A familiar Morality tale told with verve.

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2002)

Hart's War is an old-fashioned problem movie. A problem movie would, under the guise of a popular genre, "fearlessly confront" some timely social ill. These weren't necessarily bad films. Movies like The Defiant Ones, In The Heat of the Night and High Noon are great entertainment. Often, though, the message would trump the medium and the films would practically scream "Watch me Stupid, I'm good for you!" Unfortunately Hart's War does its fair share of screaming.
Callow Lt. Hart is a desk-jockey hustler who finds himself in a German POW camp. Col. McNamara, the senior POW, doesn't like the cut of Hart's jib and assigns him to the enlisted man's barracks as punishment. For less noble reasons two black fighter pilots are also assigned there. The reaction to the pilots is exactly what you might expect and soon the most vicious bigot is dead with one of the pilots standing over the body. Hart has some legal training and is ordered by McNamara to defend the pilot. Every thing seems clear-cut but, of course, there are wheels within wheels.
Hart's War is definitely compelling. The cinematography and attention to physical detail are magnificent. The few action scenes are well staged. Indeed, considered as just a wartime mystery movie Hart's War is truly excellent. Where it falls short is with its problem movie aspirations. The film wants to instruct us in the realities of race relations. To really do so it would have to give us three-dimensional characters with all the light and shadows of the human condition. The message movie rules by which Hart's War operates won't allow that, however. Human concerns and frailties muddy the message and so, to make sure we "Get The Point," the movie is populated by stereotypes.
The actors do what they can with what they have. Most give pretty interesting performances but some can be seen struggling to rise above the caricatures. Lt. Hart is a charming sleaze and, in years past, the role would have gone to James Garner or Tony Curtis. Hart's War is saddled with Colin Farrell. It's not that Farrell is conspicuously horrible; he just doesn't show much spark or personality and never, ever convinces us that he is a W.W.II era officer. Bruce Willis, on the other hand, looks perfectly comfortable in both period and uniform. Willis has always been underrated as an actor. His strength is that he is a rock steady performer who doesn't strain for effect. He adds substance to most everything that he's in. He certainly does so in Hart's War.
Terrence Howard plays the accused pilot and does a pretty good job despite his role being less a character than a learning opportunity. European actor Marcel Iures is a standout as the prison camp commandant, a man worn out from ignoring the angels of his better nature. Cole Hauser plays the bigot. He initially does some interesting work but eventually the demands of stereotype overwhelmed his considerable talents.
You can't get angry with Hart's War. The film works very hard to be entertaining as it tries to shove its message home. It shows a real concern for old time movie craftsmanship. I can recommend the movie but, unless you slept through the Civil Rights era, don't expect to be enlightened by the message.