CATCH 22

US, 1969, 119 minutes, Colour.
Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Arthur Garfunkel, Jack Gilford, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Anthony Perkins, Paula Prentiss, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Orson Welles.
Directed by Mike Nichols.

Catch 22, by Joseph Heller was published in 1961, has become the classic black comedy novel of anti-war satire. It should be stressed that Mike Nichol's film version is meant to be a film version and not a complete visualising of the whole novel. While some of the characters of the novel are portrayed in cameo style, the spirit of the novel has been transferred on to the screen. Many critics agree that on this level the film has been successful.

After Doctor Strangelove, How I Won the War, M*A*S*H, it is not difficult to take Catch 22 on the screen. However, there is still enough original satire, arbitrary violence and skill in film-making to make Catch 22 a successful film. In fact, although it uses flashbacks and flash-forwards, the film is much more tidily constructed than most satires, the characters are often caricatured but come across as persons, especially the hero, Yossarian, and there is a strong enough plot to unite the characterisation and the satire. In all of this, it is far superior to the series of satirical sketches that go to make up M*A*S*H.

The hero, Yossarian, is meant to stand for the ordinary man with all his virtues and failings, the victimised ordinary man who begins to wonder what it is all about and who finally opts out of the human race. Alan Arkin brings sympathetic puzzlement to the role. Many of the stars give a good expected performance but Anthony Perkins stands out as a bewildered chaplain and Jon Voight as the unscrupulous Milo Minderbender. Art Garfunkel, of Simon and Garfunkel begins a film career here.

Mike Nichols is a stage director whose films are few but popular and generally well received by critics: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Graduate (for which he won the Oscar), Carnal Knowledge.

1. How was this an anti-war film?

2. War and madness are closely linked. Who is really mad in this film and who is sane? Why? (The word "crazy" appears in the film.)

3. What does the film say about death?

4. 'Exploitation' is another theme of the film from the obvious business ventures of Milo Minderbender to the manoeuvres to keep the pilots flying by Major Cathcart. What does the film have to say about this?

5, How is Yossarian meant to represent 'The Common Man'? Is he something more than the Common Man? Is he crazy? Is he sane?

6. Why does the memory of Snowden prey on his memory? What is the effect on the audience (and its understanding of how Yossarian felt) when we go once more to the flashback of Snowden and see his intestines? What comment on war does this scene make?

7. What is Catch 22? What role does it play in the film? Why is it a good title for the film?

8. Why does Yossarian take off his clothes and go up a tree? Why does he appear naked to receive his decoration? What is the meaning of this protest? is it effective?

9. Why does Yossarian opt out of everything at the end? Is this effective protest? Can he do anything else?

10. How was authority presented in the film? Was it too much a caricature? Did the caricature have point?
- Major Cathcart - hard, mindless, cruel exploiter of his men, vain, acting as if war was a game - comment on the scene where he was indirectly attacked e.g., the toilet, on the exploding tarmac, with Dreedle, with Minderbender,
- What was being attacked in the presentation of Cathcart's assistant? the cruel toady?
- General Dreedle - pompous, face-saving?
- sweet and coaxing, sincere, yet awful?

11. How was Minderbender another Hitler (as he was presented ) - the ruthless exploiter of war? No feelings?

12. What was the point in the caricature of the chaplain - nervous, friendly, ineffective and as relevant as the name Anabaptist?

13. Major Major - his disappearing from the room and responsibility - what did this mean?

14. Why was the Nurse introduced? What role did she play in the men's dreams? What was the point of the nurses attending the soldier bandaged like a monkey?

15. How effective was the scene on the beach where the group watched the pilot cut a man in half and were so concerned that the doctor was in the plane - he was officially on the list although he was standing there with them?

16. What were Yossarian's fellow pilots like e.g. Nately? How was he presented? What was he meant to represent?

17. How effective were the scenes of Rome, the squalor yet the human beings, the Europeans (old and decayed) confronted by the Americans (young and naive) and the physical cruelty and ugliness of the city?

18. Why are films like Catch 22 made? Do they preach to the converted? What effect do they have on those who do not share their views?