Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

 Preston Sturges' "Hail the Conquering Hero"


1944's "Hail the Conquering Hero" will be the very last film of Preston Sturges' that I will be watching and reviewing. It also happens to be the last film he ever produced with Paramount Pictures. Made and released during the middle of World War II, "Hail the Conquering Hero" is perhaps the most aptly and timely picture of Sturges' career. 

The film centers on a young man named Woodrow afraid to tell his mother that he was not medically fit for the war. After a year of hiding away, a group of soldiers find him sulking in a bar and convince him to tell his mother that he has just returned from war after being medically discharged. After returning home, he and the group of soldiers are surprised to discover that the whole town has thrown a celebration for the 'conquering hero.' Even more so, they have elected Woodrow to be the new mayor. Stuck in the middle of the lie, the real soldiers only dig their heels in to the fabrication, while Woodrow tries desperately to figure his way out of this predicament. In the end, his courageous admissions only earn him the respect of everyone.

Although the script of the film was approved by the US War Department, it contains themes and satire centering on mindless hero-worship. This was especially courageous of Sturges to script a film about given the notion that the US was in the middle of the war and needed more and more propaganda films to continue their upkeep of social consciousness. However, "Hail the Conquering Hero" dives right into these issues of political obsession and idolatry of 'heroes,' even undeserving ones. Perhaps the overall comic tone of the film flew over the head of the state's propaganda department. 

I felt this to be one of Sturges' strongest films. At first, I felt it was a bit too silly and convoluted in plot to be taken seriously, like Sturges' previous effort, "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek." However, at the heart of the comedy and convolution lies a dramatic tension covering the moral center of our society. It prompts questions regarding the kind of people we prop up, respect we attain under false pretenses, and what it means to be courageous. It was a film with a lot of thought and a lot of heart and I very much enjoyed it.



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