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M*A*S*H was an enormous smash hit, that inspired
an Emmy-winning television series in 1972, that ran for 11 years.
The great cast ensemble work, the screenplay, and the fabulous
direction by newcomer, Robert Altman, created this American classic.
The film juxtaposes wild humor, with bloody operating scenes.
It does all this with surprising effectiveness.
The film's script is wild, irreverent, and hilarious.
Ring Lardner Jr.'s screenplay, based on Hornberger's book, won
an Oscar, for best screenplay adaptation.
Based on the experiences of a Dr. H Richard Hornberger,
who served in a MASH unit in Korea, this film explores how a group
of drafted Army surgeons hang on to their humanity and sanity,
in the midst of the horror, waste and fight for life that swirls
around in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The "wildly frolicking
lifestyle"of these Army doctors and nurses, their living,
loving, and laughing, doesn't take away from their dedication
to the goal of saving as many soldiers as they could, during this
Korean war.
The group of Army surgeons consisted of Hawkeye
Pierce (Donald Sutherland), Duke Forrest (Tom Skerritt), Colonel
Henry Blake (Rodger Bowen), and Trapper John McIntyre (Elliott
Gould). While this group of surgeons are the best in the East,
they are described as "hell-raising lunatics who make a shambles
of army bureaucracy."
Part of this group of doctors, is Corporal Walter
"Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), who has bizarre powers
of sight and hearing, which prove to be invaluable. Not only can
he hear choppers carrying wounded coming before anyone else, but
also can use his foreseeable talents in the areas of sex and football
as well. Gary Burghoff recreated his role on the television series.
Champions of the army way of doing things, were
Major Margaret Houlehan (Sally Kellerman) a terrific nurse, and
Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall), who both try to uphold army
orderliness in vain, much to the resentment of the ant-army medical
staff. Margaret is an army brat, who grew up with military discipline,
who expects the same discipline in this unit. Major Burns is a
borderline nut case, who is close to loosing it completely. He
and Margaret have a relationship, which is humorously exposed,
when a microphone is placed under Margaret's sleeping bag, during
one of their intimate interludes, for the entire camp to hear.
"Oh Frank, my lips are so hot!!" Her nick name becomes
"Hot lips Houlehan" after this incident.
Another favorite scene takes place outside the
women's showers. As Hawkeye and other guys look on, a drum roll
is played and a rope is pulled. The wall of the shower tent collapses,
revealing a soapy Sally Kellerman, who drops to the ground screaming
and frothing. Then it is wonderfully topped by her race to the
Colonel's Office - what a wonderful Sally Kellerman moment! This
prank well illustrates the irreverent humor of this motley bunch.
The football game sequence was a hilarious, irreverent
look at this great game, played M*A*S*H doctor style, complete
with a ringer and special weapons. The opposing team was put together
by Col. Henry Blake's superior officer, who was investigating
Major Houlehan's complaints about the shower incident, and the
lack of military discipline under the command of Colonel Henry
Blake.
As hilarious as some parts of the movie are, the realistic look
at the horror of what war creates is also very present in the
operating scenes, and in scenes where these surgeons were on duty.
These scenes capture the bloody reality that the doctors were
called to deal with, and what they fought so hard to distract
themselves from on their off time.
"M*A*S*H will disturb the squeamish, and
offend those with a low tolerance for irreverence."
A novelty song, featured in the film, "Suicide
is Painless," was a minor hit of the time. Johnny Mandel
was the composer. The instrumental version of this song carried
over to be the opening theme music to the Television series.
Rated PG, but may be too adult and complicated
in nature for children to understand, or benefit from. Parents
should preview this film, to see if this film is appropriate for
their children.
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