M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H (1970)
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Robert Duvall, Sally Kellerman
Memorable Line(s): "Tonight's movie has been "M*A*S*H." Follow the zany antics of our combat surgeons as they cut and stitch their way along the front lines..."

This is the movie that launched the TV show, but it has a very different tone. It has all the signatures of a Robert Altman film at the height of his game and that's a good thing.

The Plot of M*A*S*H
The plot of M*A*S*H is rather free form, meandering from one incident to the next in a seamless fashion. Set during the Korean War, we follow the antics of two wisecracking war surgeons, Hawkeye (Sutherland) and Trapper John (Gould) as they buck almost all authority and make mockery of most military formality. Their arch nemesis at their hospital station is the uptight and ultra-conservative Frank Burns (Duvall) who they poke fun at at every turn. Their other opponent is the authortarian nurse Hollihan (Kerllerman). There are many memorable scenes with Hawkeye and Trapper John such as when they broadcasts one of Burns and Holihan's illict trysts and when they expose a naked Hollihan by pulling away the tent around the women's showers.

Because of the formless nature of the plot, it difficult to sum of the plot, but there are moments that are truly amusing, irreverant, and pointed.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H is the first in Altman's experiments with the style and form of the traditional narrative. One of the hallmarks of a Altman film shows up in M*A*S*H which is that of overlapping dialog which makes the movie seem realistic, but also makes it difficult to follow at times. Still, the performances by the entire cast is spot on. Gould (who I'm not a fan of his later work) is great along side Sutherland as the capture the essence of two renegade surgeons thumbing their noses at authority. Duvall is provided with the unsympathetic role of Burns but takes it on with gusto.

Altman's direction is quite fitting for the subject matter and the organic writing. The scenes have their own timing and pulse. There's a balancing act that Altman is playing with the tone of this movie and in a couple places, he fails to maintain that balance, but for most part, he's pitch perfect.

Summary Judgment on M*A*S*H
A true counter culture film, poking it's finger in the eye of authority, M*A*S*H is more comedy than commentary, but there's enough of both for mature audiences to enjoy.