WWII movie, revamped for the new millennium in its voguish imagery of alternating monochromes (blue and brown, predominantly) and in the operatic proportions of its protagonist's agonies. Tales of plucky POWs, however, make up a rather minor subdivision of the genre (Stalag 17, The Great Escape, never mind Hogan's Heroes), and the impromptu court-martial of a black officer charged with murder -- one of the celebrated Tuskegee Airmen -- takes us into the out-of-the-way cubbyhole of wartime race relations (Home of the Brave, A Soldier's Story). Each of the three principals -- the defendant (Terrence Howard), his defender (Colin Farrell), their commanding officer (Bruce Willis) -- gets to take a turn making a noble gesture near the finish: a bit more nobility than a single climax can bear. The Nazi commandant who craves civilized conversation with a fellow Yalie ("You've read Mark Twain? He's wonderful!") is a cliché, but not an unappealing one. And the standard courtroom dramatics generate standard tension. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. (2002) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.