Catch-22 4K 1970 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

World War II. U.S. Air Force bombardier John Yossarian is desperately trying to get a certificate that he is insane so that he can no longer participate in combat sorties. However, according to an order called "Catch-22," if a pilot claims to be insane, it is only evidence that he is sane. Yossarian begins to think of ways to cheat the system, which complicates an already difficult situation.

Review 4K Movie

This film presents the essence of American military policy and the inner workings of the American army during World War II, and probably modern wars, in a grotesque tragicomic form.

It is surprising and admirable how such an “anti-American” film could have been released in the United States. Apparently, in the 1970s, elements of American freedom of speech and democracy still existed to some extent. Nowadays, the release of such a film would be simply impossible, as “colonels” and “generals” have occupied not only the army, but all political structures of power (Bush Jr. is an example of this).

The vicissitudes of the main character's life and his futile attempts to break out of a vicious circle (Catch-22) make us alternately laugh and empathize with the characters.

Through the eyes of the “madman,” we see all the cruelty, unprincipledness, and inhumanity of the military machine and the monopolistic monsters (MM Firm) who profit from wars.

Sometimes the author seems to say that this real world is a “mad world.” Therefore, the protagonist's unconventional actions (walking around naked, sabotaging military tasks, feigning illness, etc.) do not surprise the viewer (or the characters in the film); they are taken for granted.

Despite all the hardships of life, ordinary soldiers try to preserve their dignity and the value of human life (the episode with the bombing of the city of Ferrara).

Both the script as a whole and individual dialogues (for example, the dialogue about making an appointment with the “Major”) are excellent, completely timeless, and applicable to modern reality. The scene of the parents saying goodbye to the “dying soldier” is hilarious, and the scene of the general (a kind of ‘Churchill’) giving his farewell speech before the mission and the subsequent award ceremony is grotesque.

The acting of the entire cast is above average. The roles of the military leadership (“Colonel,” “General,” “Major”) are particularly well done, in which one can see prototypes of today's political leaders of various calibers.

Watching this film forms a lasting negative attitude towards the army, violence, and war, and also makes one think about the policies of the world's leading countries and their actions, in which a person is a mere cog in a soulless totalitarian machine.