Once I accepted that no one in the film was going to act rationally, it became much easier to digest.
Captain Yossarian (Alan Arkin) desperately wants to get out of flying bombing missions in World War II. Based in Italy, his squadron risks their lives to fly over enemy territory at the command of Colonel Cathcart (Martin Balsam.) Once they reach 25 missions, they’re supposed to be rotated out of action. The only problem is that as soon they near that many missions, the colonel raises the number required to rotate out.
Yossarian appeals to Doc Daneeka (Jack Gilford) to deem him mentally unfit so he won’t have to fly anymore. Daneeka explains that the problem with that approach is the “catch-22.” To be considered crazy, one would actually have to fly the required number of missions. But to refuse to fly them means you’re sane and, therefore, fit to fly them.
This twisted rationale is rampant in Mike Nichol’s 1970 war satire, Catch-22. Based on the Joseph Heller novel of the same name, the film chronicles the absurd coping methods used by the airbase personnel. I have not read the novel, so I can’t compare the movie’s faithfulness to its source material. However, what made it to the screen is a frequently hilarious — and sometimes very dark — criticism of military logic and toeing the company line. You will likely recognize some of the jargon if you’ve ever sat through a few corporate meetings.
I may be wrong but I think every major character exhibits some sort of insane behavior. Once I accepted that no one in the film was going to act rationally, it became much easier to digest. Expecting anyone to behave in a normal manner will likely be frustrating. But even though they’re crazy, they’re all very smart. The script, by Buck Henry, who also appears as Colonel Korn, features numerous exchanges between characters that brim with razor-sharp wit. With a cast that includes Martin Sheen, Orson Welles, Bob Newhart, Charles Grodin, Jon Voight, and Anthony Perkins, all of the craziness emanates from familiar faces.
Alan Arkin’s performance as Yossarian makes the sometimes confusing non-linear narrative worth sitting through. Arkin flawlessly sells every mentally and emotionally anguished moment. Of the huge supporting cast, I also enjoyed Richard Benjamin’s delightfully (but inappropriately) upbeat Major Danby and Orson Welles’ blunt General Dreedle.
Although Catch-22 is a comedy, albeit a dark one, it does make valid points about the absurdity of war, patriotism, and bureaucracy. It doesn’t reach the level of the effortlessly satirical Dr. Strangelove but makes an excellent companion film.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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