Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Really Surprised!

Good concept, poorly executed.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Reported to be Gary Cooper's favorite film role, and probably mine as well. In the charisma department, he is abetted by the presence of Walter Brennan, made up to look older than his 47 years. Brennan plays the local parson and store keeper for this rustic community of farmers. He appears to be one of the few of this community who has had significant "book larnin'". Periodically, he showed up to discuss Alvin's problems and philosophy relating to religion and violence.Margaret Wycherly plays Alvin's aged widowed mother, with big soulful eyes, mostly silent and slow to move around. She would play Ma Forrester 5 years later, in "The Yearling" : a very similar type of role, in another rustic setting. Both Brennan and Margaret would receive Best Supporting Actor nominations for their performances in this film. Incidentally, Clem Bevans, who played the minor character of Zeke, would play Pa Forrester in "The Yearling": a very distinctive character.Ex-Little Rascal Dickie Moore played Alvin's kid brother, George. He was the same age as Joan Leslie, who played Alvin's girlfriend and future wife, Gracie. Thus, based purely upon age, George and Gracie seemed a much more likely couple than Alvin and Gracie. 40 year old Cooper came across as more appropriate as her father. Joan was the same age as the real Gracie at this time. The real Alvin was 30: a much more common age spread than the 24 years spread between Cooper and Joan. In those days, a young man often had to wait until he was 25-30 or so before he had the financial means to support a family. In Alvin's case, he also was the sole support of his mother and young siblings. Also, in those days, rural women often were worn out before their time, birthing babies, along with their many indoor and outdoor chores. When looking for a replacement wife, a man often looked for a young woman who was looking for security.The balance between Alvin's civilian and military lives I though was about right. This is not primarily a war movie, although Alvin's fame derived from one war incident, in which he along with 7 privates captured 132 Germans, along with killing a bunch. I thought the battle scenes in recreating this accomplishment were well done. The dismal trench warfare of the western front cried out for a few publicized heros. Alvin wanted to forget about the war as soon as possible, saying he wasn't especially proud of what he had done over there. It was just a job, to reduce the killing. To have cut short his civilian life would have much reduced the general appeal of the film. Like the later "The Yearling", it gives a somewhat authentic snapshot of a segment of Americana early in the 20th century that most urban people had never encountered. York made various demands upon his agreement to sell the rights to his story. Firstly, his share of the profits would go to a bible school. Also, the actress who portrayed his wife must be wholesome, a non-smoker and non-drinker. Third, the screenplay must depict both the good and bad in his character. Fourth, Gary Cooper must play him. In fact, Cooper initially declined the role, and was only persuaded to accept it after meeting Alvin. Alvin had been subjected to repeated pleas to film his life since just after the war. It was only the beginning of WWII that induced him to agree. The Warners were vehemently anti-fascist and anti-communist. I have proposed elsewhere that several Warner-produced Errol Flynn films in the late '30s and 1940 likely had an intended anti-fascist subliminal message. Beginning in '41, this was transformed into 2 flag-waving biops relating the WWI, intended to promote acceptance of the eventual necessity of a formal entry of the US into the war. The other such film was "Yankee Doodle Dandy", released the following year. Warner later produced several musicals that were also blatant war propaganda films. This includes "This is the Army", "Thank Your Lucky Stars" and "Hollywood Canteen". They also released a number of WWII-related Errol Flynn war films during the war, along with "Casablanca".The present film and 'Yankee Doodle Dandy" share a number of similarities besides being nostalgic biop flag-wavers. Joan Leslie was the leading lady in both. Cooper and Cagney were both 40 or so, thus much older than the subjects they represented as well as the 16-17 year old Joan. Both were more than 2 hours long(too long for some, but I didn't think so), about 30 min longer than most feature films. Both were either the top or near top box office earners of the year. In both, the flag-waving aspect was diluted by copious time devoted to other matters.My title is taken from the last line in the film

Many others have commented on this movie, the plot, the casting, and the character of Sgt. Alvin York. I noticed some things that hadn't been mentioned, and a couple that may be misunderstood. So, I'll try not to repeat what others have mentioned, but instead offer more details about the man and the movie from biographical sources. The film, "Sergeant York," is a number of things rolled into one very fine production. It's a story of a poor backwoods people, and one of their own who rose to fame without seeking it. It's a story about conversion, faith, and pacifism. It's a story about war, and a man who became a hero unwittingly. In one encounter in WWI, he killed 23 German soldiers and captured 132 more, single-handedly. He did that only to stop the killing of his friends and others. And, after the war, he walked away from many commercial offers that would have made him rich. He said his faith wouldn't let him profit from the killing of men. Truly, he was a remarkable person. But he didn't start out that way.Alvin York came from "the Valley of the three forks of the Wolf River." He was born on December 13, 1887 in Pall Mall, Tennessee, a stone's throw from the Kentucky border on the Appalachian Plateau. He was the third oldest of 11 children. His two older brothers had married and moved away, and he was the main breadwinner for the younger siblings still at home with his mother after his father's death in 1911. York worked in railroad construction, as a logger, and in other skilled jobs while maintaining the family farm. He also was a heavy drinker who would get in brawls and wind up in jail. And, he attended his mother's church regularly, and often led the singling. At one of the meetings of the Church of Christ in Christian Union, he had a profound spiritual experience and conversion. He was 27 on Jan. 1, 1915, when he changed his ways. He quit drinking and brawling, made amends to neighbors and began to live by the Bible as he learned and studied it. The Warner Brothers movie made some changes in York's background, but kept very close to his general story and events. The movie was a long- time in the making by producer Jesse Lasky. He was at the New York ticker tape parade for Sgt. York when he returned home from the war in May 1919. He wanted to make a movie and for 20 years sought York's OK to tell his story. York turned him down several times until the eve of WWII. York saw the divisiveness in the U.S. over the war looming in Europe. A second DVD that came with my movie DVD has two special documentaries. "Sergeant York: Of God and Country," is a very good one that tells the long story about the making of the film. Some encyclopedia references give more details about York's post-war years. When he agreed to having his story told, York initially wanted it to cover just his post-war years. He didn't want to glorify the killing of Germans. But the growing threat of Nazism in Europe, and the treachery it already led to in Germany, changed York's mind. He saw the strident isolationist movement was backed by numerous Nazi groups within the U.S. So, he began to speak out about the need to prepare and to fight a war against tyranny. York also insisted that Gary Cooper play him. Cooper had initially declined, and the bonus special has more details about that. A week after he returned home to Tennessee after the war, York married his sweetheart, Gracie Williams, on June 7, 1919. They were married by the governor of Tennessee in their hometown of Pall Mall. The farm given him in the movie came from a public fund-raising led by the Rotary Club in Nashville. It had 400 acres with a home that wasn't quite fully furnished. It was the only outright gift that York accepted. York established a foundation for education and devoted himself to community betterment campaigns. He got the first highway built into his hometown. He had financial setbacks as well. But, once he befriended Jesse Lasky and Harry Warner, and he agreed to have the movie made, his fortunes turned around for the remainder of his life. He became friends with Gary Cooper and others, with whom he stayed in contact over the years. Alvin York was a tall, strapping man. He was every bit as handsome as Cooper, but somewhat different. He had a mustache and a head of full, bushy hair. Photos show his humor and good nature. While he might be quiet at times, he was very gregarious and loved to talk with people. In the documentary, a neighbor and close friend is quoted as saying York "could talk the husk off an ear of corn." York thought the movie was very good and that it told his story accurately and sensitively. The movie was a blockbuster for Warner Brothers when it came out. Isolationists in Congress accused the studio of violating the Neutrality Act, which it sure seemed to do. They, as do some viewers today, see the film as propaganda, to encourage U.S. intervention in WWII. Of course it is propaganda. How could such a story not be propaganda when released at that time? But it started as an effort to tell the story of a bona fide hero from WWI, whose story had not yet been done. And, who had been pursued for the story for 20 years. That Alvin York finally agreed to the telling of his story on the very eve of WWII, was fortuitous. Or did providence have a hand as well?

Howard Hawks sure knows how to make a film, but it doesn't stop this sad piece of kitsch from being downright boring. You know the whole story right from the beginning, and the only thing that surprises is just how crazily far they'll take it. The movie is more than 2 hours long and it uses every second to cram fake values down your throat like you're a dumb kid in a crappy Sunday school.I registered just to warn people what they were gonna get. I figured I was in for a tight war flick with some imparted knowledge by a master. Instead, I found myself in the midst of a lecture that seemed to get more and more sure of itself as it got crazier and crazier... that's what crazy people do you know.I find that the only way to enjoy this film is to view it as a dark satirical piece akin to Taxi Driver or Apocalypse Now, but even that is hard to believe.

Howard Hawks is truly shaping up to be a director who can bring out timeless movie magic out of any genre. It's easy to see his influence everywhere in the most charming contemporary mainstream movies. While this is a war film, the war doesn't come into it until the last hour, devoting the first to character development. It's almost as if the character, who begins the film a hopeless brute, proves himself to the audience and then to the world with his heroic act. He's a very compassionate and modest character, and with a redemption story behind him, he's very easy to support, even if there's a hint of silliness with Gary Cooper playing a character around 15 years younger than himself. It's a film with a good heart, and although it can be melodramatic, it's very emotional and rarely sentimental. While it's known for being released at a point where American's were going to World War II, there's a debate about whether it's a pro or anti-war film, while it at once encourages Americans to fight, the character argues that it's wrong throughout. I think it's neither, and rather an anti-violence film and tries to prove that wars shouldn't be fought with violence. While it's patriotic nature can be up for debate and despite its heavy-handed religious side, Sergeant York is classic filmmaking and definitely bumps Howard Hawks into being one of my favourite directors of all-time.8/10