Compelling

Rating: Null/10 (23 January 2002)

Though using the milieu and tumult of war for its setting this is really a morality play more than an anti-war movie. Frankly the term "anti-war" has become trite, I guess it's defined as a film that shows war as less than glorious, and that's really not a hard thing to do. This is a great film, but the one dimensional characters are create a manipulative emotional trail (personally I don't mind being manipulated and feeling passionate in films). And I think criticism that Kubrick took the easy way out here in regards to characterization may be justified. In fact I was very surprised that he did nothing with the scar on the General's face--it was obvious the man had "been there" as far as combat goes, so it would have been an interesting juxtaposition.