Hart's War

2002 "Beyond courage, beyond honor."
6.3| 2h5m| R| en| More Info
Released: 15 February 2002 Released
Producted By: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

When Col. William McNamara is stripped of his freedom in a German POW camp, he's determined to keep on fighting even from behind enemy lines. Enlisting the help of a young lieutenant in a brilliant plot against his captors, McNamara risks everything on a mission to free his men and change the outcome of the war.

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romanorum1 SPOILER: In December 1944 in snowy Belgium, Lt. Thomas Hart (Colin Farrell), a military attaché, is captured by Germans via a ruse: Those desperate German soldiers of a dying Reich who speak like Americans and dress in American uniforms. He is sent to POW prison, Stalag VI A in Augsburg, Germany. There he meets German commandant, Col. Werner Visser (Marcel Iures, in a marvelous performance). Almost immediately, he is greeted by Col. McNamara (Bruce Willis), the highest ranking prisoner of war in the camp. After sniffing out Hart (Hart's reaction to a most grueling interrogation by Deutsch Officer Lutz), he assigns Hart to an enlisted men's barracks, Building 27, instead of the one for officers. Apparently the Germans did allow the highest ranking POW a degree of power in the encampments. Hart blends in fairly well as he learns the ins and outs of survival, like the value of cigarettes. Before long two African-American Air Force officers, recently captured by the Germans, are placed by McNamara in the enlisted men's quarters. Staff Sergeant Vic Bedford (Cole Hauser) makes no pretense of his displeasure. Not only is Bedford bigoted, but he also knows how to obtain favors from the German guards. When Bedford is found murdered, suspicion is focused on one of the Negroes, Lincoln Scott (Terrance Howard). The other had already been shot for attempted escape after being set up (by Bedford). With approval of Col. McNamara, Scott is placed on trial by the Americans. The aim of the trial can be seen as a way for Americans to maintain their dignity under trying circumstances. McNamara assigns Hart as Scott's defense council, even though the former has only attained progress as a second-year Yale Law School aspirant. Col. Visser agrees and supports the trial, which consumes much of the second half of the feature. It soon becomes obvious that McNamara is at odds with Hart, and has motives that transcend justice. The privileged Hart has much to learn.On the other hand, Visser is sympathetic to the lieutenant, with whom he discloses his graduation from Yale back in 1928. He even gives the conflicted Hart a copy of the American Manual for Courts- Martial to assist him. He knows that McNamara "threw him to the wolves." Privately he tells Hart that he enjoys American culture, like reading Mark Twain; he also plays his Negro jazz records, a collection that very much relaxes him even though it is "verboten" in the Reich. Visser is obviously not a typical nasty Nazi stereotype. Towards the end we realize that there is a shifting of events: the trial really has nothing to do with Lincoln Scott. Much about the camp was a lie; Bedford was a known snake. There is something larger afloat, an act of greater military importance that is portended earlier. As this is a World War II movie, perhaps this fact should have been expected. But it is distracting to the viewer, and will not work for many. Some may even feel that the story-line is no better than mediocre. The feature is produced by David Ladd, Alan Ladd's son. The cinematography, with its wintry bluish tone and stark, snowy scenes, works very well. The claustrophobia in each of the unheated barracks can be felt outside of the screen. In this writer's opinion, you can do worse than watch.
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews This takes place in a POW camp during WWII, and follows the events that transpire after a few black enlisted men are captured and put among the white prisoners. This has a well-written script, lines are great and well-delivered, the plot is interesting, engaging and develops quite nicely throughout. The editing and cinematography have some inspired moments, and are always marvelous. This is rather exciting and entertaining.I haven't read the novel, nor did I realize that this was based upon one until I watched it. This is the third of Hoblit's films I've seen, the other two being Frequency and Primal Fear, both of which I find to be excellent. Thus, in comparison, this is a little less impressive. I wouldn't call it poor, however. It certainly has a point to it, something to say, and it communicates it fairly well. The message is good, too.The performances are impeccable, Willis does as well as we expect, Farrell makes reasonable use of his chance at doing a role that can prove he can do more than project his "bad boy" persona onto the screen, and Howard shines. This meeting and conflict between the experienced master and the up-and-coming student is further infused with the clever juxtaposition of that relationship being not only of their characters – but of the actors, as well.The DVD comes with two informational, compelling and amusing commentaries: one by Gregory Hoblit, writer Billy Ray and Bruce Willis, and one by producer David Foster, 10 minutes of good deleted scenes with or without director commentary and several photo galleries. There is relatively infrequent strong violence and language. I recommend this to any fan of dramas, and who enjoy movies that deal with history. 7/10
Leofwine_draca This is a film in desperate search of a genre. It starts off as a classic WW2 thriller, with German ambushes in a snowy landscape and plenty of twists and turns within a short time. It moves into POW camp territory, with varying factions vying for power in a prison territory. Not content to stay there, HART'S WAR then turns into a murder mystery (with added racial commentary) before finally setting on its path as a courtroom drama for the rest of the running time.The veering from genre to genre gives the film a bit of a disjointed feel, but for the most part I could forgive that because I found this to be an entertaining movie. Colin Farrell, back when he was making an effort to break into stardom and teamed up with bigger actors (Bruce Willis in this, Tom Cruise in MINORITY REPORT), doesn't put a foot wrong and Willis has the liberty to steal all of his scenes as the gruff, grizzled colonel. I've always liked Terrence Howard, too, and he bags a meaty role here.The film isn't always engaging. Some of it, those cross-over bits inbetween the various genre bits, are rather dull, and there are a few too many CGI warplanes for my liking. But come the end, I was caught up in the story and the characters were the thing that kept me watching, especially as the latter moral dilemma plays out. Okay, so the excruciatingly sentimental ending (yes, it's as bad as the end of LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING) is way over the top, but until then HART'S WAR does its job and makes a refreshing change of pace from the usual wartime heroics.
thinker1691 Amid the heavy snows of the winter of 1944, near the Ardennes forests of what would later be called the 'Malmedy Massacre' lay the quiet, frozen bodies of 150 dead American soldiers murdered by the Sixth SS Panzer Army. Other Americans who survived were captured by Wehrmacht forces and sent to one of a dozen German P.O.W. camps. It was in one of these camps that Lt. Thomas Hart (Colin Farrell) and others are sent for internment. Here amid the growing number of captured Prisoners, he is introduced to Col. William McNamara (Bruce Willis) a serious, disheartened West Point officer who believes every leader must prove himself worthy of command. Settling in a non-com barracks, Lt. Hart meets Staff Sgt. Victor Bedford (Cole Hauser) a 'scrounger' and man of surprising resources. Aside from his talent, he is a myopic, hate filled bigot who angrily protests the inclusion of two captured black pilots sent to their unit. When one pilot is shot for allegedly trying to escape, Bedford is accused of betraying him and is subsequently murdered. The blame immediately falls on Lt. Lincoln Scott (Terrence Howard) who is charged and given a General Courtmartial. With his life in the balance, Col. McNamara assigns Lt. Hart to defend him. With little experience Hart begins to construct a defense when he learns of the restrictions place in his way by his commanding officer. However, Col. Werner Visser (Marcel Iures), the German officer commanding the P.O.W. camp seeks an opportunity to prove his superiority over McNamara, decides to help Hart. What the ulterior motives of both Commanders are becomes Hart's objectives as he realizes there is more at stake than a single man's innocence. The dark drama of this movie is filled with tension, anger and shadowy perceptions. I believe this film will be seen in the future as one of Willis' all time Classics and a silent tribute to the spirits which linger in the Ardennes Forests. ****