No Drums, No Bugle

In this anti-war film shot in West Virginia we are treated to a tour de' force from the amazing Martin Sheen. Supposedly based on a true story the film opens with a narration telling of a cave with carvings and dates of unknown origin. Enter Sheen as Ashby Gatrell, a conscious objector to the Civil War who lives in said cave. The film follows him as he lives off of the land like the animals, scrounging here and there and avoiding the soldiers around him. It takes erious skill to pull off this almost one man show and you can be damn sure Francis Ford Coppola had this film in mind when he casted Sheen for APOCALYPSE NOW. It is worth noting the under 40 lots of us will be stunned at how you think you are watching Emilio Estevez here rather than Sheen as they look almost identicle. Made at the height of the anti-Vietnam war movement in 1972, the juxtaposition of the two wars produces a wonderful effect. On my first viewing I was quite annoyed by the repetative soundtrack. On a recent viewing I have to wonder if director Clyde Ware didn't do this intentionaly to represent the monotiny that would eventually drive Gatrell insane. Either this or it was a budget restriction problem and it falls right in with those damn Seventies film that always seem to have some stupid folk sone in the main credits, in this case here sung by the lovely Shelby Flint. Though flawed this film delivers it's "nobody wins in war" message loud and clear and it is just as relevant today as it was when it was released.