Castle Keep (DVD, 2004, Full Frame)

I loved the William Eastlake novel. This is a war story that can be seen as anti-war, pro-soldier, or just pro-human. I've read it several times, including aloud to my wife. The novel works on multiple levels. The frankly enjoyable comico-surrealist narrative about a mythical U.S. Army company covers a few days in a French village, culminating as the German offensive of the Battle of the Bulge washes over it. We are cushioned from the underlying grit of war by the humor, antics and idiosyncrasies of the GI's, and by the distorting filter of the novelists quirky imagination and unexpectedly poetic images.

I had to see the movie. I've read that it was rescued from obscurity for this 2004 release by request of several prominent directors, and I'm grateful for that. The movie implements the book very accurately, and now I will forever have visual associations to the essentials of the story. After the bareness of the written page, to see heavy weapons in action definitely removes some of the distance that the reader might have maintained. But note that the few battle scenes are not realistic and not intended to be. The quirky dialog which worked in the book seems more stilted in the movie. I found the humor worked as well in the movie as in the novel, but the tragedy and sadness of the novel relied heavily on descriptions, and are less clear in the movie. In short, the movie is a considerably different experience, in spite of closely following the novel. I found the sound quality disappointing, more so than can be explained by the age of this 1969 production. You may want to try the English subtitles. I will keep my DVD and will watch it again in a few years. I'll also read the novel again.

Great WWII movie starring Burt Lancaster as the "mad" major
that decides to defend a medival castle during the Battle of
the Bulge with a platoon of men. The defense of the castle
and the road it defends will hold up a German advance and Lancaster
uses all the known and some unknown (to typical military manners)
ways in the castles defense. Like quite a few of Lancasters movies
it has a bloody ending (similar to Apache and Go Tell the Spartans)
but is a great and entertaining movie to watch.

Got the dvd because I am a big Peter Falk fan but could only take about 15 mins of this movie. Was not worth the time or the money.

Odd like me, remembered cast and symbolic allusions. It had all the characters I view as archetypes for the era. Worth a look to all who want to see the stress of war in human reaction.