John Lennon's Only Non-Musical Acting Role Was in This Black War Comedy With 47% on RT

In 1967, the black comedy How I Won the War was released. It was made by Richard Lester, who directed musical films starring The Beatles.

Charles Wood wrote the screenplay based on Patrick Ryan's novel of the same name – the source material is the mocking memoirs of a naive, awkward, and ill-suited lieutenant.

The main draw for viewers was John Lennon's presence in the cast, though the singer didn't have much screen time.

What Is 'How I Won the War' About?

Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody is leading a detachment of British soldiers across the sands of West Africa. They must capture an oasis, a vital location for the command.

Goodbody isn't good at math, and to him, soldiers killed by Italian and German bullets are just statistical errors. What's far more important is carrying out orders, capturing the oasis on time, and clearing a cricket field there.

John Lennon's Role in 'How I Won the War' Sparked the Creation of "Strawberry Fields Forever"

Thanks to his acquaintance with the Fab Four, Lester was able to cast John Lennon as Private Gripweed, his only non-musical role in a movie. Lennon was so taken with the stylish, round glasses that his character wore in the film that he adopted them as part of his own style.

Lennon felt a deep sense of loneliness away from his friends and unable to express himself on set. During breaks between takes, he wrote "Strawberry Fields Forever," one of the icons of psychedelic music and a nod to his childhood in the Liverpool suburbs.

In the posters, Lennon looks out at the audience as the protagonist, even though his character speaks only a few lines and appears briefly. Ironically, the movie, which depicts how real war is replaced by myth, itself fell into the shadow of Lennon's mythic image.

'How I Won the War' Was a Caustic Satire That Contemporaries Weren't Quite Ready For

The main character of How I Won the War is a man who combines patriotic fervor with practical helplessness. He's not a villain, but his contribution to militaristic chaos is subtle yet terrifying.

He sincerely believes in the right words, has a poor grasp of reality, and translates the deaths of others into the language of his own achievements.

Lester breaks with conventional dramaturgy. There are no beautiful heroic acts or noble music to mask the senselessness, instead, there are grotesque inserts and absurd characters.

Contemporaries of How I Won the War didn't appreciate the bold move. For example, Roger Ebert criticized the director for getting carried away with technical devices without achieving the power of Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove.

These criticisms have some logic to them – the movie often feels like a project that throws all its artistic weapons into battle without ever explaining the plan. However, one thing that can't be denied about How I Won the War is its attempt to subvert the familiar language of military valor.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'How I Won the War'?

• How I Won the War has 47% from critics and 59% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, How I Won the War scored 2.9/5.0.

Where to Watch 'How I Won the War'?

How I Won the War is available to stream on Netflix.