Suicide is painless...

[cassiphone]

We watched the movie (as opposed to the tv series) M*A*S*H last night. One of those impulses I've succumbed to since subscribing to Bigpond movies (no more standing aimlessly in Video City for hours

Comments

[cassiphone]

I agree with Stephen that the movie actually feels less anti-war than the series. I found I was interpreting a lot of the film character's actions through my memories of the series - I knew (or felt) that they were all acting nuts as their way of dealing with the horrors of war, though this is never actually stated or shown in the film. We never see any of the characters affected by the violence, the casualties, the stress of trying to save lives under war conditions, etc. Mostly, we see them affected by the casual (and elaborate) cruelties they inflict upon each other. And we see them rebel against bureaucracy.

And I also agree - the movie length final of the TV series had a much more powerful message than the original film. Also, many episodes along the way. It was hard to identify with the movie Hawkeye because he seemed so unaffected by it all. Whereas TV Hawkeye bled, wept and cracked up completely, in between all that tense, manic comedy.

The movie was certainly subtler than the series - but I can't help thinking it was subtler because it had less to say. Really, it seemed to be more about how stressed people torture each other for kicks than anything else.