War can squeeze every drop of innocence out of a soldier and replace it with strength, honor, and self-awareness. In the movie “Hart?s War,” the title character, Lieutenant Tommy Hart (Colin Farrell) goes through a metamorphosis of temperament while in search of admiration from his fellow soldiers and himself.

Hart is an officer?s aide in World War II who has never been to the battlefront, except on rare occasions to chauffeur an incoming soldier. On a delivery of one soldier and a case of champagne for an Allied general, he is ambushed by Germans and thrown into a prisoner-of-war camp.

In the camp, he must deal with a number of hardships, from frostbite to ridicule from soldiers and resentment from Colonel William McNamara (Bruce Willis). McNamara, a fourth-generation soldier, finds Hart weak because of his lack of involvement in the war.

When two black fighter pilots come into camp, tension mounts and results in the death of one of the pilots and a white soldier. The other pilot, Lieutenant Lincoln Scott (Terrence Dashon Howard), is put on trail for the murder of the soldier, and Hart is recruited as the pilot?s lawyer. The trial eventually reveals dishonor and shame among the soldiers, and threatens the lives of all involved.

While the movie takes place miles from the battle lines, there are plenty of conflicts brewing in the camp. The most prominent battle in the movie takes place between Hart and McNamara. McNamara thinks Hart weak and pampered, the antithesis of McNamara?s view of what a soldier and an honorable man should be.

“Hart?s War” is a fun movie to get sucked into. While it doesn?t reinvent the wheel, it?s a solid thriller with unexpected turns. The surprise ending, though extremely noble and unlikely, is a fitting Hollywood ending that will either give you chills or stomach pains.

The movie succeeds with detailed sets and lavish cinematography. It reminded me of a Eugene Smith photo stuck in a snow globe. The acting was decent, with Farrell and Howard showing the best chops. Bruce Willis is always reliable, and in this movie he?s no exception.

The only thing that stood out in the movie as a bit “Disney” was the fact that the Germans seemed to be buddies with everyone. The German Colonel (Marcel Iures) helps Hart in the case by giving him the military law book. That they are letting prisoners conduct a trial where they exude power is a bit fantastic in the first place. Nevertheless, it?s a good movie.