tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post8926805710758172726..comments2024-03-28T10:44:41.756-05:00Comments on The War Movie Buff: Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)War Movie Buffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-13390701225196802392022-08-25T22:56:12.974-05:002022-08-25T22:56:12.974-05:00Luther Adler speaks like Ben-Gurion,looks like Ben...Luther Adler speaks like Ben-Gurion,looks like Ben-Gurion but is cast as JACOB ZION?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-88410104478976450852019-11-30T09:53:38.801-06:002019-11-30T09:53:38.801-06:00Excellent stuff. Thanks.Excellent stuff. Thanks.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-38792602939086406622019-11-21T16:16:59.814-06:002019-11-21T16:16:59.814-06:00I enjoyed this movie much more than I expected to....I enjoyed this movie much more than I expected to. It did a great job of putting me into the historical moment, which I think should be the primary aim of any war movie based on actual events. This is all the more surprising because the film very plainly says, "These people are not like you. They have their own culture and are reacting to their recent horrific past and their desperate present. People stereotype them as blunt, obstinate, and argumentative. Well, those stereotypes are largely true." The triumph of the film is that I am shown their humanity and can respect their underlying good nature despite the cultural gap. In this it is somewhat like "Fiddler on the Roof."<br /><br />I also came out of the film thinking, "I should read up on these events and find out if they really happened that way." That also is something that a historic war movie should aim to achieve. There is clearly more going on than the movie can tell - such as in the Negev, where we last see Arab tanks chasing after some Israeli jeeps and are told that things are relatively stable on that front. I also suspect some facts are being massaged - such as Kirk Douglas's character conveniently forswearing his potential love interest (thereby denying to the audience that he has been having an affair with the hot young widow he has been having adventures with) five minutes before he is killed.<br /><br />It's not a perfect movie. I actually think that Kirk Douglas is portrayed too unsympathetically - as an American soldier he is needlessly insubordinate, as an advisor he belittles his colleagues but seems to be thin-skinned when he doesn't get 100% of his way, and as a leader he does not seem to understand the condition of his men or recognize when competent subordinates are attempting to offer constructive criticism.<br /><br />I liked all of the other characters, though. Topol did not bother me much as the comic-relief Arab because he was also portrayed as a bonafide tough guy who was willing to take great personal risk for the principles he believed in. The film should have included contributions by his men to balance out the silliness and be a nod to the Arab Israelis, but perhaps it would have been hard to fit in with the events shown in the film. I was surprised by John Wayne's willingness to play his part with so much moral ambiguity. He is in the movie far longer than is plausible but I have to admit I kind of like his semi-hostile chemistry with Kirk Douglas. I suspect many war films would have been improved if John Wayne and Kirk Douglas periodically wandered in and snarked at the main characters a la Statler and Waldorf from "The Muppet Show."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-57402966896148225652014-10-29T01:02:27.676-05:002014-10-29T01:02:27.676-05:00I saw the movie quite a few years ago, and I thoug...I saw the movie quite a few years ago, and I thought that the story was interesting, but it was not a great movie because Douglas' ego did not leave room for any other characters, just many cameos. I can see why you do not want to put it in the top 100.historyonfilmhttp://www.historyonfilm.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-45151179942430305892014-10-25T17:48:05.717-05:002014-10-25T17:48:05.717-05:00I can see why you did not like it. However, I do ...I can see why you did not like it. However, I do give it some credit for being above average in accuracy. the war movie buffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-64375072488578089592014-10-24T21:33:37.983-05:002014-10-24T21:33:37.983-05:00Nice review, though you're more generous than ...Nice review, though you're more generous than me. This one struck me as a poor man's Exodus crossed with a Kirk Douglas ego trip. The WWII scenes are cringe-worthy with stock footage and Wayne shuffling through like a zombie jingo.Groggy Dundeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14990254767008162244noreply@blogger.com