Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

bsmith5552 "Castle Keep" is a strange sort of movie. The first three quarters are spent for the most part within the walls of an old Belgian castle before the final action.A group of eight rag tag soldiers going nowhere in particular, come upon an estate located in a strategic area, whereupon there is a large castle. The castle is owned by the Count of Maldorais (Jean Pierre Aumont). The motley crew includes three officers two sergeants, a corporal and two privates. Where they came from is unknown.Leading the group is a one-eyed Major Falconer (Burt Lancaster) who wastes no time in bedding the castle's Mistress Therese (Astrid Heeren) who is by the way, the wife/niece of the Count. Also in the group are Art loving Capt. Beckman (Patrick O'Neal), Sgt. Rossi, a baker (Peter Falk) who moves in with the local town baker's wife, Cpl. Clearboy (Scott Wilson) who falls in love with a Volkswagen, young Lt. Amberjack (Tony Bill), Sgt. Devaca (Michael Conrad), Pvt. Elk, an Indian (James Patterson) and Pvt. Benjamin (Al Freeman Jr.) an aspiring author who narrates the story.Count Maldorais manages to convince the group to defend his castle and its treasures against an expected German attack. For most of the first three quarters of the movie, the men enjoy the luxuries of their environment even to the point of going to town to visit the ladies of "La Reine Rouge". In town, the men encounter a group of burnt out veterans led by Lt. Billy Bix (Bruce Dern) who see themselves as conscious objectors.Major Falconer, in one of the most bizarre sequences, rides into town on a white horse to recruit retreating soldiers to help him defend the castle. He sees that they are shell-shocked and recruits Bix and his followers to lead the group to the castle, at which point all but Falconer are blown to smithereens.So that leaves the original eight alone to defend against the advancing Germans. Falconer will defend at all costs including the destruction of the castle, Beckman wants to fall back and thus protect the castle. What ensues is a "Wild Bunch"/"Alamo" type of battle with the predictable results.The final battle is well done but we have to wait through all of the nonsense preceding it before there's any action. Director Sydney Pollock, whom I admire, has done much better work.

Uriah43 During World War II a small squad of 8 American soldiers led by Major Abraham Falconer (Burt Lancaster) relocate to a castle in Belguim. They rest there for awhile but then find themselves in the direct path of the advancing German army during the famous counter-offensive known as the "Battle of the Bulge". Rather than retreat and rejoin the main American army, Major Falconer decides to make a stand with his few men within the castle. Now, obviously the entire idea is ridiculous. But the director (Sydney Pollack) was trying to make a point about the insanity of war. The end result is a film that tries to be artistic and stylish for its time but, in my opinion, goes beyond the realm of believability. I say that because some of the scenarios are too far-fetched to be believed. For example, at one point a handful of prostitutes totally destroy a German tank with a few small Molotov cocktails. If that doesn't strain reality to the breaking point then another scenario a few minutes later features two American soldiers completely capturing another tank by firing a bazooka at it. Nevermind that a bazooka round would simply bounce off of the tank. Apparently the "message" was too important to be bothered by any sense of realism. Unfortunately, it gets even crazier when they decide to defend the castle. Only in Hollywood. Be that as it may, Burt Lancaster put on a decent performance and Astrid Heeren (as "Therese") was absolutely gorgeous. But other than that I found it difficult to get past the absurdity of it all.

deetya my father rented this movie when I was 7. I couldn't understand this weird movie, and only enjoyed the battle scenes.Seeing it again after I became more mature ;-), I was hit by the quirky, black-humor, sardonic, sarcastic nature of it all. This movie is the best antidote for those Chuck Norris-type of movies :-)Burt Lancaster is brilliant as the straight-arrow Maj. Falconer, stubbornly insisting on holding back the German advance. Like all stone-headed commander, he insists that he is right on everything, even when he is not. Patrick O'Neal as Beckman, who sees himself as a civilized person, tries his best to infuse the men with some culture and steer his CO to a more civilized course of action, but of course good ol' Falconer insist on seeing things in black and white. The rest of the men, war weary to the bone, fall back to "fighting their own private wars" to paraphrase Falconer. For example, Peter Falk plays Rossi, the baker-soldier, obsessed with bread; baking it, eating it, having wine to eat with it, sleeping with the baker's wife, etc. Wilson plays the soldier who falls in love with an *ahem* Another soldier played by Tony Bill focuses on his music, helped by none other by a German, who, of course, was shot to death by a fellow G.I. And who can forget Bruce Dern, in his best "loony" role yet. The Count and his young wife provided the foundation for all this non-standard war time atmosphere. The battle scenes are also excellent. Watching them, you wouldn't think that this is a thinking film, and not just some brainless action movie.

thinker1691 Among the many exciting roles which Burt Lancaster choose, this is certainly among his most convincing. Set during the time of The famous Battle of the Bulge, this war film will stand the test of time and become part of Lancaster's greats. The story concerns a war weary company of U.S. soldiers who have been ordered to hold a particular crossroads near a 10th century pristine Castle. There, the leader of the Americans is a battle hard, well seasoned commander called Major Falconer. (Burt Lancaster). With a collection of seasoned veterans, his men wait stoically within the impressive Medieval Castle against what is sure to be a massive armored offensive by the German army. Nevertheless, orders are to prevent the Germans from occupying the strategic position. Lancaster is superb performing a part he was born to play. Within the ancient Castle, is the Count of Maldorais (Jean Aumont) and his wife (Astrid Heeren) who hope to survive the war and re-establish their ancestral line. Among Falconer's men is a writer, (Al Freeman), historian Lionel Beckman (Patrick O'Neal) and a Baker (Peter Falk) named Rossi. Though the heart of the movie concerns the holding of the Castle, the story also delves into the personal thoughts and feelings of the Major's men. The soldiers like the actors who portray them is what makes this excellent story a Classic. These include Bruce Dern, Scott Wilson, Tony Bill, and James Patterson. The amount of drama and exciting war time action is enough for any viewer who enjoys films of military conflicts. The inner story between the principals and their objectives make for thoughtful perspectives between desperate people, their dreams and the reality of senseless destruction. All in all, this is one movie which is pure entertainment for anyone wishing to slay a somber afternoon. Highly recommended to all. ****