Mike Nichols directs and the actors act and the dialogue is executed. Just watch the scene near the...

Good when taken by itself...
If you start comparing this film to the book (which obviously you must do to an extent) you will find so many things wrong with it you will never stop. A good comparison would be Stanley Kubrick's version of "The Shining," which also is very good when taken separate from the book while the book is far superior. Catch-22, the novel, is a brilliant piece of writing that could never be captured on screen, but I think Nichols makes a vallant effort of it. One complaint is the character of Milo is blown out of all proportion, becoming in the film a meglomanical dictator rather than a flagrant opportunist who exploits the men for his "Syndicate." Jon Voight, it must be said, does a good job in this interpretation of Milo.

Parts of the book are notably absent; Orr is barely mentioned until the end, the Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade, one of my favorite parts, is gone completely and the brutal satire surrounding the Chaplain's life on the base and the doctor...

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