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It feels familiar, even old hat, because so many subsequent works have borrowed from it.
So in that sense, theres nothing new to see here.
But in another sense there is.
Where Mike Nicholss 1970 big-screen version ofCatch-22compressed the story and went for a sketch-comedy approach in the vein ofDr.
This version conveys the humanity under the veneer of savage absurdity and gives each episode a distinct shape.
Is Yossarian a man of conscience or just trying to save his own skin?
The writing here makes it seem more like the latter.
A big part of the power of Hellers book lay in its timing.
The supporting players are allowed to brush up against caricature, winningly so.
Chandler, the handsomest character actor to come along since Jeff Bridges, is devastatingly funny as Cathcart.
