During a significant high point in his career, Bruce Willis made his first war film, which has aged well in the 22 years since it was released. Bruce Willis really made a name for himself in the late 80s through the 90s, with his work in the late 90s and early 2000s in particular being some of the most interesting films he's ever been a part of. Films like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, The Sixth Senseand Unbreakable all were released within four years, while his first war film, Hart's War, came out just two years after that run.
What stands out most about this period in Willis' career is the flexibility he was able to demonstrate in his performances, as his filmography asked him to assume different tones, genres and roles. Even his somewhat underrated films like Hart's War, The boy, and The whole nine meters asked him to do very different things and two of them were released in the same year.
Bruce Willis only made two war films in his long career
Treading new paths in your career
Despite an illustrious career that spans a wide range of genres, Bruce Willis has only made two war films. The first was Hart's War, which was released in 2002, and just a year later, he starred Tears of the Sun. Although both films are considered war films, they couldn't be further from each other in terms of actual storytelling, showing the diversity that Bruce Willis had, even within the same genre.
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, he is more concerned with the past, starting with 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, known for films such as Primal Fear, Fallenand Fracture.
Hart's War saw mixed reviews upon release
A box office failure too
Looking back now, Hart's War is a strong film among the various Bruce Willis films over the years, but at the time of its release it was considered good. With just 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, Hart's War It certainly doesn't have a high critical rating alongside the best Bruce Willis films. It also received a B Cinemascore during its opening weekend, which may seem like a decent grade, but is typically seen as a bit in the middle compared to other films' scores.
As time passes, it seems Hart's War he was ahead of his time.
Not only did it receive mixed reviews, Hart's War It was also a box office failure, grossing just over $33 million worldwide against a hefty budget of $70 million.. Due to these factors, it seemed Hart's War was destined to fade into obscurity, but became a more favored entry in Bruce Willis' impressive filmography. As time passes, it seems Hart's War it was ahead of its time and featured a particularly strong performance 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's a war film, Hart's War is more concerned with its characters' interpersonal conflict outside of battle, being more of a character drama at its core. Because of this, though, the film gives Bruce Willis a lot to chew on and allows him to flex his dramatic acting muscles rather than his physical muscles for a change. In truth, may be one of Bruce Willis' best dramatic roles in his entire career.
For a significant part of his career, Bruce Willis seemed to have only been associated with the action hero, which makes sense considering he was the star of Die Hard franchise, but he was so much more, especially during the late '90s and early 2000s. During this time, Willis really showed off his dramatic talent, with films like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable allowing it to shine. Your role in Hart's War stands alongside these cultural pillars, as the material he was given to work with on the film really allows for that opportunity.
Bruce Willis was a prolific actor for decades, first finding success in the 1980s before going on to a dominant run in the 1990s and early 2000s. He is widely considered one of the greatest action stars of all time, with some of the best films of the genre to its name. Even so, Bruce Willis has always been a very good actor and managed to deliver an excellent dramatic performance. One of these presentations was in Hart's Warwhich has endured over the past 22 years to be one of Willis's most underrated gems.