M.A.S.H. (1970)
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A group of rebellious surgeons in a mobile hospital during the Korean War find themselves navigating the absurdity of military life and the horrors of war.
The story
In 1951, the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea is assigned two new surgeons, "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Duke" Forrest, who arrive in a stolen Jeep. They are insubordinate, womanizing, mischievous rule-breakers, but they prove to be excellent combat surgeons. The unit includes a bungling commanding officer, a hyper-competent chief clerk, and a variety of other medical personnel. The film follows the daily lives of these surgeons as they navigate the complexities of military protocol, the demands of their medical duties, and the surreal environment of a war zone, all while attempting to maintain their own sense of humor and identity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1951, the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea receives two new surgeons, Hawkeye Pierce and Duke Forrest. They are skilled but rebellious, often disregarding military protocol. The narrative follows their interactions with colleagues like the bungling commander Henry Blake, the hyper-competent Radar O'Reilly, and the pompous Frank Burns. A subplot involves a romance between Nurse Margaret Houlihan and Frank Burns, which is exposed by the 'Swampmen' (Hawkeye, Duke, and Trapper John). Other storylines include a staged 'suicide' attempt by the dentist Painless, and a high-stakes football game between the 4077th and the 325th Evac Hospital, which features a recruited 'ringer' and ends in a chaotic victory. The film concludes with Hawkeye and Duke receiving their discharge orders and departing in their signature stolen Jeep.
- First release year
- 1970
- Runtime (minutes)
- 116
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Altman
- Writers
- Ring Lardner Jr. · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Donald Sutherland · Hawkeye Pierce; Tom Skerritt · Duke Forrest; Elliott Gould · Trapper John McIntyre; Sally Kellerman · Margaret Houlihan; Robert Duvall · Painless Pole Waldowski; Gary Burghoff · Radar O'Reilly
- Genres
- satirical; black comedy; war
- Themes
- anti-war; absurdity of war; military life
- Tone and mood
- satirical; black comedy; absurdist
- Premise and plot tags
- war; medical; comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors
- Franchise connections
- M*A*S*H television series
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim upon release, being praised for its humor and satire. It became a box-office hit and was later selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8.30 · scale: 10 · review count: 58; Metacritic · score: 80 · scale: 100 · review count: 8
- Awards and nominations
- Grand Prix du Festival International du Film · Cannes Film Festival · 1970 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was initially banned from being shown at Army and Air Force base theaters.; The film was the first major studio film to use the word 'fuck' in its dialogue.; The film inspired a television series that ran from 1972 to 1983.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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