Hart's War

Drama, War

Bruce Willis	Col. William A. McNamara
Colin Farrell	Lt. Thomas W. Hart
Terrence Howard	Lt. Lincoln A. Scott
Cole Hauser	Staff Sgt. Vic W. Bedford
Marcel Iures	Col. Werner Visser
Linus Roache	Capt. Peter A. Ross
Vicellous Reon Shannon	Lt. Lamar T. Archer
Maury Sterling	Pfc. Dennis A. Gerber
Sam Jaeger	Capt. R.G. Sisk
Scott Michael Campbell	Cpl. Joe S. Cromin

Director	Gregory Hoblit
Producer	Stephen J. Eads; David Foster; Gregory Hoblit
Writer	John Katzenbach; Billy Ray; Terry George

Anyone who appreciates subtle tension will enjoy this World War II prison-camp drama, based on John Katzenbach's novel, in which honor, courage, and sacrifice are revealed in unexpected ways. Bruce Willis plays the ranking U.S. prisoner in a Nazi POW camp, joined in December 1944 by a law-student lieutenant (up-and-coming star Colin Farrell) who'd been captured despite his father's powerful military connections. When a black pilot (Terrence Dashon Howard) from the famous Tuskeegee airmen is falsely accused of murdering a fellow prisoner, Farrell tries his case and discovers the real motivation behind Willis's kangaroo court. While combining elements of Stalag 17 and The Great Escape, director Gregory Hoblit (Primal Fear, Frequency) spices this moral dilemma with well-crafted suspense and a rousing dogfight sequence, but the human drama remains muted despite fine, understated performances by Willis, Farrell, and Howard. An escape thriller with an ethical twist, Hart's War works best as a study of heroism under extraordinary circumstances. --Jeff Shannon