Slaughterhouse Five

Slaughterhouse Five (1972)
Director: George Roy Hill
Cast: Michael Sacks, Ron Liebman, Valerie Perrine, Perry King, Eugene Roche
Memorable Line: "And so it goes."

This is a very high concept movie and next to the novel Catch 22, probably one of the most complex adaptations brought to film in many years. It's a real credit to screenwriter Steven Geller's skill as a writer that this adaptations of a Kurt Vonnegut's novel works so well.

Billy Pilgrim is a man "unstuck" in time -- shifting in out of his life. This capability is brought on when he has an close enounter of the third kind with a race of aliens called the Tralfamaforians. He flits from his time as a POW in World War II to his captivity by aliens to his married life. This shifting gives him an interesting and almost placid view of life.

This isn't a conventional narrative at all. Moving from time to time in Billy Pilgrims life could have been totally confusing and it does take some getting used to, but it ultimately pays off in the end. Sacks plays the part with a zen-like style that befits a man who can shift through time. Liebman stands out as the obnoxious and vengeful Lazzaro and Perrine is great as the airhead Montana Wildhack.

The film also shows director George Roy Hill's capabilities as a director. Timeless in it's production values, the film has a look and feel as if it could have been produced last year.

I can heartily recommend Slaughterhouse Five for audiences of today.