A Masterpiece!

There are women in the film, but none has anything you could call a personality.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I loved The Chocolate War from the moment I picked it up. The book, I mean. As a writer, this bleak piece of work changed my perspective.Of course, when I discovered there was a movie, I jumped at the idea of viewing it.Now, the movie took me on a roller coaster. At first, I was disappointed with the outdated soundtrack, bizarre dream sequences and the like, but then, the moment Archie appeared, I was sucked in. This movie followed every little detail it could, and I found myself smiling and waiting for the brutal conclusion.--Spoiler-- Like the majority consensus, the ending rattled me.Now, let me first say the ending is moderate for someone who has not read the book. In the event the novel had never existed, the bittersweet note of the ending would have sufficed. Been a little iffy, but sufficed. However, taking that single 90 degree rotation, to having read and adored Cormier's novel, and all Hell breaks loose in my brain.Cormier's theme was trampled. That is, that sometimes cruelty does win and goodness does not always triumph. Even then, however, I would have remained a shred of sanity concerning that ending.Furthermore, however, was that Archie had to explode out of character. He had it worked out, Archie had it together. Archie doesn't like physical violence. Archie always has a plan. Even if he has to improvise. So, from this, Archie wouldn't have let such a situation ever happen to begin with.Then, Archie had to turn into a cardboard cut-out of a villain by breaking the rules and wailing on Jerry after one blow. It seemed to me that Gordon realized Archie was so much more likable than Jerry, that only turning Archie into a simp who broke rules would redeem Jerry. It all came off as plastic, though. Archie is a simp, he can't fight, but he's also so much a simp that he can't take one blow.This part of the movie negates everything Archie had come to be throughout he film, and novel.And then, he is demoted for losing his head.Now, if that weren't bad enough, it seems that Brother Leon and Janza were so *proud* of Jerry for beating the crap out of Archie. Excuse me, what happened to the cruel Brother Leon we saw with Bailey? Or Corone? Whwere did he go? I didn't know he hated Archie so much as to root for Jerry, who could have cost him his job and such, had ARCHIE not saved his ass.And Janza? Who beat the crap out of Jerry a half hour before (movie time)? Who was ready to beat up Jerry again? Why, pray tell, does he then cheer on Jerry? It was just dreck. It didn't make sense in the constructs of the movie itself, let alone Cormier's masterpiece.I gave it an 8/10 because I still enjoy watching the movie. I just turn it off after Archie draws that first marble.

Considering the powerful and harshly real novel by Robert Cormier, this Keith Gordon film falls short of the mark. It lacks the absolute power and tragic pointlessness of the book. There are some good performances, but I felt Glover was miscast as Brother Leon.The film does a good job siding us against Archie and for Jerome, but I did not feel this was necessary. Archie is not the only, and hardly the worst, villain.The ending, which does not comply with that of Cormier's novel, defeats the whole purpose of the story. Evil can, and will in many circumstances, win over good. This movie lacked that harsh finish it needed.Friday, February 8, 1991 - Television

Growing up in high school, our year 10 teacher assigned us to read this book as part of our education.We also got to (occassionally) watch the movie adaptation of the novel.I really liked this film as the storyline was good.The Vigils are a secret gang in an all boys school who assign tasks to students as part of their way of saying " we will not conform to the standards others set, so we go our own way." Then Jerry Renault is selected for a task of not to sell chocolates for a set period of time.After the time elapses, Jerry still stops selling chocolates and becomes a sort of hero, as he is overcoming adversity and going beyond his boundaries.If Forrest Gump was around, maybe Jerry could have sold his portion to Forrest and Forrest could have given them away to people as he told stories to strangers on a park bench somewhere.Look out for an appearance of a young Brendan Fraser (before he was in Encino Man, or The Mummy).Its an educational film and should be viewed in all schools as part of the learning curriculum.

This movie actually surpasses the original novel, because of amazing performances by John Glover (Smallville) as Brother Leon and Wallace Langham (Veronica's Closet) as Archie Costello. While typically labeled an 80's "Coming of Age" film, this is not a feel good teen movie like "Dead Poet's Society" or "The Breakfast Club." This is a dark story about human cruelty and manipulation, no more "Coming of Age" than "Donny Darko."Director/screenwriter Keith Gordon attempted to moralize the ending...a mistake from an artistic standpoint, but probably wise, considering the audience (American public). Consequently, most viewers are confused, rather than angry, with the outcome of the movie. Just another example of a masterpiece too realistic and uncomfortable for mass consumption.