CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Edgar Soberon Torchia When the old-fashioned melodrama «The War Lover» premiered in 1962 it did not impress anyone. The protagonist Buzz Rickson (a convincing unpleasant performance by Steve McQueen), a psychopathic American pilot, haughty and pedantic, hardly aroused sympathy among mass audiences, other than military and civilian population who might have shared with him his obsession with war, macho supremacy or boastful bragging. This aspect of Rickson only finds objection and disgust in Daphne Caldwell (Shirley Anne Field), a pacifist British girl who defends opposite values , which she expresses in her dialogues with Ed Bolland (Robert Wagner), Rickson's co-pilot. The script unfortunately reduces Daphne to a "war girl" that falls in love with Bolland, who just wants to have a good time, unlike Rickson, who is obsessed with her, but keeps a distance. I am amazed when I see these war films that exalt death, without taking a moment to think that, almost as a rule, every war usually responds to economic interests, concealed by political motives. I feel they are almost horror movies, preparing us for the death of the characters in a sinister conflagration. Similarly, they bother me even more when I know that they are propaganda vehicles that sell the image of an army - in this case, foreign and distant from the events that motivate the war - and overlooks the real drama of local human beings who have to endure so much tragedy. Richard Addinsell provides such a pompous score to «The War Lover» that it makes you think you are watching a major historical event. But no. It is a romantic-war melodrama, with a mad soldier leading the events and making propaganda for his army, in those days when that institution was intervening in the genocidal war of Vietnam and when England was producing the progressive "free cinema", to which this film is completely alien. Avoid.

Martin Bradley Philip Leacock's "The War Lover" puts as much emphasis on the 'lover' as it does on the 'war'. Robert Wagner and Steve McQueen are American bombers stationed in England during World War Two. Wagner falls for local girl Shirley Anne Field while McQueen is more in love with killing. This was an early lead performance from McQueen and he certainly displays charisma. Wagner, on the other hand, is his usual eager-to-please self and, although he's the good guy, comes across as a bit too serious and far too smug. Again Shirley Anne Field is wasted in a bland, under-written role while the film's main strength lies in Bob Huke's first-rate black and white photography. Look out for a young Michael Crawford in a small part.

Aneonscorn It is difficult to express just how terrible this movie is. I have seen plenty of older movies and I understand film conventions pretty well. Acting and directing styles, writing, cinematography - these have all changed over the years, and one should not expect a movie from 1962 to play just like a movie from 2007. That said, the writing was goofy, the cuts frequent and disorienting. The acting was silly, the realism (aside from the fact that flying B-17s and stock WWII footage are used) just wasn't there. I have seen WWII movies, I have read books, I know plenty about the ins and outs of a B-17 mission. If you want to see something decent, watch "12 O'clock High" which, though made more than a decade before "The War Lover" is superior in most every respect.I just took the 20 minute tour of the DVD. I was excited to watch this movie, having just finished Hersey's novel (which was well-researched, well-written, and gritty). My excitement has turned to pure scorn. Maybe today a decent adaptation could be made (it would have to be PG-13 at the least for gore and sexual content), but this movie just doesn't cut it. Doesn't even come close. My guess is that the only reason it's on DVD is because it has McQueen (who, yes, is perfectly cast for the character).I have a liberal approach to movies...I embrace all kinds with good will. There are some pretty bad movies that I simply adore. I'm not much of a film snob. But seriously, don't waste your time on "The War Lover."

wmarkley "The War Lover" isn't the greatest movie ever made, but it has some very good elements. The scenes of airmen inside B-17 bombers are excellent, with very good views of flight uniforms, equipment, flying instruments and the cramped conditions. The fearful aspects of aerial combat are also shown quite effectively. Some of the sound effects are muffled, but the general experience of flying on bombing missions over enemy territory is well portrayed.Steve McQueen gives an excellent performance. While his character "Buzz" Rickson is often arrogant and amoral, McQueen is mesmerizing. He also nicely shows how Rickson has moments of compassion towards others. Its good to see a character like Rickson depicted in a way that's not completely black-and-white. Robert Wagner does a very good job as McQueen's co-pilot, a man with more decency and quiet character than Rickson, but who is also flawed like all of us. Unfortunately, while Shirley Anne Field is beautiful and shows some charm, she does a poor job of acting."The War Lover" is especially good at showing the toll of war, and how men of various characters and backgrounds are thrown together in the military. And it is very frank about the sexual promiscuity that is often a part of war. While the movie effectively shows these things, it does so in ways that are not as explicit as many movies of today might do.The editing of "The War Lover" is quite poor at times, with a choppy quality, and minor characters sometimes pop up here and there in a confusing way. Overall, though, the film is very worthwhile for viewers who are interested in character studies and war movies.