Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When Col. William McNamara is stripped of his freedom in a German POW camp, he's determined to keep on fighting even from behind enemy lines. Enlisting the help of a young lieutenant in a brilliant plot against his captors, McNamara risks everything on a mission to free his men and change the outcome of the war.
Hart's War is a competent but unexceptional WWII POW drama that blends courtroom thriller elements with the escape genre. The plot has some intrigue in its trial-within-a-camp structure, but the narrative is fairly predictable and the twist ending is telegraphed early. Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell deliver solid if unremarkable performances — neither elevates the material significantly. Cinematography is serviceable period work, functional but not visually distinctive. Novelty suffers because the film recombines well-worn POW and courtroom elements without a truly fresh perspective; it echoes better films in the genre. The ending has some emotional weight but resolves in a somewhat conventional sacrificial manner.