Other Antiwar Comedies / Satires

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I'd like to take a middle ground on "Catch-22." There are sequences of real genius, and the cast is genuinely remarkable, but the excellent novel is just too complex to film well. I do recommend you try seeing it, but rein in your expectations. The novel is outstanding.

Many films of this era had anti-war elements - "Kelley's Heroes" is an interesting and well-considered example, and a pretty entertaining adventure-comedy. It isn't exactly anti-war, but it does effectively satirize the war effort.

"Little Big Man" is technically a western, and it is kind of episodic, but it is often funny and it has often been viewed as an anti-Vietnam War movie. Their interpretation of Custer has to be seen to be believed.

"M*A*S*H," "Catch-22," "Kelley's Heroes," and "Little Big Man" are all from 1970.

"Alice's Restaurant" (1969) hasn't aged all that well, I fear, but it remains a rambling, good-natured but often dark movie with moments of comedy that openly considers the war. You may be better off buying the CD.

"Hair" is a similar, counterculture view of the Vietnam War, filmed in 1979. Not really a satire, but a musical/comedy with an unenthusiastic view of war.

"Charge of the Light Brigade" (1968)is more a satire of British upper class mores, and it isn't really a comedy, but it certainly has a timely anti-war message and is dripping with satire. IMDB gives it a 6.6, which seems low, but perhaps it isn't as sharp as I remember.

"Oh, What a Lovely War" (1969) may interest you. Again, I suspect it hasn't aged well, but it is a comedy about war and tries to be both funny and pacifistic.

"How I won the War" (1967) isn't a very good movie, I think, effort, but it is an interesting anti-war period piece, and is sometimes very funny. One of John Lennon's few movies.

"Slaughterhouse Five" (1972) is a genial mess of a movie, based on the Vonnegut novel, which is often funny and has a pretty dim view of war. I like it, and I do love the novel, but it is kind of out there.

"Wag the Dog" (1997) isn't exactly a war movie, but it sure is a satire. About, among other things, war.

"Hope and Glory" (1987) isn't quite a war movie, and isn't really a satire, but it shows what is going on in Britain during WW2, and is actually a terrific and entertaining film. It shows the effects of war on a London family, how they cope, the various subtle impacts of war, and such.

Would you consider "Duck Soup"? The anti-war message gets a little lost among the chaos, anarchy and general mayhem, but it is there. "We gots guns, they gots guns, all God's chillun gots guns."

You might like Hogan's Heroes. It doesn't have the anti-war message, but it is a comedy set in war time. It's a sitcom though, not a dramedy. Sure, it's a bit corny, but I really like it.



"And I'd like to be the king of all Londinium and wear a shiny hat."

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Catch-22 is one of the greatest. Even the second tier characters have great moments- from Dick Benjamin to Martin Balsam to Buck Henry, they're all a hoot. The first tier, well, there is just no better ensemble- Alan Arkin, Garfunkle, Voigt, Martin Sheen, Bob Biloban . No- the book will never be replaced by the movie. I wonder why people sometimes get hung up on the idea of whether or not the movie is as good as the book. It is really off point. The medium is the message, and as far as the medium of movies goes , Catch 22 is one of the best. Watch it once for the ensemble and again for the plot. I'm not sure but I can't imagine Heller being unhappy with this movie.

Two movies that I would classify as antiwar are Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. Although they are dramas, they are excellent.