Catch-22

"The nice thing about war is that the person who kills you really has nothing against you. Personally."

1970 2h 1m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 373

WarComedy

Synopsis

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A WWII military pilot makes a valiant effort to be certified insane in order to be excused from flying missions. But there's a catch.

“The nice thing about war is that the person who kills you really has nothing against you. Personally.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Alan Arkin
Capt. John Yossarian
Martin Balsam
Col. Cathcart
Richard Benjamin
Maj. Danby
Art Garfunkel
Capt. Nately
Jack Gilford
Dr. "Doc" Daneeka
Buck Henry
Lt. Col. Korn
Bob Newhart
Maj. Major Major
Anthony Perkins
Chaplain Capt. A.T. Tappman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mike Nichols
Writers: Buck Henry
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mike Nichols, shot by David Watkin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sam O'Steen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Alan Arkin and Martin Balsam and Richard Benjamin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The nice thing about war is that the person who kills you really has nothing against you. Personally.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0065528 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mike Nichols directs. David Watkin behind the camera. Sam O'Steen cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

156 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
3Directed by Mike Nichols, shot by David Watkin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Sam O'Steen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Alan Arkin and Martin Balsam and Richard Benjamin carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The nice thing about war is that the person who kills you really has nothing against you. Personally.".
7IMDB entry: tt0065528 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 27 themes, including "suicide", "island", "based on novel or book", "fascism".
9Released under 35 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: David Watkin
Editing: Sam O'Steen
Production design: Richard Sylbert
Costume design: Ernest Adler
Makeup / hair: Gary Morris
Stunt coordinator: Richard E. Butler
Runtime: 121 min · 2h 1m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $18,000,000
Box office: $24,911,670
Return: 138% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Catch-22 (1970)

Also by

Mike Nichols

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-06-19
★ 7/10
Alan Arkin is "Yossarian" - a flight bombardier determined to get himself invalided home from combat during WWII. He's been dropping bombs on Italy for ages and is tired of being shot at and is also becoming less sure of his chances of survival each time. He is also quite suspicious of his CO - "Cathcart" (Martin Balsam) who seems to make sure that every time a tour of duty ends, there is another reason for him to stick around. How to get home? Well, he hits on a plan that will bring his mental acuity under suspicion. Thing is, this plan is not without risks and what now ensues is quite a complex analysis of the horrors of a wartime existence. Though I found the predictable comedy elements of this wore thin really quickly, it does offer quite a seriously thought-provoking look at just how warfare can affect a man. The constant pressures of remaining alert and vigilant whilst simultaneously dealing with day-to-day threat and tragedy are quite well illustrated in Mike Nichols' adaptation of the poignant Joseph Heller bestseller. There is a pretty stellar supporting cast, but their largely cameo roles augment rather than outshine the effort from Arkin as things gradually become more immediate for the man. It's very, very verbose and I found the third quarter of the film just a bit slow and contrived - but as a glimpse of just how war might have looked and impacted on the people involved, it's interesting and at times the darker elements of the story are potently effective.

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