Sergeant York

Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias, Stanley Ridges, Margaret Wycherly
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Rating: Approved
Genre: Drama
1941

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A rebellious man (Gary Cooper) who has recently converted reluctantly joins World War I, where he struggles with the idea of killing.

Review:

Tim: About all I knew of Sergeant York was that it obviously was about a war and Gary Cooper won an Academy Award for his role. I went into it kind of expecting the typical World War I movie. I was blown away by the dramatic aspects of the film. As a whole, this is a truly remarkable film. It tells the true story of Alvin C. York, who had a fairly cinematic life. It's a film well worth seeing.

I loved that the first hour plus of this movie featured no war at all. War is about the furthest thing imaginable- we see a small town nestled deep in Appalachia and get a significant amount of time to identify with the characters. Alvin York is fairly fascinating, because at first, he's a rebellious, drunk hell-raiser with no regard for anyone but himself. This is our protagonist. Director Howard Hawks does an amazing job of showing his transformation- it starts with a girl, but his maturation feels natural and believable. Far too often, movies ask us to believe a character has changed without really giving us any insight into why. This film does an exceptional job of showing how a lost soul can find his way again. I thought the moment when he converted and became a religious man was wonderfully shown. It's so obvious that this didn't happen in real life, but cinematically, the lightning strike is a poignant, unforgettable sequence. It was one of the best moments of the film.

By the time World War I intrudes on our characters, I'd almost forgotten this was also a war movie. I was so drawn into the rural world established in the first 75 or so minutes. I was intrigued by York's attempt to purchase the farm and woo his love. In many ways, this is portrayed very realistically- lives proceed as expected, until the completely unforeseen happens. York is reluctantly drafted and now has to leave his life and embark on a campaign he little understands. I love the scenes where York struggles between his sense of loyalty and duty to his country, and the calling he feels towards God and his faith. It was beautifully depicted on screen.

The war sequences are quite effective as well. In a movie where so much time is spent on the drama side, I wondered if the war scenes would be believable. Hawks does a tremendous job with these. They were exciting and engaging.

Now, I do need to mention Gary Cooper, as he's tremendous as York. It was wonderful to see his transformation from the lost sinner at the beginning, to a hardworking family man who is deeply spiritual, to a reluctant war hero. York lived an amazing life and Cooper was fantastic at playing this role in a believable way that allowed the audience to connect with his character. He certainly deserved the Academy Award for Best Actor. He's one of the absolute highlights of the film. Walter Brennan adds a nice supporting turn as the local Pastor (he received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor). I enjoyed Joan Leslie as Gracie, especially the fireball energy and spirit she brought to the role. She only has a small role and there's large portions of the movie without her, but she makes the most of her screen time. Margaret Wycherly also added in a strong (and Academy Award nominated) performance as York's mother. Really, the cast as a whole was excellent.

I have to admit, I expected to like Sergeant York, but not nearly as much as I actually did. This is a great movie about a remarkable man's life. It puts the characters first and everything else comes second. It's a truly great movie that won 2 Academy Awards- Best Actor and Best Film Editing, and was nominated for 9 others, including Best Picture. This is undoubtedly a great movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 8



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