M*A*S*H
1972
Original language: English
- war & politics
- drama
- comedy
The story
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.
What it’s like
Warm, wry and restless, with a tent-camp backdrop of canvas, dust, mud and olive drab that gives way to bright operating-theatre fluorescents and the cosy clutter of the officers' quarters. The 1970s sitcom look is flat multi-camera lighting, a laugh track, and quick zooms and cutaways, but the surgical scenes are played straight, with blood and mangled bodies shown briefly and without lingering. Its score is a jaunty theme whistled over bits of brass, and the dialogue is fast, overlapping and mouthy. The vibe is irreverent gallows humour with a real ache underneath, the kind of thing suited to a weeknight unwind, a comfort rewatch, or a long run of episodes on the couch. Pacing is brisk, each episode built around a prank, a scheme or a clash of egos, and the characters' arcs follow a slow hardening and softening of sardonic men and women who learn to protect each other. Violence is war-related: wounded soldiers, post-operative deaths and occasional sharp cruelty, mostly off-screen or quick, with no gore on display. Suits viewers who like anti-authority comedy, ensemble banter and a bittersweet take on war, less so anyone wanting gentle or purely cosy viewing.
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