A catch-22 is, essentially, an endless, inescapable loop.
For Yossarian, it means he’s trapped in a war.
That’s the central idea of Heller’s extremely complicated story, which jumps between various character perspectives.
By the time Clooney read the scripts, he couldn’t turn the project away.
“They did such a beautiful job,” says the 57-year-old actor-director-producer.
“So we thought, ‘Well, s, I guess we’re going to be doingCatch-22now.'”
“He can break your heart and he can do comedy.
That’s rare.”
“He constantly feels like he’s screaming down an empty hallway,” says the 33-year-old Connecticut native.
“He feels very alone.
But this isn’t a commentary on war.
It’s a commentary on the bureaucracy of war.
That’s when Clooney thought of Kyle Chandler, with whom he’d worked on 2012’s Oscar winnerArgo.
“And I’ve never seen him do anything like this.”
“This war turns people, and I think he just went mad.”
And above him, there’s General Dreedle (Peter Guinness).
As Clooney puts it, “S rolls downhill.”
And for Yossarian, that means his nightmare has no end.
But Heller’s novel isn’t revered simply for the tragedy in its tale.
It’s also an extremely satirical look at the absurdity of war.
All of which is to say: It’s funny.
It’s really, really funny.
“That’s not something I’ve ever said in a film before.”
Furthermore, Chandler recalls reading an introduction to the book written by former Virginia senator Jim Webb.
“And he was readingCatch-22.
It’s a very serious issue that allows for great humor.”
It’s that mix of comedy and truly dark drama that makesCatch-22stand out.
But its success will boil down to one thing, as far as Clooney’s concerned.
“I believe, because of Chris, you do.”
