For a movie that so heavily promoted Bruce Willis, it sure was shocking to learn that he wasn't the Hart of Hart's War. Not only this but in my opinion the movie should have been called Lincoln Scott's War. The movie really boils down to the character Licoln Scott, a Black Officer captured and confined in a German Stallag during WW2.
Thrown into structed camp where the captured officers have their quarters and the drafted men have thiers, Col. William A. McNamara, played by Bruce Willis, decides to place the Negro Officer and his partner into the lower ranks bunker. This causes severe strain as the entire white captured men do not want to share with colored men. Despite being ranking officers, the white soldiers refuse to show them respect.
Lt Hart, played by Collin Farrell is assigned to handle the balance in the bunker. Despite being Prisoners Of War, the men are allowed to continue to live as officers and infantry with military rules. Friction continues until someone frames the second Black Officer, Lamar T Archer, resulting in his being executed by the Germans. The blame is laid upon Staff Sgt. Vic W. Bedford who in the ensuing nights is murdered. The prime suspect is our own Lt. Lincoln Scott. Lt Hart is then assigned to represent Scott in a court marshall to determine his innocence or guilt.
The movie goes through alot of thick nonsense to get the point across that the Black Man, no matter how high he made it, never earned respect in the Military during WW2. The trial is used as a front for Col, McNamara but the message delivered is that Hart cares about changing the attitudes in the military and despite being nowhere near home he follows through. I just came away with no emotion, no real feeling of success for the black man. The movie failed hugely to connect though it does get its point across well enough.
The Disc:
The disc is packed with excellent sound from one end to the next. Although there aren't as many action scenes as say in Behind Enemy Lines, the few that do show up use sound frighteningly well. Several times I ducked down thinking as though I was right in the middle of a shelled bunker. Although DTS is missing here, 5.1 DD does a hell of a job conveying the sound of war.
The extras in the disc are solid but with such a poor movie it makes then even harder to enjoy. Two feature-length, screen-specific commentaries are included, the first by director Gregory Hoblit, screenwriter Billy Ray, and Bruce Willis. The second is by producer David Foster. Each has its moments but nothing to terribly interesting, especially since this is a war piece in our current time of war. Ten deleted scenes are here that tie up some questions but really are obvious as to why they were left off. The usual photo gallery and trailers round out the fun included here.
Hart's War will be remembered as a movie that wasn't all that exciting but a disc that did well enough with that it had to offer.
bottom line:
I can't really say I hated this movie but it certainly was less entertaining than I had hoped for. Willis actually gives a gritty performance but the story here is just weak. Hart is just somebody I'd rather forget.
By - Brian Gray
