How I Won the War – 1967 | 109 mins | War, Satire | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Richard Lester‘s absurdist parody of the insanity of war adapted from Patrick Ryan’s 1963 novel. Charles Wood’s episodic screenplay opens at a superficial comedy level and never develops further; slapstick replaces biting satire and chaotic motion substitutes for anti-war emotion. Original prints of the film intercut newsreel battle footage tinted to match the colour of the soon-to-be ghost soldier. Michael Crawford heads the cast, and frequently narrates to camera, in an underdeveloped lead role whilst second-billed John Lennon, whose billing far exceeds his part, contributes little as a sarcastic private. It’s left to supporting actors Michael Hordern as a blimpish veteran campaigner and Jack MacGowran’s perpetually perky clown to provide memorable moments of black militaristic humour.

Lieutenant Ernest Goodbody (Michael Crawford) has absolutely no idea how to lead his British regiment in the North African battlefield of WWII. But what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in gung-ho enthusiasm. And when he’s ordered to build a cricket playing field 100 miles behind enemy lines within 3 days, the bumbling British officer is determined to succeed even if this means the majority of his small company are killed in the process. But even those men killed due to Goodbody’s incompetence continue to march along, appearing as monochromatic ghosts. Abandoned by his superiors, betrayed by his inferiors and finally captured by Nazis, it’s going to take more than his unrelenting optimism to win the day. Goodbody relates his version of events in flashback to German officer Odlebog (Karl Michael Vogler), whilst the real version of events demonstrates his ineptitude.