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Amazon.co.uk Review
It's set during the Korean War, in a mobile army surgical hospital. But no one seeing MASH in 1970 confused the film for anything but a caustic comment on the Vietnam War; this is one of the counterculture movies that exploded into the mainstream at the end of the 1960s. Director Robert Altman had laboured for years in television and sporadic feature work when this smash-hit comedy made his name (and allowed him to create an astonishing string of offbeat pictures, culminating in the masterpiece Nashville). Altman's style of cruel humour, overlapping dialogue, and densely textured visuals brought the material to life in an all-new kind of war movie (or, more precisely, antiwar movie). Audiences had never seen anything like it: vaudeville routines played against spurting blood, fuelled with open ridicule of authority. The cast is led by Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland, as the outrageous surgeons Hawkeye Pierce and Trapper John McIntyre, with Robert Duvall as the uptight Major Burns and Sally Kellerman in an Oscar-nominated role as nurse "Hot Lips" Houlihan. The film's huge success spawned the long-running TV series, a considerably softer take on the material; of the film's cast, only Gary Burghoff repeated his role on the small screen, as the slightly clairvoyant Radar O'Reilly. --Robert Horton
Amazon.co.uk Review
MASH--a 1970 comedy-drama set among surgeons drafted into the Korean war--was a breakthrough not just for director Robert Altman but for movie-making in general. Although set in the 50s, there are few who did not realise that the film's anti-war messages were directed at the US involvement in Vietnam. Indeed, the Pentagon banned US servicemen from seeing the film.
Starring Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce and Elliot Gould as Trapper John McIntyre, two hip young surgeons drafted against their will. Their general attitude--while never corroding either their humanity or their professionalism as surgeons--is one of insolence towards military authority and the arbitrary structures and regulations continually droning from the tannoy system. The film, too, thrives on a lack of attention to conventional order, with its cross-dialogue and random, episodic style reflecting the vivacious and unbuttoned feel of the content.
However, MASH has dated and much of what seemed like "liberating" high jinks, today smacks of sexist, frathouse boorishness and harassment, especially at the expense of Major "Hotlips" Hoolihan (Sally Kellerman), while the episode in which "Painless" plans a suicide out of a fear of being gay reflects the persistence of homophobia even in 60s counterculture. Despite this MASH feels ahead of its time and certainly sharper and blacker than the too-cute sitcom it spawned.
On the DVD: this is an excellent restoration, overseen by Altman himself, in which any obfuscation from the original have been cleaned up, especially the sound quality. As well as a commentary from Altman, there are three separate documentaries, featuring interviews with Altman, the cast and screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr, who had been blacklisted during the anti-Communist witch-hunt which swept through Hollywood in the 1950s. We learn he was initially appalled at how little of his script Altman actually used but was mollified by the Academy Award he received. Altman is candid about the making of the movie ("It wasn't released by Fox, it escaped from Fox"). There's an abundance of similarly rich, anecdotal material here. --David Stubbs
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are only familiar with the TV version of M.A.S.H., you will find the film very different but very funny. Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye) and Elliott Gould (Trapper)are both brilliant as the crazy surgeons trying to keep sane amidst the chaos of war. The humour of the film is much blacker than the Tv series, of the movie cast only Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) went on to star in the TV version. These days I find I prefer Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye, Alan Alda's relentless niceness gets on my nerves a bit. In the movie (as in the original novel) there are two other surgeons joining in Hawkeye and Trapper's antics, Duke Forrest and Spearchucker Jones (you may recall there was a halfhearted attempt to include Spearchucker in the first TV series, but he soon faded from view). I love the bit where Duke, a Southerner, is told he's going to be sharing accomodation with a black surgeon, and says plaintively "Oh no, it's bad enough having to share with you two Yankees!" Uptight army nurse Margaret Houlihan is subjected to rougher treatment than in the TV series, as for instance when her all is exposed when the doctors make the shower collapse while she's using it in order to settle a bet over whether she's a natural blonde or not. Then there's the climatic football match where some very dirty tactics are brought into play to make sure the M.A.S.H. team win. The movie is darker, dirtier, and in some ways funnier than the TV version.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
There is a general law that says books are normally better than the films, though there are some exceptions. That is why i had my doubts before i saw this film, boy was i wrong. Though the book by Richard Hooker is brilliant i think the film is better! Robert Altman did a great job and Sutherlands and Gualds performances are sheer class.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I really enjoy watching re-runs of MASH and have even got the final episode (featuring Alan Alda) stored on hard disk. As I had not seen the original 1970 film (unbelievably) I decided to order from Amazon. My package arrived speedily and I settled down to watch. What a difference to the TV series, although I enjoyed the film and realised the level of noise was meant to portray the chaos of war, but did detract from the enjoyment of the film somewhat and at times made it difficult to follow. The sexism, racism and OTT machismo in the film dated it somewhat, but hey, it was the 70's playing the 50's. All in all a good film, making a comedy in a hospital setting based in the middle of a war zone must have been a brave step, but as anti-Vietnam feeling was running high then perhaps it was the right time. I still prefer the film length version of the last TV episode
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
the war film that changed the way we look at war
An unusual film that changed the way viewers looked at Vietnam, or at any war for that matter. Whether you agree with it or not, its message is still valid today in light of... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Carno Polo
Not the Original Sound Track
Amazon should let you know that you are buying a cleaned up version of this film; this MASH does not feature the original sound track. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. Strobel
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When on IMDB, George Floyd calls this film, 'Pure Comedy Genius', he's not wrong, just missing timeless from that. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lord Anon
As fresh as I remember it
I saw this film several times in the early 70's and loved it but thought watching it again might be a let down. It wasn't, it was just as fresh as I remember it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by P. Keilthy
mash single disc edition
This is a one off dvd, with donald southerland, I have not seen it as yet but it was a birthday gift for my husband.
Published 9 months ago by Ann
M.A.S.H. is still the best anti-war movie ever made
M.A.S.H. which came out 42 years ago is still marvellous. It has lost nothing of it's bite, bitter, bitter irony but also humour. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Susan Meili
classic
much sort after stocking filler, my partner has wanted this for a number of years now and i am pleased as punch i found it. Read more
Published 17 months ago by amelia
excellent
I enjoyed the film when it was first released many years ago so decided to try it again.I was not disapointed, it still doesnt feel dated, & is excellent entertainment. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Barry W. Roberts
Fast delivery
M*A*S*H (Single Disc Edition) [1969] [DVD]Run Lola Run [DVD] [1999]
Fast delivery. All OK. Price OK
Fast delivery. All OK. Price OK
Published 21 months ago by Henny
An important piece of film history, but - in my eyes - hasn't aged...
I should probably watch this again, since so many consider it a
masterpiece. Maybe I was over-prepared (Hey, it took me a second
viewing of 'Citizen Kane' to get my past... Read more
masterpiece. Maybe I was over-prepared (Hey, it took me a second
viewing of 'Citizen Kane' to get my past... Read more
Published 22 months ago by K. Gordon
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