I have to confess that one of the main reasons I was anxious to see Hart's War was because I was in the Czech Republic when it was being filmed there. I had hoped for glorious images of the beautiful countryside that I had seen last May. Because the majority of the film takes place in a POW camp (therefore a studio set) there is very little of the Czech landscape to be seen in this film. The film does offer a view of the American landscape from the not-so-distant past by focusing on racial conflict among U.S. military personnel during World War II.I had expected a film in the tradition of Stalag 17 or The Great Escape. While there are elements of these films here, the heart of the film is closer to A Soldier's Story or Men of Honor. The film actually weaves together several different stories and is part hero's quest, part racial conflict, part courtroom drama, and part POW film. It is to the credit of director Gregory Hoblit (not Hobbit-different film) that the different threads come together reasonably well.Initially, the film is about Captain Hart (Colin Farrell) and the circumstances surrounding his arrival at the POW camp. Because of a conflict with the senior officer (Bruce Willis) among the POW's, he is placed in a barracks with the enlisted men. He is just getting to know them and win their trust when two more officers are placed in the barracks-two black pilots who are part of the Tuskegee Airmen. The other enlisted men resent their presence there and the racial tension results in a betrayal, a murder, and ultimately the framing of an innocent man.At the heart of the film is the irony of the U.S. involvement in fighting the evil perpetrators of the holocaust while tolerating "ethnic cleansing" at home in the U.S. In one of the more powerful scenes, one of the black officers tells the story of watching German POW's in the US being escorted into movie theaters where blacks were not allowed-not even blacks training to be Tuskegee airmen.The acting in the film was very good and the visual elements were solid. The Rachel Portman score added just the right touches at just the right times. There are points where the drama is a bit contrived, and I have mixed feelings about the twists and turns at the end of the film. On the whole, however, if your only other options are a seventh viewing of Lord of the Rings, yet another thoughtless shoot-em-up, or Britney Spears in her screen debut, Hart's War is definitely worth a look.

This takes place in a POW camp during WWII, and follows the events that transpire after a few black enlisted men are captured and put among the white prisoners. This has a well-written script, lines are great and well-delivered, the plot is interesting, engaging and develops quite nicely throughout. The editing and cinematography have some inspired moments, and are always marvelous. This is rather exciting and entertaining.I haven't read the novel, nor did I realize that this was based upon one until I watched it. This is the third of Hoblit's films I've seen, the other two being Frequency and Primal Fear, both of which I find to be excellent. Thus, in comparison, this is a little less impressive. I wouldn't call it poor, however. It certainly has a point to it, something to say, and it communicates it fairly well. The message is good, too.The performances are impeccable, Willis does as well as we expect, Farrell makes reasonable use of his chance at doing a role that can prove he can do more than project his "bad boy" persona onto the screen, and Howard shines. This meeting and conflict between the experienced master and the up-and-coming student is further infused with the clever juxtaposition of that relationship being not only of their characters – but of the actors, as well.The DVD comes with two informational, compelling and amusing commentaries: one by Gregory Hoblit, writer Billy Ray and Bruce Willis, and one by producer David Foster, 10 minutes of good deleted scenes with or without director commentary and several photo galleries. There is relatively infrequent strong violence and language. I recommend this to any fan of dramas, and who enjoy movies that deal with history. 7/10

I was dismayed to find that this movie was not a blockbuster back in 2002. I myself did not watch it in that year due to Enron imploding and the appointment of W by the Supreme Court as President of the USA. Irregardless, today is the day I watched "Hart's War" and I am "appalled" that this movie has not been re-released.That is my recommendation: "Hart's War" should be re-releasedThis is an important piece of work that should be seen by the American public, especially with President Obama as the leader of the free world. This movie is a powerful reminder that although so many Americans believe in the motto of "Use or be used"; there are many more who believe in the humanity of their fellow men. There are yet some Americans who are not motivated by money or power but by honor.This is my recommendation: Re-Release "Hart's War"

Hart's War provides a refreshingly unique perspective on the Second World War. We have seen the gory, D-Day depictions of the war, but of course there were many other subplots that cannot be ignored. It takes a little while to finally realize what war Lt. Hart (Colin Farrell) is fighting, but the build-up is worth it; and those eyebrows remain unscathed through it all. This movie offers each main character – even the Nazis – the opportunity to play the role of potential hero and villain, and you get to decide whose side you are on. War is much more than just foxholes and front lines, and Hart's War is not ignorant to this fact.