HART'S WAR (2002)

MORGAN'S RATING

Set within the Nazi concentration camp, Stalag Luft 13, Lt. Tommy Hart, a Harvard law student before enlisting, must defend an African American Tuskeegee airman accused of murder in a camp trial held by his fellow American prisoners.

Bruce Willis (Col. William McNamara), Colin Farrell (Lt. Tommy Hart), Cole Hauser (Staff Sgt. Vic W. Bedford), Marcel Iures (Col. Werner Visser), Linus Roache (Capt. Peter A. Ross),  Vicellous Reon Shannon (Lt. Lamar T. Archer), Maury Sterling (Pfc. Dennis A. Gerber), Sam Jaeger (Capt. R.G. Sisk), Scott Michael Campbell (Cpl. Joe S. Cromin), Rory Cochrane (Sgt. Carl S. Webb), Sebastian Tillinger (Pvt. Bert D. Moose Codman), Rick Ravanello (Maj. Joe Clary), Adrian Grenier (Pvt. Daniel E. Abrams), Michael Weston (Pfc. W. Roy Potts), Jonathan Brandis (Pvt. Lewis P. Wakely), Joe Spano (Col. J.M. Lange), Sam Worthington (Cpl. B.J. Depot Guidry), Brad Hunt (Pvt. G.H. Cookie Bell), Ruaidhri Conroy (Cpl. D.F. Lisko), Tony Devlin (Pvt. Donald W. West), Michael Landes (Maj M.F. Giannetti), David Barrass (Maj. Hans Fussel), Gary Gold (McNamara's Aide), Danny Babington (Pvt. S.T. Engler), Holger Handtke (Maj. Johann Wirtz), Grey Williams (Pvt. R.S. Crouch), Rene Ifrah (Pvt. T.S. Krasner), Steve Sarossy (Lt. M.K Adams), Rocky Marshall (Capt. Robert M. Swann), Christian Kahrmann (MP Sergeant).

BEYOND COURAGE, BEYOND HONOR.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Gregory Hoblit. WRITERS: Terry George, Billy Ray, and based on the book by John Katzenbach. PRODUCERS: David Foster, Gregory Hoblit, David Ladd and Arnold Rifkin. ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Stephen J. Eads and Patricia Graft. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Wolfgang Glattes. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Rachel Portman. DISTRIBUTORS: MGM

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"This is one of those war movies that focuses on human interaction rather than battle and action sequences... and its all the stronger because of it." -- James Berardinelli, Reel Views

FACTS

"An earnest racial-issues picture that might have gotten respectful critical praise in a different era -- say, the 60s." -- Mike Clark, USA Today

RELEASE DATE: February 15th, 2002 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: July 9th, 2002 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $8.9 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $19.0 million (USA) SHOOTING DATES: January 2001 -- May 2001 BUDGET: $70 million (USA) - Edward Norton and Tobey Maguire were both in talks for the lead role, but both eventually dropped out. - The whole film was color-graded at Cinesite at full 2K resolution (2048 x 1556 pixels). The super 35 film was also digitally squeezed for anamorphic prints, thus avoiding the extra generation of coping at an optical studio. - During production, seven members of the filming team (including producer David Ladd and Irish actor Colin Farrell) were attacked by "gypsies"  bandits in a late night robbery attempt in Prague. Reports suggest that nobody was seriously injured, however Farrell did beat one his attackers.

"The movie worked for me right up to the final scene, and then it caved in." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times

"The movie gets muted and routine." -- Justin Elias, Village Voice

"Initially gripping, eventually cloying POW drama." -- Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

"A gritty competent and stolid and earnest military courtroom drama." -- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly