Search - Hart's War on DVD

War is hell

JGC | 02/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy "Hart's War" as much as I did. But the more the movie progressed the better it got because each character was incredibly multi-faceted and thought-provoking. Colin Farrell plays Lieutenant Hart, a former law student who now has to use what little schooling he received to defend Lieutenant Scott (Terrence Howard), a pilot who is being forced to be the patsy in a military murder trail. This is the first movie I have ever seen with Colin Farrell and I was very impressed with him because his emotions run the gamut of everything from enraged to terrified to shocked with such percision and complexity. As usual Bruce Willis (as Colonel McNamara) was perfect. Although the part is considerly smaller compared to Colin Farrell, Bruce sort of walked away with this movie because he is really the most memorable. What that man can accomplish with his eyes few men can do with their entire bodies. And every word out of his mouth was so real and dramatic that I probably would have thought that I was watching a period documentary (if only I hadn't recognized my very favorite actor). "Hart's War" includes several subplots which all have intricate meanings and all thread into the ultimate story. It's very character-driven (there's not a lot of overt violence). Instead, this film really causes the viewer to think about ethics, honor, integrity and the meaning of honesty. Not since "Judgment at Nuremberg" has there been another war-era movie that is so complex and riveting."

A workmanlike film with solid acting

Roger J. Buffington | Huntington Beach, CA United States | 01/24/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Hart's War" features decent performances by Bruce Willis and Colin Farell in a somewhat convoluted story set in a German POW camp late in the war. Lt. Hart is a Senator's son who has managed to get soft duty for most of the war. Suddenly he finds himself captured, tortured, and in a POW camp. When black American fighter pilots are brought to the camp, they face prejudice and a trumped-up court-martial in which the inexperienced Hart is appointed defense counsel. This all sounds straightforward, but in reality there is a convoluted sub-plot that I will not give away in this review. There is an interesting angle of fraternization with the German camp command that I found somewhat unrealistic, but who can say?

Overall, this is a workmanlike POW film. Its main flaw in my opinion is its lack of plausibility. Still, an entertaining film. RJB."