A Different War: Hart's War
In some ways, Hart's War appears like just another WW2 prisoner of war movie genre that has given us classics like The Great Escape and Stalag 17 (not to mention "Hogan's Heroes"). But there's more to Gregory Hoblit's film than initially meets the eye. In addition to dealing with the ins-and-outs of surviving in a Nazi prison camp during the latter months of the war, the film confronts racism in the armed forces in a manner that, while not subtle, avoids seeming smothered in political correctness. Plus, as one would expect from a film that exists in this setting, it examines issues of honor and courage, and shows that there are many flavors of both. It's December 1944 in Belgium and Lieutenant Tommy Hart (Colin Farrell), by virtue of his privileged upbringing (he's the son of a Senator), is far away from the fighting. When a routine chauffeur mission takes him into an unexpected German ambush, he ends up being tortured by the Nazis until he gives up the location of a fuel dump.
English: Portrait of Melissa Joan Hart at her Swee...
Thomas N. Hart's signature
George D. Hart's signatureAfter that, he is shipped to Stalag VIA, where the U.S. prisoners of war are led by Colonel William McNamara (Bruce Willis), under the watchful eye of SS Major Wilhelm Visser (Marcel Iures). McNamara is initially suspicious of Hart, rightfully assuming that he cracked under torture, and assigns him to bunk with the enlisted men rather than the officers. Hart isn't alone there for long, however - when two black officers, Lt. Lincoln Scott (Terrence Dashon Howard) and Lamar Archer (Vicellous Reon Shannon), arrive, they are also assigned to sleep with the grunts. The current of racism in the barracks is unmistakable, with one man in particular, Bedford (Cole Hauser), expressing his outrage and hatred in unmistakable terms. Shortly...