MovieChat Forums > Mister Roberts (1955) Discussion > Don't understand the attraction this fil...

Don't understand the attraction this film holds


I'm not looking to argue with anyone. I know that a great many people love this film. I just never cared for the film. As a comedy, it has a few good moments, but not very many. I just found the film very depressing, not to mention long and boring. As I said, I'm not looking for an argument. I just want to know, from a few people who really loved this film, what they loved about it. I must be missing something.

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Odds, I did say what I didn't like about this film. I found it long, boring and depressing. As a comedy, there were only a few laughs. Other than that, I don't understand the attraction. Someone out there please explain. As i said in my earlier post, I'm not looking for an argument. I just don't get it.

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Maybe it depends on your sense of humor. I thought the movie was very funny. The story held my interest. And, personally, I'm a huge James Cagney fan, so that added to it.

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Dear Odds,

I don't know if this is your idea of a joke, or you really mean what you say. Either way, I find you to be terribly tiresome and sophmoric. You may respond or not. I don't really care, as I don't intend to respond to your silliness.

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What parts did you find depressing? Good Lord---I watch this movie to get OUT of a depressed mood. What did you think of Jack Lemmon's performance? I am a HUGE Cagney fan, so I thought this film was among his best performances of the 50s. I think the plot moved along rather well.

To me, Gone With The Wind was incredibly boring--and I wanted to kill Scarlett by the middle of the movie. I guess it's just a difference of opinion....and you're certainly entitled to yours.

"Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make!" -- Dracula (1931)

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What parts did you find depressing? Good Lord---I watch this movie to get OUT of a depressed mood. What did you think of Jack Lemmon's performance? I am a HUGE Cagney fan, so I thought this film was among his best performances of the 50s. I think the plot moved along rather well.

To me, Gone With The Wind was incredibly boring--and I wanted to kill Scarlett by the middle of the movie. I guess it's just a difference of opinion....and you're certainly entitled to yours.

Thefiend, yes there were a few funny moments and good performances. But I found the film overly long. It all revolved around Henry Fonda and his desire to get off the ship before the end of the war. It also revolved around a crew that was unhappy with their situation. That's about all this film was about

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Well, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

"Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make!" -- Dracula (1931)

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Se55jo, I count myself one of those who love this film. I think it is a well-written account of people and boredom. What is the attraction? It is the characters. Repeat viewers enjoy spending time with these characters and the actors who bring them to life: Fonda, Lemmon, Powell, Bond and the rest. In the case of the captain, we do not like him, but we do love Cagney.





"It's as red as the Daily Worker and twice as sore."

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Since my dad spent twenty years in the US Navy. Watching this film entering his second year of Naval duty, he felt a connection. After retirement, he watched this movie with us kids and we fell in love with it, too. Since we all shared this connection, it made us happy that it brought him and his mates much happieness. Secondly, the fine acting by the leads and supporting cast was outstanding. And you can't beat Henry Fonda celebrating his version of the Allie victory in Europe, by throwing the prize tree overboard!

It's just a great movie of how one person can beat micromanagement.

"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens



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Se55jo --

This film was about more than Mister Roberts' wish to get off of that boat. Personally, I liked the whole Ensign Pulver side story (this was played up a lot more in the novel). My favorite scene in the film was when Roberts was telling Pulver that while he (Pulver) was a likable guy, he wouldn't have any respect for him until Pulver finished something that he started, i.e. putting the marbles in the Captain's overhead, then have the guts to go right up to the Capatin and say "Captain! It is I, Ensign Pulver and I'm the one who put the marbles in your overhead". In that scene, Pulver was very hurt that Roberts had no respect for him (Pulver obviously wanted Roberts' respect, because he thought the world of him). So that's why, at the end of the film, upon hearing of Mr. Roberts death, Pulver threw the Captain's palm tree overboard and went straight to the Captain and said "Captain! It is I, Ensign Palmer, and I just threw your damn tree overboard...Now whats this I hear about no movie tonight!" At that point, Pulver figured it was time to earn the respect of Mr. Roberts.

That side plot is much of what this film was really about -- it's really about integrity and respect -- it wasn't just a simple comedy.

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My late father was in the Navy during WWII on a cargo ship very much like the one in "Mr. Roberts". Dad loved the movie, thought it was hilarious. He also said that it was the most true-to-life movie about the Navy he had ever seen.

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Come to think of it, war itself is usually "long, boring, and depressing."

The simple point of "Mr. Roberts" -- book, play, movie -- is that war is either sheer hell or sheer boredom -- "from Tedium to Apathy and back again, with an occasional side trip to Monotany," as author Thomas Heggen put it. "Mr. Roberts" accounts for the millions of American servicemen who endured boredom far from World War II's front lines and who, now and then, wondered how they might fare and behave in the combat jobs that most expected and/or feared.

"Mr. Roberts" also addresses the tyranny of military hierarchy, the utter helplessness that the crew feels under the rule of a selfish, stupid commanding officer. Perhaps captains like Morton were rarities (I sure hope so) but I've had bosses who resembled him (one in particular). At least I could leave my job -- but the men of the USS Reluctant couldn't get away short of desertion, family hardship, or (in Roberts' case), something close to blackmail.

In the end, Roberts goes to find his manhood in combat aboard another ship. Pulver, inspired by his mentor, ultimately finds his manhood as well aboard the Reluctant. The film ends both tragically and triumphantly, which is one reason it resonates so well. It just feels right.

"Mr. Roberts" is indeed a war movie, but not a combat movie. There's a difference. I don't think the film is quite as good as Heggen's book -- there's a lot of Fordian slapstick, which for some is an acquired taste -- but by turns the film produces both belly laughs and moist eyes, and life is like that sometimes.

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Wow, OddsAgainst_Moon_People. The OP was being quite nice, cordial, and civil about their opinion and was even asking for those who LOVE the film to fill him/her on what he/she may have missed. That was all. You went from 0 to an unnecessary 60 in just one post. Anger management might help. And even if your "humor" was tongue firmly in cheek (for two of your replies, no less), it did not come at all across that way. The OP did nothing to provoke such an extreme reaction. In fact, the OP was actually quite polite, even when responding to you.

"Then where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within."

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A great part of the movie for me apart from what others have already said is where Roberts has gotten the Reluctant to the liberty port and Cap't. Morton figures he can finally get Roberts to tow his line in exchange for giving the crew the liberty he knows Roberts so dearly wants them to have. Roberts is forced to do just what Morton wants. But when the crew sees the "changed" Roberts they all start to surmise that he has sold out to the Cap't. for a promotion or the transfer that he wants. To the point that he put Dolan on report amongst other things. It is only later after VE day when Roberts deep sixes the palm tree and is called to Morton's office that the crew learns of the "deal" that Roberts made with the Cap't. to get the crew liberty and they realize the "sacrifice" he made for them. That whole last scene where Dolan is saying "good night" to Roberts twice always brings a tear to my eye.




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One key thing to remember about the WWII movies of the 50s and early 60s is that the US (which was the biggest market for movies back then) was FILLED with WWII veterans, and for as much horror as a lot of them saw (see: Saving Private Ryan), from what I could gather from the adult men around me at the time, there was some nostalgia to their military days. Much as one has nostalgia for one's high school or college days. And MAYBE with a lot of life and death danger, but maybe not. This depended on the tour of duty.

So Mister Roberts in 1955 -- ten years after WWII ended -- was right on point to engender good memories, not bad. (There is no war in the movie until the very end, as I recall dimly. I may be wrong.)

This continued on through comedies like Operation Mad Ball (1957) and Operation Petticoat(1959) -- big hits because military men wanted to relive at least PART of their lives.

Came the Vietnam War, these movies weren't made anymore. And with the end of the draft in 1973 in the US, the US no longer had a "shared experience" of ALL young men being in the service(either drafted or enlisting.) Even less of a market for such films.

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