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During a significant high point in his career, Bruce Willis made his first war movie, which has actually aged well in the 22 years since it was first released. Bruce Willis really made a name for himself in the late 80s through the 90s, with his late '90s and early 2000s work in particular being some of the most interesting films he has ever been part of. Films like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable all came out within four years, while his first war film, Hart's War, came out just two years after that run.
What particularly stands out during this period of Willis' career is how much flexibility he was able to show in his performances, as his filmography asked him to slip into different tones, genres, and roles. Even his somewhat underrated films, like Hart's War, The Kid, and The Whole Nine Yards asked him to do very different things and two of those came out in the same year.
Bruce Willis Only Made 2 War Movies In His Long Career
Treading New Ground In His Career
Despite an illustrious career spanning a wide variety of genres, Bruce Willis has only made two war movies. The first was Hart's War, which was released in 2002, and only a year later, he starred in Tears of the Sun. Even though both of these films are considered war movies, they couldn't be further from each other in terms of actual narrative, showing the diverse range Bruce Willis had even within roughly the same genre.
Hart's War was the better received film compared to Tears of the Sun.
Tears of the Sun revolves around a fictional 21st-century war that is a version of the civil war in Nigeria. Hart's War, on the other hand, is more concerned with the past, beginning with the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The film is based on the novel of the same name by author John Katzenbac and Bruce Willis plays Colonel William McNamara alongside Colin Farrell as the titular character, Lieutenant Thomas Hart. It was directed by Gregory Hoblit, who is known for films like Primal Fear, Fallen, and Fracture.
Hart's War Saw Mixed Reviews On Release
A Box Office Failure, Too
Looking back on it now, Hart's War is a strong film among Bruce Willis' various films over the years, but at the time of its release, it was considered just okay. Sitting at just 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, Hart's War certainly doesn't rank high critically alongside Bruce Willis' best films. It also received a B Cinemascore during its opening weekend, which might seem like a decent grade, but is typically viewed a bit in the middle compared to scores for other films.
As time goes on, it feels like Hart's War was ahead of its time.
Not only did it receive mixed reviews, Hart's War was also a box office failure, making just over $33 million worldwide against a robust $70 million budget. Because of these factors, it seemed like Hart's War was destined to fade into obscurity, but it has become a more favored entry in Bruce Willis' impressive filmography. As time goes on, it feels like Hart's War was ahead of its time and features some particularly strong acting from Willis.
22 Years Later, Hart's War Is One Of Bruce Willis' Best Dramatic Roles
His Dramatic Strength Is On Full Display
Even though it is a war film, Hart's War is more concerned with the interpersonal conflict of its characters outside of battle, with it being more of a character drama at its heart. Because of this, though, the film gives Bruce Willis plenty to chew on, and allows him to flex his dramatic acting muscles instead of his physical muscles for a change. In fact, it might be one of Bruce Willis' best dramatic roles in his entire career.
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For a significant portion of his career, Bruce Willis seemed to have been associated with being only the action hero, which makes sense, considering he was the star of the Die Hard franchise, but he was so much more, particularly during his late 90s to early 2000s run. During that time, Willis really showed off his dramatic talent, with films like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable allowing him to shine. His role in Hart's War sits alongside those cultural cornerstones, as the material he was given to work with in the film really allows that opportunity.
Bruce Willis was a prolific actor for decades, first making it big in the 1980s before having a dominant run in the 90s and into the early 2000s. He is largely considered one of the greatest action stars of all time, with some of the genre's best movies to his name. Even then, Bruce Willis was always a very good actor, and could deliver a superb dramatic performance. One of those performances was in Hart's War, which has endured over the past 22 years to be one of Willis' more underrated gems.
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Hart's War is a war drama centered on Col. William McNamara, played by Bruce Willis, who, while held in a German POW camp, meticulously orchestrates a clandestine operation. With the aid of a young lieutenant, he aims to outwit his captors and alter the course of World War II.
Director Gregory Hoblit
Release Date February 15, 2002
Character(s) Col. William A. McNamara , Lt. Thomas W. Hart , Lt. Lincoln A. Scott , Col. Werner Visser , Staff Sgt. Vic W. Bedford , Capt. Peter A. Ross , Lt. Lamar T. Archer , Sgt. Carl S. Webb , Col. J.M. Lange , Pfc. W. Roy Potts , Pvt. Daniel E. Abrams , Pvt. Lewis P. Wakely , Pfc. Dennis A. Gerber , Capt. R.G. Sisk , Cpl. Joe S. Cromin , Maj. Joe Clary , Pvt. Bert D. 'Moose' Codman , Pvt. G.H. 'Cookie' Bell , Cpl. D.F. Lisko , as Cpl. B.J. 'Depot' Guidry , Guard , Uncredited , MP Sergeant
Runtime 125 minutes
English (US) ·