Restored, Uncut Version of Movie
The movie M*A*S*H was a big hit in its 1970 theatrical release, and in 1972 a television series based on the film began its 11-year run. Now Fox has released a restored, uncut version of the movie on DVD as part of its Five Star Collection, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it at home recently. The DVD comes nicely packaged as a two-disc set containing lots of interesting bonus materials, although I was sometimes irritated by the repetitiveness of the content in the special features.
Black Comedy About Life in Military Medical Unit
Ostensibly set during the Korean War (1950-53), M*A*S*H is a black comedy about life in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit located only three miles from the front lines. The primary mission of the MASH unit is to provide immediate medical treatment to Americans wounded in combat, and the young surgeons are often up to their elbows in blood and guts for long periods of time. But when they're off duty, the MASH unit personnel keep their sanity by pursuing a wacky, irreverent lifestyle that leads to some hilarious adventures.
Cast and Dialogue
Directed by Robert Altman, M*A*S*H features a large and talented ensemble cast that includes Donald Sutherland as Captain "Hawkeye" Pierce, Elliott Gould as Captain "Trapper John" McIntyre, Tom Skerritt as Captain "Duke" Forrest, Sally Kellerman as Major "Hot Lips" O’Houlihan, Robert Duvall as Major Frank Burns, and Gary Burghoff as Corporal "Radar" O’Reilly. On the DVD, Altman and some of the actors mention that pretty much all the dialogue was improvised, and I really like the way the lines in the movie are delivered. And trivia fans, take note: Altman claims that M*A*S*H was the first major American film in which the f-word was heard. (The honor of breaking the taboo goes to John Schuck during the football game sequence.)
Episodic, but Darkly Comic
There's not much of a plot in M*A*S*H--instead the quirky characters are involved in a sequence of darkly comic episodes. My favorite is the Last Supper parody where a man whose impotency has made him despondent is duped into a faux suicide. I also think it's funny (and cruel) when the tent is pulled away from the showering "Hot Lips" in an attempt to settle a bet about her being a natural blonde. There’s also a rather lengthy football game sequence that no doubt many love, but I find only sporadically amusing.
Two Documentaries About the Movie
On Disc Two, I enjoyed the 40-minute documentary "Enlist: The Story of M*A*S*H." Watch for Gary Burghoff, who may be channeling Truman Capote. On Disc One, there’s a 24-minute documentary titled "Backstory" that has been shown on AMC television. Most of the information in "Backstory" overlaps that found on Disc Two, yet I still found it worth watching, although just barely.A Documentary With Some Info on Real-Life MASH Units
I definitely think the 44-minute background documentary M*A*S*H: Comedy Under Fire" on Disc Two is worth watching because it’s here that we learn something about the real MASH units deployed during the Korean War from people who served in them. There's also a USC Professor of Korean History who points out that the hats worn by the inhabitants of an unnamed Asian city in the film are not Korean hats, but are in fact Vietnamese. But of course, Altman wanted his 1970 audience to think in terms of Vietnam, where another unpopular war was still in progress.
Director and Cast Members at a Reunion
My own personal favorite among the special features turned out to be "M*A*S*H Reunion," which took place in July, 2000, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I liked the panel discussion, hosted by film critic Andy Klein, where Altman, Gould, Kellerman, Schuck, Rene Auberjonois (Father Mulcahy), Fred Williamson ("Spearchucker" Jones), Bud Cort, and others participated. This 30-minute feature was originally made for Fox Movie Channel.
Disappointing Director's Audio Commentary Track
On Disc One there’s a scene-specific commentary track by director Robert Altman, but there are lots of gaps where he remains silent. Also, most of his observations are repeated elsewhere on the DVD set, and unless you’re hard-core, you probably won’t mind skipping the commentary track. Nevertheless, Altman does say a few interesting things on it. For example, he addresses briefly the charge often leveled at him that he treats women badly. His response is, "I don’t treat women that way... I’m showing you the way that I observe women were treated." Well, despite what Altman says here, I guess I think there’s a certain amount of misogyny in his films, but I like some of them a lot anyway.
DVD Details
In addition to the special features discussed above, the M*A*S*H DVD set has a couple of others as shown by the complete list on the next page.
