Slaughterhouse Five-1972

Director George Roy Hill

Starring Michael Sacks

Scott’s Review #84

Reviewed July 1, 2014

Grade: A-

Slaughterhouse-Five, adapted from the novel of the same name and released in 1972, is a dreamlike visual experience that moves through cinematic time.

The main character (Billie Pilgrim) is a World War II soldier who survives a horrific explosion during the war, and he, along with the viewer, floats through time to relive, but not change, three other periods in his life.

It is a first-person narrative.

As a senior during the most engaging period, he is transported to a lavish planet in outer space where he falls in love with a Goddess.

The film has a clear anti-war sentiment, and it’s cerebral, unique, mesmerizing, and tough to explain, but dreamy, clever, and surprisingly fresh after 30-plus years. It should be experienced.

It is a science fiction film.

My favorite scene is the humorous, yet tragic, runaway Cadillac scene.

Golden Globe Nominations: New Star of the Year-Actor-Michael Sacks