Suicide is painless. (M*A*S*H (DVD))

Member Name: MAFARRIMOND

Product:	M*A*S*H (DVD)
Date:	07/11/04 (860 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Offbeat comedy, haunting theme song

Disadvantages: No storyline.

A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H) stationed on the front line of the Korean War may not seem the most obvious setting for a comedy. However, Robert Altman’s Oscar-winning film comedy, M*A*S*H (1970), was just that. Not only was the film a success in itself but it also spawned a cult TV series.

Based on the novel by Richard Hooker, Ring Lardner Jr wrote the screenplay for the film for which he was awarded an Oscar. Apparently, some thirteen directors rejected the screenplay before Altman finally agreed.

The film itself does not have a specific plot, it is more a hotch-potch collection of scenes centered around two madcap surgeons. Trapper John McIntyre (Elliott Gould) and Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland) are dedicated and hardworking. Faced daily with the horrors of war, the surgeons battle against the personal devastations of war providing medical treatment to those wounded in combat. To reduce the stress, they relax by thinking up and carrying out rebellious and crazy schemes.

The anti-authoritarian pair’s main adversaries are their direct superiors, Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall) and Major "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Sally Kellerman). They are subjected to all manner of humiliation and derision apperantly deserved to their overly placed importance on protocol rather than on the person.

There are a number of memorable scenes not least the one that would inspire the film’s theme song, Suicide is Painless. A well-endowed dentist, Painless (John Schuck), ironically impotent, is embroiled in a fake suicide complete with a last supper. Also watch out for the scene that provides “Hot Lips” with her nickname and the classic shower scene. Some scenes do not work as well in particular the drawn out football game (but maybe that is due to my personal dislike for the game).

Apart from the two main actors, Altman cast largely unknowns in the film. The cast works well together with the banter and action seemingly working naturally. Special mention has to go to Gary Burghoff who played the loveable Radar O'Reilly. Gary portrayed the character so appealingly and was the only actor from the film who went onto the television series.

The soundtrack to the film consists of incidental music, a variety of pop classics (including Tokyo Shoe Shine Boy, Onward, Christian Soldiers, My Blue Heaven, Happy days are here again and Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo) and the recurring theme song. The music for the film, including the theme song, was written by Johny Mandel. The lyrics to the song were amazingly written by Altman’s then fourteen year old son, Mike. (Just to go off track a little here, I was looking for a recording of the theme song not so long ago and my son did a trawl through the internet for a downloadable copy for me. He came up with a copy by Marilyn Manson. – which was quite good incidentally).

The cinematography is effective particularly the opening scene, with doctors and nurses running silently towards helicopters carrying incoming wounded, immediately creating a sense of the MASH unit. The operating theatre scenes are realistic and can be shocking.

The end credits, presented in an unusual and fitting manner, are read over the camp’s PA system without accompanying titles.
The film is rated PG due to a short nude shot and mild language. Apparently M*A*S*H was the first major film in which the f-word was heard, uttered by Painless during the football game scene.

Altman's black comedy succeeded in reflecting the anti-war spirit of the 1970s that had evolved from the conflicts in Vietnam. Altman later said that he purposefully set out to create an impression that the film was set in Vietnam. No mention of which war the action took place in was ever referred to in the film. Through the hilarious antics, the gravity and destructive effects of war cannot remain unnoticed.

I did love the film and would thoroughly recommend watching it. Try not to be too influenced by the series as I know most will have seen at least one episode. Watch the film with unbiased eyes.

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