realism

Rating: 10/10 (28 June 2009)

I'm interested by other comments comparing "Saving Private Ryan," and Catch-22, and I have to say that in comparing the two the thing that cannot be emphasized enough is that SPR was widely hailed for "realism," because it was grim and graphic. With this realism, however, is imparted a subliminal endorsement of the notion that war is somehow noble and necessary. Since the picture is "real", the underlying endorsement of the virtue and honor in war is rarely challenged. This was a frame of reference, a political third rail since the Reagan administration that has been exploited again and again to take the US to needless wars. Catch-22, on the other hand, is the true realism. In reality War is a tool for corporations. Milo Minderbinder is a reminder of this. As to casting, the most genius casting was the use of "Psycho" Anthony Perkins to portray Chaplain Tapman, who has a strange inability to comfort the troops. It is best to try and understand the primary meaning of Catch-22. Yossarian wants to get out of the war and claims insanity. The dr tells him he is clearly not insane, because he wants to go home. If he were insane, of course he would not ask to go home. So Catch-22 is at heart a requirement that Yossarian participate in a fundamentally insane activity, and in order to avoid it he must become insane, at which time, he will not seek to avoid it. War, then, becomes a kind of mass psychosis, and the rule of society is that you must participate.