Essay Questions

What famous painting is recreated in the film and why is it significant?

Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper is recreated as Painless is having his final meal with the men surrounding him at a long table. It is significant because Painless has decided to kill himself and this will be his last act on earth. Thus the painting translates a distorted view of Jesus' last meal with his disciples.

This would also go along with the theme song of MASH, 'Suicide is Painless'. In a MASH unit where death is everywhere, one cannot help himself to end life for what they see and have seen. Hawkeye,Trapper, Margaret, Radar, and the whole company live one day at a time in Hell and hope for salvation in what they do to improve survival of the men.

Why does Trapper punch Maj. Burns?

Burns has just accosted Boone after Boone brought him the wrong needle. A man dies because Burns didn't have the correct needle and he blames it on Boone, who isn't qualified to do the work Burns is asking of him. Trapper witnesses this and cannot allow Burns to bully this kid and hang the death of a man on an innocent person so, he confronts Burns and without a word hits him in the face to let him know he won't stand for his cruelty as everyone must endure the gruesome deaths of war.

How did Hawkeye raise to the rank of Captain in MASH?

We find out that Hawkeye is a Captain early on in the film, but we watch as he demands an atmosphere that is not formal in the traditional military sense. He wants people to address him as Hawkeye rather than Captain and he flirts and sleeps with women and drinks every night, even though he's one of the main surgeons. All of this is behavior that points to Hawkeye having been drafted and moving up the ranks rather than having made the choice to serve his country.