How I Won the War (1967)

An inept British WWII commander leads his troops to a series of misadventures in North Africa and Europe.

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Patrick Ryan (novel), Charles Wood (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Crawford, John Lennon, Roy Kinnear

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Crawford	...	Lt. Goodbody
John Lennon	...	Gripweed
Roy Kinnear	...	Clapper
Lee Montague	...	Transom
Jack MacGowran	...	Juniper
Michael Hordern	...	Grapple
Jack Hedley	...	Melancholy Musketeer
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Odlebog
Ronald Lacey	...	Spool
James Cossins	...	Drogue
Ewan Hooper	...	Dooley
Alexander Knox	...	American General
Robert Hardy	...	British General
Sheila Hancock	...	Mrs. Clapper's Friend
Charles Dyer	...	Happy-Trousered Man

Storyline

This film features former Beatle John Lennon and Roy Kinnear as ill-fated enlisted men under the inept command of Lieutenant Ernest Goodbody. The story unwinds mostly in flashbacks of Lieutenant Goodbody who has lower-class beginnings and education which make him a poor officer who commands one of the worst units of the army.

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Plot Keywords:

troop | british | flashback | soldier | ineptitude | 

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Taglines:

"What we want is more humane killers!"

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cómo gané la guerra

Filming Locations:

Desierto de Tabernas, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Petersham Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Lennon recorded all post-synchronization work for his character in the film from December 28-29, 1966, at Twickenham Film Studios in London, England.

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Quotes

Gripweed: And I'm not a thief, really. I've never found anything worth keeping.

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Connections

Featured in Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados (2013)

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Soundtracks

We're Going to Hang Out the Washing on the Siegfried Line
(uncredited)
Written by Michael Carr and Jimmy Kennedy
Sung during the first cricket match and also heard as a theme

User Reviews

Brilliant, gets better with age!

'How I Won the War' has to be one of the most original, bizarre and imaginative war films ever made. I first saw it late one night as an impressionable kid and immediately was drawn by its unusual style and narrative. To have the film tinted in several different colours to show the stages of the war was both daring and cool. One gets the feeling of having witnessed something larger, more intimate and important than just a mere war movie.

There are no real heros in this film, certainly Michael Crawford and his troop are pretty cowardly and inept, whereas the Germans are depicted, in the raid on the fuel dump scene, as being content with religious service and a bit of soccer.

It is true that history is written by the victors and Michael Crawford's character, Goodbody, is one of only two survivers from his regiment. He proudly states at the very end of the film that he "won the war". Maybe he did, but his actions and his balmy enthusiasm show us just how idiotic war can be.

My favourite scene was the one with Goodbody and the German officer who befriends Goodbody for much of the film. Together, they talk about how cruel both the British and Germans are, and how the German officer has killed many Jews. Goodbody then talks about how he got his commission and why he is fighting. It ends with the German officer telling Goodbody that he (Goodbody) is a fascist. "Am I?", replies Goodbody, "but I don't particularly dislike Jews."

When the very affable German officer, who is attempting to surrender, is blindly run over by an advancing British tank, we know that in this war the good, the bad and the ugly become mixed up and inseperable.

I currently own a very worn out video of the film and am hoping it will be released soon on DVD here in Australia.