M*A*S*H

THE SOURCE: MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker.  

THE ADAPTATION: Robert Altman utilized a “Naturalistic Overlap” technique to capture the chaotic, episodic nature of Hooker’s novel. While the book was a straightforward (though cynical) account of medical life in the Korean War, the film transformed it into a counter-culture anthem of the Vietnam era. Scholars often discuss the film as a “disruptive adaptation”—it took the compelling words of the source material and used them to critique the very military establishment the book described, proving that a film can reflect its own era while staying true to its source’s spirit.  

Viewer’s Guide: Adult language, sexual content, brief nudity, and graphic depictions of medical procedures.