M*A*S*H captures the meeting of the free-wheeling sentiments of the 1960s counter-culture with the cynicism that would emerge within American society in the 1970s.

Released in January 1970, whilst America was still very much mired in the controversial war in Vietnam, M*A*S*H has become one of the classic anti-war films.

Based on a novel by Richard Hooker, today M*A*S*H is noted for being an early example of Robert Altman’s ability to marshal a large ensemble cast and balance multiple storylines. However, the film’s liberal anti-war sentiments and the attempt to address institutional racism also reflect the politics of its screenwriter Ring Lardner Jnr. A member of the Hollywood 10 who had been jailed for his principles in 1950 and blacklisted until the mid-1960s, Lardner Jnr’s work on M*A*S*H would go on to win him an Oscar® for best adapted screenplay in 1971.

Content warning: the film contains outdated practices, such as negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures and mysoginistic language, which some people may find offensive.

With thanks to Park Circus and Disney.

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