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I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Not a run of the mill war movie by any standard. Surprisingly moody and downbeat with a great script and a superb performance by Steve McQueen. Let down by one poor exterior stunt scene, the rest of the film excels. Like one other correspondent, caught the film Sunday afternoon whilst channel hopping and was hooked. Not heard of the film till today but now on my favourites list. Wooden performance from Shirley Anne Field parried well by a handsome and on - form Robert Wagner and supporting cast help the action and non-action scenes flow. Not read the book so can't compare but that's normally a pointless exercise anyway. Michael Crawford (Some Mothers do Ave em)carries off the American accent well. Spent most of the film trying to spot future film, TV and theatre stars

Considered a somewhat shallow adaptation of a John Hershey novel, this film follows the exploits of two American air force officers and friends in England during WWII. McQueen is an edgy, risk-taking Captain while Wagner is a more solemn and respectful Lieutenant. McQueen is consistently scrutinized by his superiors for his questionable decisions on air missions and Wagner frequently defends him until he starts to wonder if McQueen is doing what he does for the wrong reasons and in a way that is harmful too others, including himself. Meanwhile, Wagner has fallen for a refined English girl (Field) who seems to harbor her own fascination with McQueen. By the time of a massive air strike involving more than a thousand flyers, McQueen and Wagner's tension has reached the boiling point, though they may not survive the mission to settle it. McQueen, in a role that suits his rebel personality and misfit background, does a good job with his role, despite the occasional tendency towards overacting. His screen charisma is evident, however, throughout. Wagner is very good as well, though his acting style is almost completely different than McQueen's. His laconic, understated approach is a nice counterpoint to McQueen's more passionate and manic presence. Field comes off as pleasant, but remote, with a manner of speaking that never sounds completely human or real. (She sounds quite a bit like the bored, brainwashed wife in Trauffaut's "Fahrenheit 451.") Virtually everyone her character mentions having been close to was killed in the war, so it's a wonder that either McQueen or Wagner would want anything to do with her! She is appealing to a degree, but perhaps not arresting enough to inspire the sort of passion for her demonstrated by the men in the film. Musical comedy star Crawford has an early role, improbably (and unconvincingly) cast as a young American flyer. He cannot mask his accent. It's neat, however, to see him interacting with McQueen, who takes on an almost fatherly affection for him. It's a British-made film about Americans (and featuring quite a few Canadian actors in it) that doesn't always strike the right sensibility, but which paints a moderately compelling picture of the circumstances. The use of some authentic machinery and detailed military gear, as well as some arrestingly staged air battle sequences help hold viewer interest. Occasionally, a rotten special effect (notably a parachute scene) or a rear-projection shot that spoils the otherwise decent location filming springs forth to kick the audience out of the moment. Fans of McQueen will want to see his solid, anti-heroic work in an early leading role and fans of Wagner should be pleased as well, but others may find it a little choppy and unspectacular.

It is difficult to express just how terrible this movie is. I have seen plenty of older movies and I understand film conventions pretty well. Acting and directing styles, writing, cinematography - these have all changed over the years, and one should not expect a movie from 1962 to play just like a movie from 2007. That said, the writing was goofy, the cuts frequent and disorienting. The acting was silly, the realism (aside from the fact that flying B-17s and stock WWII footage are used) just wasn't there. I have seen WWII movies, I have read books, I know plenty about the ins and outs of a B-17 mission. If you want to see something decent, watch "12 O'clock High" which, though made more than a decade before "The War Lover" is superior in most every respect.I just took the 20 minute tour of the DVD. I was excited to watch this movie, having just finished Hersey's novel (which was well-researched, well-written, and gritty). My excitement has turned to pure scorn. Maybe today a decent adaptation could be made (it would have to be PG-13 at the least for gore and sexual content), but this movie just doesn't cut it. Doesn't even come close. My guess is that the only reason it's on DVD is because it has McQueen (who, yes, is perfectly cast for the character).I have a liberal approach to movies...I embrace all kinds with good will. There are some pretty bad movies that I simply adore. I'm not much of a film snob. But seriously, don't waste your time on "The War Lover."

Aviation author Martin Caiden (his books were the basis for the film "Marooned" and the t.v show "The Six Million Dollar Man") published a book entitled "Everything But The Flak" that detailed the efforts to revive three Navy PB-1 Flying Forts and the ensuing flight adventure of moving them across the Atlantic to England for the making of "The War Lover" which is a "must read" for those interested in the making of this film. He accompanied the flight crews and although his larger-than-life account of their hijinks (rumbling with Soviets in the airport in Greenland, being locked up by Interpol in Portugal on suspicion of smuggling illicit warplanes - after all these three B-17s had active gun turrets) must be taken with a grain of salt, the guy sure could spin a great yarn! The book is probably WAY out of print but is well worth seeking out as it gives some idea of the difficulty of reactivating three WW II bombers years before the warbird revival got underway. Unfortunately, due to import/export duties in England in the early 1960s, Columbia Pictures scrapped two of the three Fortresses after filming was completed and only one has survived, used for promotion of the film before being passed onto other hands.The movie itself has lots of B-17 action of the planes taxiing around the airfield prior to mission take-off that is frequently edited out for television broadcast to save time for commercials or to fit into a specific airtime envelope. If it airs uncut, notice the patchy paint on the Fortress noses as three airframes portray a much larger squadron, with nose art changed several times.Mark Sublette, Falls Church, Virginia