PodBill Just what I expected

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

bombersflyup Sergeant York is amazingly both laughable and wondrous.The first portion of the film is like watching neanderthals. See girl, have girl, no real dialogue and now they are to be married. The writing is horrible throughout, yet it was still able to draw me in. It's quite sad to see what the world has become, when I see a film like this. The simplicity of it all, what a splendid sight, but I cannot just look past all that is wrong with the film for the good in it. I know this film was made because he was a war hero, but the last third only hindered it for me. Cary Cooper is a wonderful actor though and could of definitely used some support here.

nammage This has been my favorite film since I was 12 years old in 1989. I'm not the type of person who has heroes but if I did Alvin York probably would be it. York the person, not the WWI hero he's been portrayed as. He wouldn't allow a film to be made about him because he didn't want to glorify violence especially of war and the death it entailed. He felt sorrow for the men he killed during the war his entire life.Obviously this film is propaganda; the fact York would only allow Gary Cooper to play him is probably one of the main reasons it wasn't made until 1940. Film execs tried for many years before then but York kept saying 'no'. The average difference of the two during WWI is huge. York was 28 and Cooper was 39 to 40 when making the film. Then you have Joan Leslie, really good in her part but she was 15 years old when this film was made. Kind of uncomfortable watching a 40 year old making out with a 15 year old but it is just acting, I guess. Joan Leslie was great in her role, I really can't imagine anyone else playing Grace.This film sort of portrayed York as an atheist who turned Christian. Never happened. He was always a Christian. The only change was that he became a pacifist Christian like his mother. As an atheist myself (for 28 years) I find that not only insulting atheists but also York himself. That's part of the propaganda that is this film. It was made for the looming war about to happen whether that year or the next. The film also made it seem as if York solely captured 132 Germans when in fact that's slightly untrue. He had help. Two of which didn't receive awards for their actions until decades later. One, not until the mid 1960s. There's a lot of fiction in this film which is why I never get my history from film; almost every film dealing with history always fictionalizes for some type of benefit. Which is sad, really. Unlike other propaganda films of the time this one has good production value, strong cast, great script, etc., if one who has seen the film knows about the actual York then one would know even his "biography/diary" was fictionalized but on York's end it had a good purpose rather thsn a deceitful one: he was trying to bring education to Tennessee people like him who had little to no education at all.Now while I like this film because of York, what he did, etc., he's not my favorite in this film. George Tobias as 'Pusher' is my favorite in this film. I've never seen a film Tobias was in that I didn't like and his character in this was great. A lot of things wrong with this film but a lot of things right with it which, ironically, makes it quite perfect. To know the true story of this film, as stated above: don't read his diary, unless you can find the original diary because otherwise his life outside this film is somewhat fictional, for good reasons, though. Even a lot of the speeches he gave in real life were written by other people, professional writers, for him to say. One can tell by how grammatically correct they are. York was borderline illiterate, he spoke and wrote how he thought; he was only in school for less than a year as a child. His childhood was the epitome of poverty. Children back then didn't go to school, they worked the fields. York was a violent alcoholic, that is true but he attended church regularly. He was never an atheist, as stated. It's a great film but mainly fiction.

grantss Great WW1 drama.The story of the making of an American military legend. A quiet, unassuming man becomes a hero on the battlefields of World War 1.My first reaction was that the plot was a bit far-fetched, then I discovered that it was a true story! Pretty amazing stuff. Takes a while to get going though, and the dialogue can be irritatingly folksy, and these detract from what is otherwise a good movie. Once it gets going though, it is well worth the watch.Gary Cooper gives a superb performance in the lead role, well deserving his Best Actor Oscar. I actually can't imagine anyone else in the role, it is so perfect for him.

gilligan1965 This is a Classic American Movie about a Classic American Hero portrayed by a Classic American Actor! It just doesn't get any better than this!Alvin York has been a hero of mine since I read of him and saw this movie as a child. What a Great American Hero...just like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett before him; and, George Patton and Audie Murphy after him!This is entirely a great achievement. This movie is of great production quality, and, with a great cast; and, there's no one whom I can think of who'd have been a better choice to portray Alvin York than Gary Cooper. In fact, Alvin York wouldn't allow a movie to be made about him unless Gary Cooper portrayed him.Like many other movies at various times, this movie came out right at a time when America needed to be reminded of its heroes, World War II. Also, because of a hip injury and his age, Gary Cooper was exempt from military service...so, he considered this movie his contribution to the war effort.This is the kind of movie about the kind of hero portrayed by the kind of movie star that makes me very proud of America and to be American.*NOTE - For all 'un-non-and-anti-Americans' who gave this movie a low rating and insulted it in any way, I can understand your envy, shame, defeat, and, self-loathing! For all 'Americans' who did the same...go live elsewhere, you won't be missed!