MovieChat Forums > Catch-22 (1970) Discussion > escape (slight spoiler)

escape (slight spoiler)

posted 13 years ago by denham
3 replies | jump to latest

We're told that Orr crashes in the Med somewhere off the coast of northern Italy, and then manages to paddle all the way to neutral Sweden - a round trip of at least 4,000 miles. If he's set on reaching a neutral country, wouldn't it make more sense to fly (or some combination of fly/paddle/hike) to neutral Switzerland - a distance of about 300 miles from Pianosa? Besides which, en route to Sweden one would paddle by both neutral Spain and Portugal, and Ireland if one drifted slightly to port...

I'm aware the film and book are not entirely grounded in literalness, but still.

"I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken."

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jmarkoff2 13 years ago

It's meant to be absurd and inexplicable.

[–] neverjac 13 years ago

Paddling aside, Orr's journey doesn't have to be so unlikely. If rescued from the sea by a neutral vessel from a neutral country and taken to a neutral port, he could certainly reach Stockholm and achieve neutral Sweden. Presumably Orr had speculated that his increasing quota of lethal sorties could be utilized in reconnaissance of neutral shipping lanes.