From The School Of Very Long Movie Titles comes a story that is surprising tender and less violent than its title implies. Don’t get me wrong, Sam Elliott still kicks ass in this movie, but he’s also here to let us know that it’s fine to let go of old stories of the past. Before we do, however, here’s one that nobody has ever told you.
The Who Killed Hitler and then The Bigfoot is a story about myths and nostalgia. It’s about a man who accomplished many great things including killing Hitler, an event that was written out of history. He’s a true American hero, and called upon for duty for one last task.
The movie moves in two timelines. We get the story of Carlin Barr (Sam Elliott) a retired vet trying to sort out things with his brother, and the story of Carlin Barr (Aidan Turner) and how he went across enemy lines for a murder mission he might not come back from. Later on, we’ll discover how much he was in love with Maxine (Caitlin Fitzgerald) and how he yearned to come back to marry her.
Director, writer and producer Robert D. Krzykowski brings us a tale of a man who did his duty and served his country but never got much out of it due to the secrecy implied. Sam Elliott shines on this as the older Carlin Barr explains why he’s not a hero even after his deeds of the past. Aidan Turner succeeds in bringing us the younger version, slightly more awkward but still very much heroic. The movie is more a drama/comedy than an action film, which is not a bad thing. Some of the stories don’t have a completely satisfying resolution.
Recommended with reservations. Fantasia crowds as a whole loved this film, but I know that a lot of them went in expecting a lot more action. The story is far deeper, dealing with leaving behind the past. It also works as a deconstruction of the mythical hero image. Carlin Barr never wanted to be a hero. He wanted to serve, and he wanted to have as much as a life after his time was done. As harsh as it is, he doesn’t get a totally happy ending but a realistic one. That’s as good as we all can aspire to have.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 