Sergeant York (1941)

This film really shows Howard Hawk's flair for story telling. Turner didn't have to put this masterpiece in color for it to be colorful. The characters are extremely memorable, such as Walter Brennan as Pastor Pyle. I believe there was a comment made on IMDb that Sergent York was an Ozark hillbilly. I would like to correct that because in fact and according to the movie he was from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee. The Ozarks are around Oklahoma and Arkansas.

However, to get back to what I was say about the film, it is perhaps one of the greatest films ever made. It is for sure, an under rated film by the American Film Institute. Why it was never placed in the top 100, I don't know. Or, why Michael Medved never placed it in his top 10 list of greatest Christian films.

On top of this it is a good family film with extremely high redeeming values. The war scenes toward the last half of the film have some mildly violent images, compared to now days. I'm saying this because there are some families out there who may not want to subject there children to any violence what so ever, not even on screen.

Fmovies: The worst war movies were made during the war, but the best ones too. This seems to be a paradoxity but if we think a little bit about this statement we find that this is obvious. If we compare the bad war films with the good ones we find only one difference, but this difference is fundamental: the matter of the actors. And Gary Cooper is a great actor. His personality guarantees the standard high quality all over the movie. He plays a farmer from Tennessee who wants to guarantee a comfortable life for himself and his love (beautiful: Joan Leslie) but the United States declares war to Germany and he has to enlist to the army. The first half of the movie is full of eye-popping black-and-white sceneries and great, laughable characters and situations. I love the character of George York (Alvin York's younger brother, played by Dickie Gibson) the most. That scene is so cool where he finds Alvin at the bar, which is settled on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky, and forces his brother to go home. He has a big gun in his hands for safety sake. These people are simple farmers, they live in peace and harmony, don't care much about the rest of the world (they don't even heard about the World War), they live by the rules of the Bible.

There is a great battle scene at the second half of the movie. Alvin realizes that the war is similar to the turkey hunting, kills lot of German soldiers and becomes a national hero and the most decorated American soldier of the WWI. This film is great because it's lack of unnecessary patriotism and heroism. It's about the duty we have to fulfill because there are situations in life when our personal happiness is less important than the freedom of others. Alvin C. York realizes this and goes to a war against a country which he has never heard of and protects people whom he has never met. That's why he is a great man. And when he fulfilled his duty he goes home to the well-earned peace and comfort. And when Gary Cooper fulfilled his duty and gave a superb performance as Alvin York, he got the well-earned Academy Award for the Best Actor.

I love this movie! It is a heartwarming story of a man coming to terms with entering a war right after he receives his new found pacifist ideas. It also shows how a mother's love is everlasting no matter how her child acts. We were required to watch this movie in a history class, and I admit I thought it was going to be dumb. I ended up being drawn into the story, so I recommended it to my family. I watch this movie any time I get a chance. My entire family ends up walking around using their backwood mountain accent for days after we watch the movie. If I could find it on DVD or video, I would definitely purchase this film.

Sergeant York fmovies. Gary Cooper turned in an incredible performance in this movie. Although I've been familiar with his name for as long as I can remember, I was a little unsure as to why he was so highly regarded as an actor. Now I know. Just watch his face throughout this movie - he's incredibly expressive in communicating York's confusion and emotions during the changes he goes through.

That said, it's somewhat unfortunate that the movie simplified York's life (eg. in reality, he was stuck with a hefty mortgage on that nice house). The lightning-bolt incident didn't happen, either. But these are minor complaints, as the movie stays true to the key events of York's amazing story.

"Sergeant York" is my favorite classic movie. Gary Cooper stars as Sergeant Alvin York one of the most revered hero's in World War I. The movie takes you through his life from the days when he was a lot less responsible. When he drank a lot and had a short fuse, but ends when he become a hero of the war. The black and white picture enhances the beautiful cinematography in the film. Keep in mind most of the film revolves around his life before the war and so you get to see a lot of the fantastic scenery.

Gary Cooper won himself a well deserved Oscar for the film, but there were some other fine performances in the film. Walter Brennan, the star of almost 200 other films, plays York's small town Pastor, Rosier Pile. Young Joan Leslie plays the part of Gracie Williams who later marries York. Then there is Ward Bond in one of his many films (Over 250 of them I believe). Now a little for the trivia books. Cooper was 41 when he made this film and Leslie was only 16, but this is fairly consistent with the true ages of York and Gracie when they were beginning their relationship. So the film tries to be very accurate and honest. You won't find that in a modern film.

If you have not seen "Sergeant York" then you have yet to see one of the most touching films of all time. It is as much an attention holder today as it was back in 1941 and makes an excellent Memorial Day film which is in fact the best time to try and catch it if you happen to have cable and some of those classic film channels.

..SGT.YORK...yeah, it was released during WW2,to help the war effort, but it was a true story of the backwoods young man who really did not want to to go to war..and kill others in combat, which at first got him in some trouble.... But, did become a true hero and earned an Oscar for star Gary Cooper. The BEST part of the movie is before..York is drafted and first decides to hide in the hills ...Ward Bond, Walter Brennen are just two favorites that play important roles. The beautiful outdoor scenes in wonderful black and white, in the first of the film is unforgettable along with the fun and realistic setting of York's pursuit of his future wife and a piece of farm land,and the troubles he encounters before...going to war. Another 194O's classic with a lot of heart and soul, along with lots of entertainment value!.