Luke
stu-kicks
CibbuanoCatch 22
July 11th 2006 10:18
Catch 22 (1970)
Obviously, there was no way this film was ever going to reach the quality of the book it was based on, the oft-touted ‘greatest novel of the 20th century’ no less. But it might have at least been a bit less of a mess. ‘Catch 22’ reads as fairly unfilmable, but I can’t help but feel that if a film must have been made of it, the numerous plots could have been streamlined a little or something.
To be fair, the film isn’t all that much of a loss. The cast is assembled from a great range of talent (Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Art Garfunkel, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Orson Welles and Charles Grodin) – at the time a mix of both up-and-comers and old-hands – and all are perfectly cast to their characters. At times the film is perfectly in tune with the book, witness the scene where Yossarian receives his medal sans clothes – Welles and Arkin are hilariously sardonic and bewildered. Alas, this was one great scene amongst many considerably poorer ones. I shudder to think what someone unfamiliar with the novel would make of the film, it’s incredibly muddled, and Mike Nichols’ murky, dream-like direction (especially at the beginning) doesn’t help one little bit.
One for fans of the actors involved, and anyone curious to see some of the greatest-ever literature translated to the screen.
Trivia: George C. Scott turned down the role of Colonel Cathcart. Second Unit Director John Jordan died after being sucked out of a flying bomber – he had allegedly refused to wear a harness.
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