Wow! Such a good movie.

disgusting, overrated, pointless

Boring, long, and too preachy.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

THE WAR LOVER is a UK-USA WW2 movie about a squad of bomber pilots operating from Cambridgeshire in the UK and carrying out daring raids on mainland Europe. It's a rather slight picture, shot in black and white for reasons unknown (although I suspect that they're budgetary in nature) and of note for featuring Steve McQueen in the leading role.McQueen dominates the scenery with his portrayal of a brash and cocky pilot with something of a death wish, repeatedly putting his crew into danger for the sake of glory. The rest of the film is a mish-mash of romantic interludes, rivalry and friendship, and some brief bombing raids that are handled reasonably well. Supporting cast members include Shirley Anne Field and Michael Crawford, long before he was famous. War film fans will enjoy this, but the familiarity of the set-up works against it.

Steve McQueen plays a really screwed up bomber pilot, Buzz. Unlike most of these guys, Buzz LIKES that there's a war and finds the whole thing exciting and even fun! This doesn't bother his men during much of the film...he's very, very good at what he does and seems to lead a charmed existence. However, as the film progresses, it becomes obvious to several of the men that he really is a sociopath....a loner who likes to destroy things and has contempt for women. Nothing seems to get to him at all...until his last mission.In contrast, there's his co-pilot, Bo (Robert Wagner). As the film progresses, the two have a falling out and in many ways, they are different. However, he's no angel either when it comes to women. Handsome and likable, like Buzz, he's a bit of a user. But he does not love war and can't wait to go home.This film did a great job of fooling the viewer. According to IMDb, there were only three B-17s used in the film...and they made it seem like a lot more. Additionally, MOST of the aerial sequences are pretty good and the stock footage they used was better than normal in most cases (though the stuff later in the film wasn't nearly as good). There were only two serious problems I noticed (and I am a stickler for these details) were scenes where a plane exploded, as they were obviously just cheap models and could have been done better. There also was a BRIEF clip of a supposedly German fighter plane attacking at 94 minutes into the film...and it's actually an American P-38. In many ways, the film is an interesting portrait of the folks who flew the missions. I am pretty sure a reasonable number must have been like Bo and Buzz...and such attitudes must have proved helpful in war...and certainly NOT during peace time! Not a great film like "12 O'Clock High" (probably the best film about WWII bombers) but very good nevertheless.

There are fine black-and-white scenes of B-17s flying through flak, taking off and landing, belly landing, buzzing the field, and generally roaring around. Not that many films pay attention to the racket and vibrations of a mass of metal being hurled through the air, but "The War Lover" does. Some of it is model work. Much of the footage isn't.It's England in mid war, and the Flying Fortresses are being sent on dangerous missions. "Dangerous" in the most literal sense. Crews have an alarming tendency not to return to their bases.Steve McQueen is a captain in the USAF and the pilot of one of these big babies, and Robert Wagner is his copilot. McQueen just loves it. He's the hottest pilot in the squadron and his men feel completely safe with him. He takes a lot of chances but his airplane always returns in immaculate condition.The problem with McQueen is that he boasts about it so much. He oozes self confidence. To him, war isn't just war. It's a chance to kill people. He seems to get OFF when his bombs explode on the target. He has nothing else going for him.The romantic business concerning a rivalry between the sensible Wagner and the relentless McQueen over a wraith-like Sally Anne Field is sandwiched between the two combat scenes. In war movies like this, most of the love stories are commonly fatuous, put there perhaps to stretch out the running time, give the audience a rest from its arousal jag, and introduce a bit of sex to keep them interested. When the romances are done well, they can add depth to the characters. This one succeeds. Field embraces Wagner and is openly receptive to him. Not that Wagner is especially tuned to her desires. She wants to marry him and build a home, while he just wants to enjoy the excess of his phenylethylamines. She finds McQueen attractive too, "in a dangerous sort of way" and dresses him down when his advances become too forceful. It takes the wind out of McQueen's sails and he loses his confidence in himself and his life.John Hersey's novel wasn't as good as this movie, I don't think. The movie's explosive climax has a half-crazy McQueen flying his airplane straight into one of the White Cliffs of Dover. It's an extremely tense scene, with the roar of the airplane, the wind sweeping through the riddled fuselage, and the cliffs growing larger and larger. It's unnerving. I've been through a similar experience with a dead airplane just off Montauk Point, Long Island, only I went into the water, as McQueen does in the novel. His airplane sinks and he goes down with it, holding on to a propeller shaft "for dear death", as Hersey puts it.Sally Anne Field is compellingly beautiful in an odd way. Her eyebrows seem to have been destined for someone else's face. She can't act. Wagner, my co-star in the superb -- what was it, again? -- "The Wrath of Angels?", "Windmills of the Gods"? Something like that. Anyway, Wagner can act, as least in the manner that Hollywood demands. McQueen has only two expressions here -- a smirk and none at all. It took him a few years to develop his chops. In 1968, he was unimpeachable in "Bullett." It's worth watching. Hersey's discourse on the way war turns people into beasts.

See it – This WWII gem is almost impossible to find, but it is an underrated war classic that shouldn't be forgotten. It has a clever title, considering it is about a man who loves war, but is also quite a "Casanova" with the ladies. Steve McQueen plays a reckless, hotshot bomber pilot more concerned with women and personal glory than the safety of his crew. But his friendship with his trusted co-pilot, played by Robert Wagner, is put to the test when they both fall for the same girl. For the haters out there who think McQueen was a one dimensional actor, you need to watch this movie. It is one of his best acting performances, hands down. He does a magnificent job of playing a man too confident for his own good. Unfortunately, this film is very talky, and there are only 2 aerial battles. But the final battle is a heroic conclusion to a movie that deserves the "epic" label even more than Memphis Belle. 2 action rating.