thinker1691 Review of The War Lover

The War Lover (1962)

"When you've built a bomb big enough to kill Rickson, come back and blow up the world"

[9/10 · 24 November 2008]

World War II has always been a treasure trove of some of the finest moments of heroism known to Hollywood. For this offering, tinsel town selected a novel by John Hersey and made a movie called, "The War Lover." The late Steve McQueen, was very proud of his role as Capt. Rickson, during the filming. Added to that was the cast and crew from his co-star Robert Wagner as Lt. Ed Bolland, to the supporting actors, Gary Cockrell as Lt. Marty Lynch, Michael Crawford as Sgt. Junior Sailen and multi-talented Robert Easton as Sgt. Handown enhance this fine war time saga. The well written story about the war, it's effects on the characters and their ability to cope with it is what makes this movie a classic. Occasionally some pearls of wisdom are uttered which makes one think, such as the phase spoken by the Flight Surgeon Randall (Bernard Braden) who said, "I consider war to be a complete cession of rational thought." That is true, not to mention memorable. Like the tale itself which zeros in on the men, their loves and their own mortality. All in all, a worthy Classic from the Greatest generation. ****