A nice try, but can't CATCH the essence of the book

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2004)

This tale would have been perfect for adaptation as an HBO mini-series, i.e., a format where they could have really fleshed out the characters and, more importantly, all the little details that made the book an instant classic. Giving credit where due, this is probably as best as could be managed given the time constraints of filming a conventional movie. But so much was missed, and in this book especially, it's all the little details that really make it work. For one, there's a slew of minor characters like Big Chief White Halfoat and Lt. Scheitzkopf that really make it shine. That, and all the hilarious side plot developments, such as the trial of Clevinger (court martialed for, among other charges, being a dope and "listening to classical music") and the way the commanding general changes from the pugnacious, bombastic Dreedle ("take that man outside and shoot him!") to the punctilious General Peckem, who doesn't care if his bombers actually hit the enemy so long as they make a "good bomb pattern", to the final absurdity of General Scheitzkopf, whose rapid promotion is due to his sole military talent, marching his men around in parades. All these characters and the wealth of details that make their story come to life (the chaplain and his insecurities, Col. Cathcart, whose talent for bullying his men is exceeded only by his desire to kiss up to his superiors, and so forth) really deserve a full telling, the sort that would require a minimum of 8 to 12 hours of screen time, and no filmmaker, regardless of how talented, could have packed it into the space of just a couple hours.
7/10