Hart's War

A World War II film, this is the story of Lt. Thomas Hart (Colin Ferrell), the son of a US senator and former law student. The plot of the this movie follows Hart as he is captured by Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp, but not before revealing pertinent information under torture. The other officers at the camp know of his betrayal, and treat him scornfully, placing him in a barracks of enlisted men rather than with other officers. To further aggravate the situation, Colonel William McNamara (Bruce Willis), the ruling officer, sends two black pilots to bunk with Hart, upsetting his already fragile control over them. Racism comes to a boiling point, and Vic Bedford (Cole Hauser), who has connections to the German guards, arranges for one of the pilots to be executed. Following this event, the other pilot, Lincoln Scott (Terrence Howard), is found looming over Bedford’s body after hours. A court martial ensues, and Hart is appointed as Scott’s council.

The plot contains a suitable number of interesting twists and turns, and manages to control the viewers’ attention. The acting is enjoyable from a few famous faces, but if you aren’t a huge acting fan (like I am) then you can just enjoy looking at Colin’s pretty face. The movie’s themes are predominantly the subject of racism and honor, even from the typically demonized Nazis. They are portrayed well, but not in a completely unique way. This is a good film, well-made and built to appeal to those who are not history or war movie fans, but is nothing to get too excited about. Well worth an afternoon at home, but this is not something that would spark legions of fanatics to sing its praises. However, one point that made the movie entirely worth it is its lack of a clear cut hero. Everyone is flawed in some understandable way, and the heroes don't always win they way they 'should.'