Burt Lancaster leads the able cast assembled here for a WWII tale of an eyepatch wearing Major and his team of quirky characters, who take over the isolated Belgian castle of a Count played by Jean-Pierre Aumont. They are determined to defend it from the Germans, even as the war is starting to move towards a conclusion. The Captain on the team, a man named Beckman (Patrick O'Neal),knows that he would rather the Nazis not get their hands on the vast treasures taking up space inside this castle.

"Castle Keep" is based on a novel by William Eastlake, and is directed by Sydney Pollack, the latter making one of his more intriguing films. It does come off as a bit pretentious and self-consciously "arty" at times, but at the same time does make some interesting parallels between art and war. Beckman, in fact, tries to drive this idea home to a rather disinterested bunch of soldiers, as he gives them a lecture on art history.

This picture does become more conventional as it goes along, delivering some genuinely intense battle scenes that are pretty exciting. Overall, it's still more of a war drama "for the thinking person", albeit with some memorable absurdist humour. (Scott Wilson plays a Private named Clearboy who becomes enamoured of a Volkswagen, and saves it from receiving a death sentence.)

Lancaster is efficient as always, in a rather unsympathetic role, but concedes the major acting showcases to under-rated actors such as O'Neal and Al Freeman Jr. (as the Private with literary aspirations),and the typically amusing Peter Falk as a Sergeant who temporarily puts fighting on hold to pursue his more valued vocation of baker. The excellent ensemble also includes the gorgeous Astrid Heeren as the Countess, Tony Bill as the serious-minded Lieutenant, James Patterson as the "Indian" soldier Elk, Bruce Dern as a conscientious objector who's found religion, and Michael Conrad as Sergeant DeVaca.

This viewer would agree that "Castle Keep" is not for all tastes. However, it does provide a striking and surreal alternative to the traditional war film.

Seven out of 10.

There are some moments in this war drama that can be constituted as classic. A discussion with soldiers over changing sexual ethics; a conversation between an American soldier playing the flute and a hidden German soldiers who offers to make it sound better. The crossing of paths with locales near the Belgian castle nearing its 1,000th birthday. Pretty scenery, interesting individual characters and some entertaining and often ironic situations. Oh, and virtually plot less.

Burt Lancaster headlines as the one- eyed commanding officer, getting a historical viewpoint of the history as he plans how to get his troop out of there. Peter Falk delivers the typical cynical, acidic performance, taking the issue of the German flutist into his own hands. "I'm a soldier. That's what we do.", he says, following the analogy of the frog and the scorpion. Rarely in films about American soldiers do you see one where a character is as amoral and cold hearted as this one. Well, not until Tom Berenger in "Platoon" that is. The film hits its height nearing the end with an air attack that is quite brutal.

When the plot does finally kick in (essentially their story of survival and keeping the Germans from taking over the castle),you are engrossed with what's happening, so it's easy to be inclined to think that it's a better film than it is. Going into Boris Karloff territory by basically playing exactly the same character that Karloff did in "The Last Patrol", Bruce Dern goes way over the top. Jean Pierre Aumont plays the most idealistic of the men trapped in the castle, but the least defined. This movie is just one variation of the reminder of how far the second world war reached, and instills the theory that we can't afford another one as it could be our last.

Castle Keep has Burt Lancaster as an American major with a squad of about a dozen picked men, drawing the assignment to defend a medieval castle that just happens to stand directly on the road to Bastogne. It's December of 1944 and the Nazis have been almost pushed back to Germany. The war could be over and this might be a chance to get a little R&R. Our squad certainly takes advantage of it. Most enjoy the pleasures of the local bordello, Sergeant Peter Falk takes up with the baker's wife and gets back to his civilian occupation as well. And Burt has an affair with the countess of the castle.

What makes it even nicer is that the count, Jean-Pierre Aumont approves completely. He's impotent and it's important the name survive if not the genes. Captain Patrick O'Neal however is entranced with the art collection. But he's distressed to find he's not fighting in the American army, but among Philistines with this blue collar patrol.

Basically these guys sit around, drink, kanoodle, find other occupations like baking for Falk and fixing up a Volkswagen for Scott Wilson. And endlessly talk. Then the Germans arrive and the action begins in this last stand film as the Battle of the Bulge gets started.

This was director Sydney Pollack's second film with Burt Lancaster and he was something of a protégé for Lancaster. Lancaster liked the book this was based on and had worked with Pollack before in the much better The Scalphunters.

To me this film was deadly dull until the shooting starts. I can't for the life of me see why some folks love it so.