MovieChat Forums > Hail the Conquering Hero Discussion > Another 'how did he get away with it?'

Another 'how did he get away with it?'

posted 15 years ago by lubin-freddy
4 replies | jump to latest

You see on threads for other Sturges films "how did he get away with it", usually referring to the sexuality. But I wonder even more with this film.

This was 1944, the war was at it's peak, with no end in sight, people were making every effort to keep morale high. And here comes this film which makes fun of the whole concept of the war hero, and how society is willing to lie to itself.

It's amazing that Sturges got away with it.

"Sometimes you have to take the bull by the tail, and face the truth" - G. Marx

[–] thao 12 years ago

I thought the same thing. It is the patriotic end that saved the film, I think.

- No animal was hurt during the making of this burger -

[–] WhoDo-YouDo 12 years ago

Yes, I think so, too. It's a fun film, and troops probably needed some humor, as well as their families on the homefront, but the film does press the envelope as far as patriotism goes (at least until the denouement, as you say).

But I was surprised to see that this is a 1944 release because of just that. I usually have a little bit of ability to pinpoint a film in time without looking at its year first, but this one surprises me for the reasons which you both cite.

However, it does have an excellent cast and is worth the watch.

[–] p25735-261-505738 7 years ago

The film wasn't making fun of the concept of the war hero. Quite the opposite; it clearly showed reverence to Woodrow's father who was a legitimate war hero.

[–] FilmBuff (6701) 6 years ago

He managed to toe the line in such a masterful way that you can't even be sure how he really felt about the topic at hand. Case in point, this film. The scene were Woodrow recites the battles in which the Marines have fought is a powerful bit of cinema, almost tear-inducing, especially the way he punctuates it. So, too, is the shrine to his father. Even Demarest, usually solely in comedy mode, has some lines with gravitas, and even some that come off as both comedic and patriotic at once. And of course, the ending and the final line.

I think The Lady Eve is my favorite of his films, and Sullivan's Travels is the most revered for it's "cinematic artistry" or some such thing, and of course a fine, fine film, but I find that Hail the Conquering Hero is the film of Sturges I can watch over and over again more than any of his others.