"The Mosquito Bowl" and the human cost of war
Summary
Director Peter Berg’s film “The Mosquito Bowl,” based on Buzz Bissinger’s book, tells the story of four All-American football players who joined the Marines after Pearl Harbor and later fought in the Pacific. Berg says the film focuses on the human cost of war, including the Battle of Okinawa, and recreates the 0-0 football game played on Guadalcanal before Marines shipped out.Key Facts
- The film is directed by Peter Berg and is based on a book by Buzz Bissinger.
- The story follows four All-American football players who volunteered for the Marines after Pearl Harbor.
- The film’s first battle sequence depicts Tarawa, where footage of American dead on the beach brought the war’s human cost to U.S. audiences.
- Berg researched the film at Marine boot camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, where he wrote much of the script.
- The Mosquito Bowl was a December 1944 game on Guadalcanal between two Marine regiments that ended in a 0-0 tie.
- Neal McCallum, now 99, attended the game after joining the Marine Corps shortly after his 17th birthday.
- Berg said his father served as a Marine during the Korean War and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
