Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

MASH
1970
****
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, Roger Bowen, René Auberjonois, David Arkin, Jo Ann Pflug

During the Korean War, medical personnel at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) mask the horrors of war with pranks and misbehaviour. Robert Altman's breakthrough is a funny and strikingly original dark comedy, but very much a product of its time. In today's cinema, you would not be able to tackle war with such irreverence or feature three main characters who are all are sexist bullies. Nevertheless, the cast is great. The film spawned a TV series that ran from 1972 to 1983.