The War Lover [DVD] [2003]

I liked this 1962 British black and white war film, in which we can see as main stars two A-list American actors of the 60s - which kind of makes sense as they both play Americans... Below, more of my impressions, with some spoilers.Great Britain, 1943. Captain Buzz Rickson (Steve McQueen), an American pilot flying a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, is being watched with a growing concern by his superiors - and ultimately also by his co-pilot, Lieutenant Ed Bollander (Robert Wagner). Rickson is an incredibly gifted pilot, an absolutely fearless man and also a suprisingly charismatic war time leader - but he is also prone to most serious insubordination and mind defying crazy stunts... The flight surgeon who observed him for some time is uncertain whether Rickson is a hero or a psychopath - but hints at the possibility of both those things being true...Things will ultimately start to go REALLY south when Bollander starts to meet regularly with a young British woman, Daphne (Shirley Ann Field, adorable). Daphne lost her British fiancée already some time ago and tries to move on by engaging into a "no strings attached" war time romance with the young and dashing American officer - but it turns out it is not that simple and the whole thing may get more serious with time... For some reason, this romance enrages Rickson, although he certainly doesn't seem to lack for female companionship and even has a kind of Casanova reputation - even if he is a really nasty @hole in his treatment of women... I will say no more about the story.I found this film interesting in both of its main plots. The air war against Germany is well shown and even if it contains definitely less action scenes than "Memphis Belle", exactly as one of other reviewers stated this film is actually better. But the main story is not about war but about a very strange and atypical "not-exactly-love" triangle between Rickson, Bollander and Daphne.The character of Daphne is very well conceived, as a girl both tough and vulnerable, adorably conservative on the surface and in the same time unexpectedly adventurous - and Shirley Ann Field played her perfectly! The character of Bollander was also well thought over, as he is not some kind of romantic guy smitten by a young adorable damzel - much to the contrary, all charming that he may be, he is also in the same time a cynical, tough b@st@rd who looks mostly for a "war time, good as it lasts" comfortable booty call... Although, it may - or may not - change...But it is of course Rickson who is the center of the film and his character is as equivocal as he is disturbed. He is a riddle, and the director, very wisely, didn't want to give us the solution - although the hints keep accumulating during all the film. Me personally I had the impression, that either Rickson is a deeply closeted homosexual, who is in love with Bollander and insanely jalous, or, and that is my personal favourite hypothesis, he is straight but was rendered completely impotent by an episode from his early teenage years. No matter which one of those answers is true, he has been utterly miserable since like forever and as his whole adult life was dissimulation, acting, pretending and lying, all of this slowly but surely drives him crazy - and suicidal...Now of course I am not certain if I got this right - so the best thing is for you to watch this film and make up your mind.Bottom line, this is a good, solid, honest war film, a good, solid, honest war time romance and a good, solid, honest psychological drama. Enjoy!

This review is for the COLUMBIA DVD. An excellent transfer (16.9 fills my screen), clear B/W picture and good sound, plus optional English (among many) subtitles. No extras. I bought this DVD back in November 2017 and have only just got around to watching it. It certainly is a fine war movie with a whole load of drama, suspense and romance. The scenes of the giant B52's landing/taking off and flying are impressive to say the least. Director Phillip Leacock also captures the claustrophobia the crew must suffer in the cramped conditions and the fear of sudden deadly Messerschmidt attacks. The triangle between McQueen/Wagner and Shirley Anne Field almost detracts from the drama of the bombing raids, but thanks to sincere performences from Wagner and Shirley Anne you care. Question - Are we meant to feel sympathy for Buzz Rickson (McQueen)? If we are the writers failed to make me give a tinker's thingy for him. Just maybe we were also getting a glimpse of the "real" McQueen?? Discuss!. It was fun to see almost every American/Canadian ex pat living in the U/k filling out almost every other part, except for a very young unconvincing Michael Crawford. Well worth a watch if you are a fan of the 3 stars, and war films, and at an excellent price. Recomended.

There are many films of the Second World War which either focus on, or feature, the war in the air. "Memphis Belle" even gives centre stage to a B17 Flying Fortress, but "The War Lover" provides perhaps the most authentic sense of what it must have been like preparing for and undertaking a daylight bombing raid with the USAF (apart from one or two hilariously dodgy aerial special effects). The build-up to take-off and then the take-off itself have the detail and immediacy of a documentary, and the tension mixed with anticipation fairly bounces off the screen. The 'changing room' feel of airfield barracks will be recognised by anyone who has stayed in such places, and the village-hall atmosphere of the briefing room is also captured well, rather than feeling like a film-set of a briefing room. The story itself is pretty ho-hum. Steve McQueen manages to convey twisted-youth-turns-into-battle-crazy pilot in an annoyingly crazed way - but then people like that probably were annoying, crazy and frightening. Robert Wagner and Shirley Anne Field provide the not-too-sickly love interest, a young Michael Crawford does to the Yank accent what Dick van Dyke did so successfully to the Cockney accent in Mary Poppins - but the star is the B17 and the crew as they fly her.

Taken from a Pulitzer prize-winning author’s book and adapted by ‘Casablanca’ screenwriter Howard Koch, and starring McQueen, on paper this looks like a gem. It is.McQueen plays Buzz Rickson a dare-devil World War II bomber pilot with a death wish. Failing at everything not involving flying, Rickson lives for the most dangerous missions. His crew lives with this aspect of his personality only because they know he always brings them back alive.McQueen and his crew’s wartime heroics are neatly contrasted with the romance that develops between Wagner, McQueen’s co-pilot, and Shirley Anne Field. There is warmth and lust and trust and realism between the two, reflecting well the transience of love in wartime.The emotional stew within and beyond this love affair is well seasoned and, Field’s rather prissy performance aside, adds extra tension to the aerial combat.When the movie’s climax arrives, you may feel you would have liked to have seen more of these characters' interactions. They are interesting characters at an interesting and dangerous time.McQueen made 'The War Lover' between stealing Yul Bryner's thunder in 'The Magnificent 7' and becoming a legend in 'The Great Escape.' While 'The War Lover' is overshadowed by boith, it is well worth the price of admission.

Great dvd good picture