Catch-22, the latest adaption of Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel of the same name, is a fictional satirical war story taking place during the Second World War. The miniseries stars a handful of big-name actors including George Clooney (who also helped executive produce and direct a handful of episodes) as well as Hugh Laurie (House) and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights).
Catch-22 begins with a soldier covered in blood walking completely butt-naked across an air base training camp, who then screams loudly before being cut off by the opening credits. With an MA15+ rating, this opening scene appears to set the tone for the miniseries to be a gritty, intense war-drama in the vein of the ever-popular Saving Private Ryan or Platoon. However, in a disorientating turn of events, the very next scene has George Clooney’s Lieutenant Scheisskopf berating his soldiers for their inability to march with their arms exactly 4 inches from their legs, and we immediately see why Catch-22 has been given the genre tag ‘comedy’ as well as the well-earned genre tag of ‘drama’.
Catch-22, although being a story set around the American Air Force, focuses mainly on Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) a soldier who is struggling with the reality – and impending doom – of being an active soldier during a war. Yossarian embodies what I believe are going to be major themes within the show – a soldiers’ duty to serve their country, the human need for meaningful connections, and the emotions that undoubtedly come with being a soldier at war including fear, regret and forced courage. Through the subtle discussion of these themes, it’s easy to see that the intent of the miniseries is to create a realistic depiction of war, including both the heart-wrenching combat scenes as well as the political and dialogue-driven time spent on the ground between missions.
I’ll be honest and say the first episode of Catch-22 although excellently shot and directed, did feel slightly jarring; there were scenes that made me laugh out loud, directly followed by scenes that made me tear up. Although only one graphic scene in Episode One, I can understand the MA rating if the show continues in the same style, and even though the CGI effects aren’t quite on par with some of the incredible high-budget war films we’ve seen in recent years, the emotional acting and portrayal of war certainly is.
The show is still engaging and enjoyable to watch, and I think credit for that is split between the creative and often times amusing dialogue, as well as the supporting cast. Big ticket main actors aside, the supporting cast of Episode One is a showcase of incredibly talented actors, including Christopher Abbott (The Sinner, Girls), Rafi Gavron (A Star Is Born), Graham Patrick Martin (Major Crimes) and Pico Alexander (Home Again).
Catch-22 is an attempt at a realistic portrayal of the Second World War, showing war through the eyes of the soldiers in a wary and doubtful, rather than patriot or determined, way. Starring a huge cast of both staple actors as well as newer, fresher faces the story uses genuine emotion to reel you in and keep you wanting more. The audience is asked to sympathise with the soldiers on screen and the talent both in front and behind the camera make it all too easy to want happy endings for everyone we meet. Bring your tissues and settle in because you can now binge-watch all six episodes of Catch-22 exclusively on Stan.
Score: 3.5/5