Sergeant York

Gary Cooper was the ultimate American hero, a gentle giant whose humble charm and subdued sex-appeal exuded no less than humility and decency. Sure there was Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck, but Coop was the 'folk', the everyday man every American could relate to while still admiring him. He wasn't the man you better had as a friend but the one you couldn't picture as anything but one.

And all throughout his career, he'd portray nice and decent fellows that would incarnate American values during times they were much need: the Great Depression and war. Today, Cooper is still the only actor who has three characters featured in the AFI Top 100 "Heroes and Villains", all heroes of course. There is Lou Gehrig from "The Pride of the Yankee" and "Sergeant York" and Will Kane from "High Noon", for which he won his two Oscars for Best Actor. And his role as "Sergeant York" in Howard Hawks' movie of the same name, released at the war fever's peak, is known for having prompted many viewers to enlist. I guess that's what you call "inspiration", one of the good sort.

I often mention Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" and how its commercial success also stirred a wave of hostile comments and even violent actions against Arabs. I wouldn't dare to make comparisons between the two real-life figures played by the two Coopers, however, it's interesting to see that the two films that praised American values and the pride of belonging to a 'great' country and even portrayed men who didn't exactly "enjoy" their heroism, elicited different reactions, which reveals a sort of double-edged sword nature in patriotism. And "Sergeant York" is nothing but a patriotic movie.

The first act notably is a continuous exaltation of the good book's teachings as well as the frontier spirit. It opens in some shackle town over the hills of Tennessee with Pastor Pie (Walter Brennan) struggling to make his voice heard while men outside ride horses and shoot at trees. One of these hell-raisers is Alvin York, apart from his marksman skills he's a good-for-nothing hillbilly in your typical overalls, the son of a widowed mother (Margaret Wycherly) struggling to ensure their impoverished family a living. Anyway, something is just lacking in his life and booze sure doesn't look like the right answer.

Comforted by the pastor's words, he tries to give his life a meaning and spend sixty days of hard-labor to earn enough money to buy his fiancée Gracie (Joan Leslie) a land. Basically, the whole first act shows (none too subtly) the coming to a realization of a man that being skilled with his hands isn't enough. On a stormy night, he's stuck by a bolt of lightning and has an epiphany, he joins the church and sings along with the folks. "Gimme that old time religion". Whatever Hawks' stance about religion is it does portray it with as much fervor as the brandishing of the American flag, a country built by pioneers, as if both were sides of the same American soul's coin.

I gather the film is showing this American soul as something deeply rooted in the natural environment and if it wasn't for the pioneers, the homesteaders who tamed the wilderness, America wouldn't have been the same, the Bible just kept them away from turning wild between themselves. That's a way of figuring it, and while I'm not American, I guess "Sergeant York" does justice to these values, maybe too much as sometimes, the grandstanding poses with the mystical cinematography and Max Steiner's religious themes were so insisting it flirted with propaganda. Brennan was good (despite these damn distracting eyebrows) but I wish the film didn't sanctify Wycherly who played every single scene with heavy-handed solemnity, and not the warmth of Jane Darnell's Ma Joad.

The film wonders too much in the realm of religious quests and such that by the time the war sequence starts, we have the feeling it's all these values that made York get rid of the German machine-gun nest and arrest more than a hundred of prisoners by himself rather than simple bravery. It sure owes a lot to the way his hunter instinct played and the tragedy of watching his comrades getting shot, but the film did such a good job as portraying as a simple man working by the book, that never is the simple fact that he was a man with guts and courage brought up without carrying religious or patriotic undertones. It's got to be about the flag, the book and the upbringing in good old Tennessee.

"American Sniper" had the same frustrating tendency to insist on one man's righteousness, starting with flaws that never fooled. At least "Sergeant York" had the merits to highlight the moral conflict within a man who didn't want to kill but could find the answer in the Bible, you know what they say about rendering to Caesar. And because the man questioned that before, because it was Cooper, and because there was something truly honest about him, I could accept its preachy moments. Besides, I have a hard time believing that destiny or God didn't move in mysterious ways indeed when they waited for one month before the end of the conflict to give York a chance to shine and become one of the most decorated and celebrated military heroes of American history.

I just don't want to believe that it all has to do with belonging to a certain country or a certain religion. This review is written one hundred years exactly after the end of that deadly conflict, on November 11th, 1918. None of my ancestors died in this conflict (not to my knowledge) but this review is respectfully dedicated to all its victims, civilians and soldiers, French, American, British, German... from the "Sergeant Yorks" to the cowards.

How does one define a classic film? It has been over 50 years since Sergeant York was made and It is still a joy to watch. Gary Cooper is, well, Gary Cooper. A Hollywood Icon and arguably one of the best actors ever. He gives a memorable, true to life portrayal of this simple back woods man thrust into a situation seemingly beyond his ability to comprehend. Alvin York was not an educated man, not a worldly man and not a great student of philosophy. Armed only with his dog-eared Bible and his own beliefs of right and wrong he must somehow balance his religious faith, his patriotic duty and his duty to his comrades. The script is well written. The performances are superb. This movie has action and humor and a warmth that touches one and all. Sergeant York stands the test of time. Whatever your definition, this is a classic.

Perhaps when this comes out on DVD later in the year (2006), I'll enjoy this as I did when I first saw it on tape. Subsequent VHS viewings were nowhere as appealing at that first look, unfortunately. As most people know, this is the story of World War I hero Alvin York, who went from drunken good-for-nothing to solid Christian man and war hero.

Gary Cooper certainly was a great choice for the role. Few people in his era were better at playing modest, soft-spoken-but-manly heroes like "Coop." When "York" makes no apology for his 100 percent belief in the Bible, no one challenges him because he's earned the respect from all, believers and non- believers. Cooper's status as an actor helps make that all the more "believable." Sgt. York also gives one of the best examples of forgiveness I've ever seen on film.

Another nice feature of this movie is seeing Joan Leslie in the female lead. She was one of the most pretty and wholesome-looking ladies of her day. She's always a treat to see. Walter Brennan also is interesting, as usual, and in here plays a minister, which also was a surprise.

Much of this film was a surprise because I'm just not used to seeing on film things like true forgiveness, the hero citing Scripture, military officers shown in a compassionate light (letting York, with his pacifistic views, decide what he anted to do) etc. What a shame so few films in the last 50 years have had similar values.

..SGT.YORK...yeah, it was released during WW2,to help the war effort, but it was a true story of the backwoods young man who really did not want to to go to war..and kill others in combat, which at first got him in some trouble.... But, did become a true hero and earned an Oscar for star Gary Cooper. The BEST part of the movie is before..York is drafted and first decides to hide in the hills ...Ward Bond, Walter Brennen are just two favorites that play important roles. The beautiful outdoor scenes in wonderful black and white, in the first of the film is unforgettable along with the fun and realistic setting of York's pursuit of his future wife and a piece of farm land,and the troubles he encounters before...going to war. Another 194O's classic with a lot of heart and soul, along with lots of entertainment value!.

There are movies that you can barely remember hours after watching them, and there are movies you can't forget even years later. Sergeant York is the later. The movie remains etched in my mind and heart.

It is a story clearly told, yet not oversimplified, with characters boldly drawn, yet not caricatured, at least not the main ones. It would be a great story even if it were not true, but it is true, at least in the main. York's conversion by a lightning bolt striking his rifle is fiction, though his heavy drinking, fighting and ultimate conversion are not. So the lightning is cinematic device to shorten the process, and a brilliant one.

Those who talk about it as a war story (and who complain the first part is boring) miss why this film is so great. It is also a love story and a story of family. Joan Leslie is heartbreakingly sweet and lovely as Gracie Williams. We can feel the chemistry, and see that she is a force for good in Alvin's life, who was 30 when he was drafted.

Leslie's portrayal of Gracie is so full of life and youth and charm. Compare that with Margaret Wycherly's portrayal of Mother York, who is old, tired, dessicated of emotion. Yet she is full of wisdom, of understanding Alvin's passion for Gracie. In her eyes, you can see her thinking back to when she was once Gracie, in her long ago youth. It is a silent, motionless look, plumbing the depths of memory -- a master actress's use of silence.

I think most viewers take Wycherly's performance for granted, perhaps assuming we are seeing the real Wycherly. Yet she was born in London in 1881 to a father who was a doctor -- far from the poverty of Pall Mall, Tennessee -- and had been mainly a British stage and film actress. Nevertheless, those who knew the real Mother York say Wycherly's portrayal was spot on. Now that is real acting.

It is curious that this is the role that earned Gary Cooper his first Oscar. We, the modern viewer, have seen that Aw Shucks persona many times. But apparently it fit the real Alvin York, who insisted on Cooper playing him on screen, and was present for the movie's premiere. You can read about Alvin York online, on Wikipedia and on Gutenberg.org, which has a 1920s biography online. In the quotes of the actual Alvin York, you can easily hear Gary Cooper's voice.

Henry Fonda was considered for the role, and matched York's looks more closely. But he was only a few years younger than Cooper, so it wouldn't have helped much with the Gracie-York match up. I think he could have done the role, but Cooper's fit was right and almost magical. Modesty was the hallmark of York, and Cooper had it down, far more than Fonda. Frankly, I don't notice the age thing when I watch it; it's a movie and you need to be prepared to suspend disbelief up to a point. Besides, people who work hard outside tend to look older, especially if they don't have much to eat.

The scene where the family sits down to dinner and Mother York proudly presents the bag of salt is so beautiful. She reminds me of a stray mother cat who will do anything to protect and feed her children, even to the point of starvation or death, herself. And when I buy salt, I sometimes think about this, and how lucky I am.

As to the portrayal of "hillbillies," we must remember that this was an extremely rural mountain area with no road coming in -- the real Alvin pushed the state to build one after the war -- and it was nearly a century ago. People were different. There was little schooling, too, and the real Alvin later raised funds to build a school. While we see Alvin drinking and fighting, we also see hard working, intelligent, gentle people with nice homes, so I don't see any stereotyping here.

As to the war, yes, the story is true. You can read about it yourself. And it provides a great lesson we should continue to remember today and in the future: The only justification for killing people in war (aside from self defense) is to end the killing and end war.

That is what was in York's mind, and he says so, to stop the killing. York was a pacifist at heart. Killing the enemy out of anger, hatred, retaliation or revenge was not in his mind, and should not be in the mind of any soldier. When this happens, it corrodes the soul of the soldier, so that he can no longer feel like a normal human being.

It was also probably what was on the minds of thousands of Americans who enlisted after seeing this movie, which was released months before America actually entered the war following Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. By then, the war had already been raging for two years, and America's entry was consistent with York's hope of helping to bring the fighting to an end.

York didn't lose his feeling for his fellow man. I found this item from the IMDb trivia section interesting:

"Alvin York himself was on the set for a few days during filming. When one of the crew members tactlessly asked him how many "Jerries" he had killed, York started sobbing so vehemently he threw up. The crew member was nearly fired, but the next day, York demanded that he keep his job."

While the attack he lead killed 28 German soldiers, he also captured 132, saving their lives.