While the setting for MASH was the Korean war, it took little effort for contemporary observers to see the parallels with the interminable conflict in Vietnam. Most Americans were definitely sick of Vietnam by 1970, and embraced a film that ridiculed pro-military brass while praising the altruistic service of its conscripted officers.
MASH was a box-office smash. It made the career of director Robert Altman, who has had more strikeouts than hits (Nashville, The Player) during his long career. However, credit for the film's boldly anti-authority humor also belongs to screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr, whose Hollywood career dated back to the 1930s.
MASH is constructed in a serialized format, with most of the running time consumed by four non-overlapping separate storylines. These episodes have little in common except for the setting and major characters.
In the first major storyline, Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland), Duke (Tom Skerritt), and Trapper John (Elliot Gould) take a fast dislike to fellow surgeon Frank Burns (Robert Duvall). Burns is pious and disapproving. He's a bad surgeon who blames others for his mistakes. Worst of all, he's a hypocrite.
In return, Burns and his nurse ally Houlihan (Sally Kellerman) are harassed by the other doctors. Houlihan is harassed even though she is a good nurse, and even after Burns has been sent away. Hawkeye and his confederates continue to bear a grudge against her, perhaps because of the report she filed against them.
Houlihan is subjected to a textbook example of sexual harassment, which even her fellow nurses are in on. Even disregarding today's 'politically correct' environment, it is difficult to justify the camp's treatment of her. This does not detract from the scene's impact, but those who think it is hilarious should consider if it would have been had it happened to them. In a way, MASH shows the ugliness of war other than through usual methods of violence, death and waste.
There is also a war of ideologies taking place. Hawkeye and his confederates work twelve hour shifts, and save the lives of many soldiers. They feel that this merits 'immoral' behavior the rest of the time, such as drinking, taking recreational drugs, and committing casual adultery. Naturally, these activities puts them at odds with others who disagree with them. These opponents are briskly and roughly dealt with. On the other hand, the doctors will go to great lengths to help innocents who are caught up in the war, such as Ho-Jon (Kim Atwood).
The second major storyline has well endowed dentist Painless (John Schuck) cured of his suicidal latent homosexuality. The 'last supper' of Painless is a black comedy classic, with the other doctors and nurses playing along with the gravity of the self-obsessed dentist.
Another major subplot has Hawkeye and Trapper John in Japan, seeking to play golf and save the baby of a prostitute. This incurs the wrath of obnoxious Colonel Merrill (J.B. Douglas). As with Burns, Merrill must be quickly, and shockingly, put in his place. To the doctors, army rank is meaningless when compared with attitude.
The last major subplot is the weakest. General Hammond (G. Wood) arrives at the MASH unit to extort money in the form of arranging a football game. In return, he will ignore Houlihan's tattling report. Hawkeye, Trapper John and the other doctors try to literally beat the General at his own game. They accomplish this by bringing in a 'ringer' professional as well as through outright cheating. You can argue that the General had it coming. Still, this segment seems to drag on and on, with its Longest Yard feel incongruous to the rest of the movie. Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton is one of the football-playing extras.
Ring Lardner Jr won an Oscar for his screenplay, adapted from Richard Hooker's novel. Altman was nominated for Best Director, and Kellerman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. MASH justly lost Best Picture to a more conventional (and slightly superior) war film, Patton.
MASH was subsequently adapted into a long running television series that reprised Gary Burgoff in his role as the ever-resourceful Radar. The theme song "Suicide is Painless" lost its lyrics, presumably because those lacking in irony would consider it to be an endorsement. The television series is probably only behind "I Love Lucy" in terms of its combined first run and syndication success.
It began as a riotous comedy in the spirit of the movie. However, it gradually became preachy and polemic in its anti-war philosophy. The finale of "MASH" remains the highest rated television episode in American history, but by that time the film version of Hawkeye would have had little use for his by now mostly humorless television counterpart. (83/100)
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