Joaquin Phoenix gave a brilliant performance, but the truth is that he with 38 years is too old to represent a veteran of WW II in 1950. The difference in age is more striking in the scenes with the 16 years old girl. USA entered WW2 in 1941. A young WW2 veteran should be 27 or 28 in 1950. Nevertheless, I must say that in this case the miscast worked extraordinarily well.
shareI think it's reasonable that he'd appear to be older than he actually is (the character), given everything he's experienced as well as his obvious psychological issues.
shareHe did look a little too old for the earlier scenes.
Its that man again!!
18 year-olds weren't the only ones who'd enlist or get drafted. Plenty of people go through basic training as late as their mid-20s, and let's not forget the many veterans who may have already been in the military for several years by 1941 and would have suffered the same combat-induced PTSD as someone who was a private at that point.
shareHe looked older than 38 to me, closer to 48.
shareVery interesting shot with him sitting on the bench looking small
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