I thought the movie was good for several reasons:
1) The movie show how people (even in 2008) running for office will use their military service and combat experience as a means to justify their reasons why they should be elected to office. Ray Walston's character felled on the floor and hurt himself. He stated that if this was combat, he could have gotten the Purple Heart and look good on his war record. In the movie Alvarez Kelly, Kelly told Major Steadman, that Steadman would profit from the war because after the war, the major would use his rank and war record to advance his lawyer career even though Steadman was a believer in the Union cause.
2) Cary Grant's character was great in that he was suffering from combat fatigue and just want to be left alone and have fun on his R&R. Most soldiers usually go about drinking and trying to hook up with ladies after being pulled out of combat. One of his fellow pilots was having nightmares about him being shot down in flames. At the end, of the movie, when Grant and his boys go back to the war, we have no idea of whether the third Navy pilot will be shot down or not.
3) The movie shows a hidden cost of war because there was a navy pilot from one of Grant's unit who was confined to a wheelchair due to serious wounds incurred in combat. The Navy Warrant Officer who accompany the wounded man inform Grant that the man was slowly dying and would succumb to his wounds in a short time.
4) Some of the reviewers stated that Grant was too old and look too old to play a World War II pilot. I read a book about U.S. Navy aviation where the Navy due to expansion of the war first raise the qualification age to fly at 27 and later, they raise it to age 35. I have seen 1940s pictures of General Albert Wedemeyer, and he look like he was in his 50s when actually he was in his 40s during World War II. Grant either had his hair dye black or his hair was still black before it started to turn gray. You also have to remember that before World War II, many military guys in their late 20s, 30s and 40s were still lieutenants, captains, or majors. In the enlisted ranks, you had to wait four years to become private first class and to become a three stripe sergeant rank you had to do 12 to 18 years of military service. Pomotions were slow back in those days, and you usually got promoted (as an officer) based on seniority. There was no up or out policy if you did not get promotion in a timely fashion in the military. The up and out policy slowly started after World War II and is now the norm in today's military even among the sergeant ranks.
5) When the leading lady in the movie asked Grant what job he did have before the war, Grant stated he did a little bit of everything. That's not surprisingly considering the fact that America and the rest of the world went through a Great Depression starting in 1929. People had to take what ever jobs they could find (which were far and few) to survive. In addition, the American workforce had no job security protection in terms of better labor laws until Franklin Roosevelt came into office.
1) The movie show how people (even in 2008) running for office will use their military service and combat experience as a means to justify their reasons why they should be elected to office. Ray Walston's character felled on the floor and hurt himself. He stated that if this was combat, he could have gotten the Purple Heart and look good on his war record. In the movie Alvarez Kelly, Kelly told Major Steadman, that Steadman would profit from the war because after the war, the major would use his rank and war record to advance his lawyer career even though Steadman was a believer in the Union cause.
2) Cary Grant's character was great in that he was suffering from combat fatigue and just want to be left alone and have fun on his R&R. Most soldiers usually go about drinking and trying to hook up with ladies after being pulled out of combat. One of his fellow pilots was having nightmares about him being shot down in flames. At the end, of the movie, when Grant and his boys go back to the war, we have no idea of whether the third Navy pilot will be shot down or not.
3) The movie shows a hidden cost of war because there was a navy pilot from one of Grant's unit who was confined to a wheelchair due to serious wounds incurred in combat. The Navy Warrant Officer who accompany the wounded man inform Grant that the man was slowly dying and would succumb to his wounds in a short time.
4) Some of the reviewers stated that Grant was too old and look too old to play a World War II pilot. I read a book about U.S. Navy aviation where the Navy due to expansion of the war first raise the qualification age to fly at 27 and later, they raise it to age 35. I have seen 1940s pictures of General Albert Wedemeyer, and he look like he was in his 50s when actually he was in his 40s during World War II. Grant either had his hair dye black or his hair was still black before it started to turn gray. You also have to remember that before World War II, many military guys in their late 20s, 30s and 40s were still lieutenants, captains, or majors. In the enlisted ranks, you had to wait four years to become private first class and to become a three stripe sergeant rank you had to do 12 to 18 years of military service. Pomotions were slow back in those days, and you usually got promoted (as an officer) based on seniority. There was no up or out policy if you did not get promotion in a timely fashion in the military. The up and out policy slowly started after World War II and is now the norm in today's military even among the sergeant ranks.
5) When the leading lady in the movie asked Grant what job he did have before the war, Grant stated he did a little bit of everything. That's not surprisingly considering the fact that America and the rest of the world went through a Great Depression starting in 1929. People had to take what ever jobs they could find (which were far and few) to survive. In addition, the American workforce had no job security protection in terms of better labor laws until Franklin Roosevelt came into office.