Search - The War Lover on DVD

McQUEEN RISES ABOVE MATERIAL

gobirds2 | New England | 06/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The War Lover" is another war film with a love triangle at its center. This time Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner and Shirley Ann Field are the lovers caught in the web. However, McQueen's unique style and the excellent aerial photography of the B 17s on their bombing runs are this film's greatest assets and make it a must for lovers of this genre. This is a British film and it looks and feels like it, which only adds to the authenticity. Highly underrated and forgotten these days."

One man's war

Pit O'Maley | Alameda, Ca United States | 05/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those war film buffs who can't get enough of "12 O'Clock High," this is the next best B-17 film, WWII, in the books. In fact, you would think it was just a sequel, another chapter,from that other film. The cast is nearly as impressive: Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, even the gawky, future Phantom Of The Opera and Shirley Anne Field. Adapted from the John Hersey novel, this is authentic to the details. On-location footage in England, stock air-to-air combat realism, interior footage make this real in every way. Every war had its off-beat hero, probably every platoon, a guy who takes every death-defying mission, even to spare some greenhorn, yet does his glorious best. The camaraderie, class elitism on base is accurate to the letter. Custer had it coming, and he went anyway. This is the way it was, catch a ride."

B17's fans will love this one.

Mark | B.C. Canada | 02/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The War Lover is a movie that anyone who fan of B17's or Action movies will enjoy.The Bomb runs scenes are the very realistic and with movie being shot in glorious Black & White it allows for some real war footage to be nicely added in. McQueen does and excellent job as Pilot Buzz Rickson and the cast that is built around him and co-star Robert Wagner work well together. Worth the price of admission. If you liked The Memphis Belle you will love this movie."

Good Flick, Excellent Aerial Photography

John A. Van Devender | Millersville, MD United States | 08/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Steve McQueen does his best to bristle up his character in this movie. The basic theme is solid and perhaps its defects are only apparent to military (or ex-) aviators.

The plot would have been better cast in a fighter squadron rather than with B-17's. The beauty of those big birds and the excellent images of them flying goes a long way toward carrying the movie. It is just plain difficult however to portray McQueen as a "hot shot" when the mission generally doesn't offer much opportunity for it. McQueen is restricted to disobeying orders in order to sneak below and overcast and drop his bombs anyway (something that would have given the AA gunners a field day) and buzzing the tower (admittedly a beautiful thing to see).

McQueen is thus relegated to emoting his role and that is not his forte. He does a good job though and except for a bit of brittleness toward the end he carries it off well. What he does very well is portray the essential loneliness of a man whose self-identity must continually be proven, both to the world and to himself. The "warrior" self can only be fulfilled in war - something that George Scott famously portrayed in that scene from "Patton" - when,upon surveying the hideous reality of a battle field, said "God help me, I love it." McQueen is no George Scott and "Buzz" is no Patton, never the less, this is a great flick for war movie addicts."