Years ago, when I first heard they'd made John Hersey's superb novel into a movie, and that Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner were going to play the main roles, I thought; "Wow! What great casting!"; Wagner as the shallow, overly handsome, boastful swaggering pilot who ultimately breaks down, and McQueen as the quiet, thoughtful copilot who turns out to be the stronger man when the chips are down!
Imagine my surprise when I saw that they'd gotten it backward. McQueen turns out to be the pilot, and Wagner the copilot!
Bad enough, but the script also managed to turn the pilot's mental breakdown (in the book) into a cheap act of semi heroism in the movie.
Basically, I think the producers just plain chickened out, feeling that Hersey's character study would not be palatable for the "average" war-movie fan.
It could have been great. Producers who buy a book then change its basic meaning make me crazy. If you're going to buy the book, USE it!
Otherwise you come up with crap like this.
Imagine my surprise when I saw that they'd gotten it backward. McQueen turns out to be the pilot, and Wagner the copilot!
Bad enough, but the script also managed to turn the pilot's mental breakdown (in the book) into a cheap act of semi heroism in the movie.
Basically, I think the producers just plain chickened out, feeling that Hersey's character study would not be palatable for the "average" war-movie fan.
It could have been great. Producers who buy a book then change its basic meaning make me crazy. If you're going to buy the book, USE it!
Otherwise you come up with crap like this.
