Review by Booklist Review
Known for his intelligent and perceptive approach to film history, critic and historian Thomson has penned reference works (Have You Seen . . .?: A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films, 2008) and biographies, including of Orson Welles and Marlon Brando. In this interesting and thought-provoking new book, he takes on the war-movie genre. But don't expect a straightforward history of war films. Though he does discuss specific movies, from the industry's beginnings just before WWI through the present day, he primarily focuses on how war movies have affected modern history and society. As is often the case with a Thomson book, the real subject is neither film nor war, but rather people. What does our enjoyment of war movies and of the cinematic depiction of violence and death say about us? Have films skewed our impression of the realities of war? Do war movies reflect the actual horrors of battle, or our preconceptions of them? These aren't trivial questions, at least not the way Thomson approaches them. An insightful and important book.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this unfocused if erudite study, film historian Thomson (Disaster Mon Amour) explores "how the technology of film as a medium and its narrative constructs drove and directed our understanding of war." He contends that popular war films often reflect the desires and perspectives of viewers, suggesting that the valiant portrayal of battle in the 1925 WWI film The Big Parade likely contributed to its success among audiences "eager to think well of sacrifice and the investment" in the then-recent war. Taking note of cinema's ability to flatten geopolitical conflict into entertainment, he recounts feeling uneasy about the thrill he gets watching the stylish shots of flying helicopters in Black Hawk Down while having little understanding of the real-life politics underlying the event. Unfortunately, the prose is awkward at times ("It is part of the medium's being enthralled by the act of firing that it adores power itself") and Thomson's discussions can feel like a haphazard collection of reflections in search of an argument, as when a chapter on movies about the losing sides of various wars strings together musings about The Night Porter; Rome, Open City; and Germany Year Zero without delivering an overall takeaway. Thomson's deep knowledge of film history is not enough to save this scattershot survey. (Nov.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Two words that recur in discussing the writing of film historian Thomson (The New Biographical Dictionary of Film) are "argumentative" (he doesn't soft-pedal his judgments) and "trustworthy" (he knows his subject well). His 20th book lives up to that reputation on both counts. It offers a rundown of the 100 years of war films made since World War I, fought 1914--18; this book is worth reading on that count alone, so near inexhaustible is it in reach and scope. But what makes it a book any serious cineaste must read is that Thomson has thought about it all and never stops asking questions: If people hate war, why do they watch so many movies about it, and how have these films changed over the century, either in delivery or message? Do they teach viewers anything and capture what war's really like? His answer: not often and not much. Thomson's conclusions are consistently provocative and thoughtful, a pleasure to read. VERDICT This stellar book is about how filmmakers simplify the bloody business of war and why audiences buy into it. Readers who enjoy vigorous arguments and good writing will love this book.--David Keymer
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A leading film critic examines the long, uneasy relationship between war and cinema. Robert E. Lee famously said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." This is the sentiment that pervades this book, a study of movies about war since the beginning of cinema. Thomson has written numerous books about film, TV, acting, and directing, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the archives is clearly on display again. He notes that many directors and actors are drawn to the subject of war due to the spectacle, historical connections, and inherent drama. War movies practically write themselves, and they usually make money. Thomson admits that there are war movies among his favorites, although he feels conflicted about "loathing war while feasting on it." Many war movies are direct or indirect propaganda, but some delve into human frailty and the often shadowy motivations of the governments that arrange the conflicts. For Hollywood, war movies in the period after 1945 were usually triumphalist, although after Vietnam there were attempts to capture the ambiguity and pointlessness of the exercise. Thomson worries that recent war movies, especially when enhanced by CGI, are taking the terror out of war, turning audiences into numb spectators. Some are even turned into games. The problem with Thomson's latest erudite exploration is that it is often difficult to work out what he is actually saying. His tone is portentous and convoluted, with many of his sentences veering around several corners before ending up in a ditch with the wheels spinning. He also likes to throw hypothetical questions at readers--more than 600 of them, in fact. Whether it is worth the effort of wading through all this for nuggets of insight is something that any potential reader should consider before parting with $35. Thomson is one of the foremost authorities on film, but his tone makes this book a challenge to read. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
