The Big Picture
Christopher Abbott’s role in Catch-22 showcases his range as an actor, balancing comedy with sorrow and creating a moving and compelling performance. The series captures the essence of Joseph Heller’s novel, with the directors effectively bringing out the heart and humor in the story and highlighting the absurdity of war. The supporting characters in Catch-22 are well-developed and add depth to the narrative, making each death impactful and creating a sense of attachment for the viewers.
Christopher Abbott gives his all to every role, and those roles are usually intense. In the dark and twisted Sanctuary, he plays an insecure man attempting to end things with dominatrix, Rebecca (Margaret Qualley). Maybe you know Abbott from Black Bear where he stars alongside Aubrey Plaza in the psychological thriller about a filmmaker creating his muse, or On the Count of Three, which deals with a pair of suicidal friends. He’s also acting alongside Plaza off-Broadway in the emotionally-heavy play Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, and is taking over for Ryan Gosling in Wolf Man.
Abbott gained popularity early in his career for his part in Lena Dunham’s Girls, where he played Marnie’s (Allison Williams) submissive boyfriend, Charlie. Through this role, the audience is able see his charm and potential that has now flourished into the plethora of interesting and dynamic characters that he has taken on since. He seems to have mastered the genre that makes you think: what did I just watch? In the midst of his thrilling portfolio of unique jobs, the one that you most definitely should be recognizing Abbott from is his starring role in this Hulu miniseries Catch-22.
Catch-22
Limited series adaptation of the classic Joseph Heller novel. Follows Captain John Yossarian and airmen in World War II.
Release Date May 17, 2019
Creator Luke Davies, David Michôd, Joseph Heller
Main Genre Comedy
Genres Drama , Action , Comedy
Rating TV-MA
Seasons 1
What Is Hulu’s ‘Catch-22’ About?
Based on Joseph Heller’s modern-classic novel of the same name, Catch-22 is a satirical dark comedy directed by George Clooney where the role of Abbott’s antsy Yossarian seems just about made for Abbott. Catch-22 is the story of US Army Air Forces bombardier Yossarian, who is completely and utterly terrified of flying his combat missions in World War II. His fear is integral to the core of his characterization, even embedded in his role as a bombardier. Bombardiers have the longest training period, and his logic is that, hopefully, the war would be over by the time he had finished. It didn’t.
George Clooney also plays parade-obsessed Scheisskopf, who trains Yossarian and Clevinger (Pico Alexander) prior to deployment. He is a serious General and finds himself in hilarious scenes disciplining the two soldiers. Whilst in training, we learn that Yossarian is also sleeping with Scheisskopf’s wife…and he knows. Later on in the series, Scheisskopf appears at Yossarian’s base, instilling even more fear into Abbott’s character. He is one of the main reasons that Yossarian is unable to leave the force, instilling his revenge by declining every one of the worrisome soldier’s requests, even at one point going as far as to inspect Yossarian’s injured testicles himself. The pair works well together in creating these high-tension scenes that actually come out unusually light. Clooney is able to humorously depict Scheisskopf and Abbott manages to fear him more than you would expect, both becoming as ridiculous as each other.
Christopher Abbott Strikes a Perfect Balance Between Drama and Comedy
Image via Hulu
So, what’s the catch? One of the few ways to leave the force is on the basis of insanity. However, to claim insanity because you don’t want to fly the missions proves a rational mind. He is stuck in this terrible limbo, ruled by fear and exhausting all efforts to escape from physical injury, putting off missions, and trying to complete them as fast as he can. His copilots and his friends drop like flies, making for a nerve-wracking watch that can be quite confronting at times.
Related The World War II Anime That Will Leave You Completely Haunted And no, it’s not ‘Grave of the Fireflies’.
One of the greatest examples of Abbott’s range is in how he bounces back from an accident. After an unfortunate testicular injury, that “luckily” misses anything important forbidding him from going home, he returns to complete yet another mission. During the mission, the aircraft is hit, striking a new recruit to which Yossarian runs to his aid. Upon further inspection, Yossarian noticed three sinister impact holes in the aircraft wall where the young boy was leaning against, leaving his insides to pour out of his body and collect inside his jacket.
It is a devastating dichotomy at the start of the episode, where Yossarian is hilariously begging the surrounding Italians to tell him if he had “uno balls” or “due balls.” This becomes one of the most sorrowful and tender scenes of the series, and the pinnacle of Abbott’s performance. He can skillfully balance pity and sadness with comedy, amidst the confines of Yossarian’s funny inferiority complex, making for a moving watch that sits perfectly in-between a depressing WWII drama and an unbelievable comedy.
Christopher Abbott Brings ‘Catch-22’ to Life
With Catch-22 being such a well-regarded and impactful novel of the 20th century, its success as a TV miniseries heavily relies on the lead, Yossarian, as it is about what is going on in his mind. In the series, Abbott channels this hilariously pitiful energy, similar to that we have seen in some of his most recent roles. The actor has the ability to morph his face into a weary but hopeful look, in characters that are so down and out that they are willing to go to great, extensive lengths to get out of where they are. Abbott not only excels in psychological thrillers and dramas, but particularly his work that engages in intimate conversations and scenes sitting across from other great actors. In Catch-22, we witness the deep connections that Yossarian builds with his comrades, where, regardless of the limited scenes, we get to the heart and soul of those around him.
The audience can adopt the deep raging feelings that Yossarian harbors, humanizing the army of men alongside him that could have easily become blurred and one-dimensional robots of war. Like many of Abbott’s characters, Yossarian is an existentialist and experiences his emotions freely. He doesn’t have a filter, so all of his fear, doubt, sympathy, and thoughtfulness pour out unashamedly. It makes for a compelling watch, letting us get up close and personal with the inner workings of Yossarian and those around him.
‘Catch-22’ Is an Excellent World War II Satire
However, Abbott’s performance is not the only reason you need to watch this series. Catch-22 is packed with unique and addicting personalities that fill the show with enough heart to make the array of deaths each as poignant and tragic as the last. From outspoken Clevinger, adaptable Milo (Daniel David Stewart), and naive Nately (Austin Stowell), each of Yossarian’s peers are independent and greatly written characters, who you really start to become attached to and care for, making each death as impactful and poignant as the last. Outside the command of soldiers, Yossarian builds a relationship with his doctor and voice-of-reason Doc Daneeka (Grant Heslov). Doc Daneeka explains the catch-22 to Yossarian and in turn to the audience, and his presence is essential to breaking down the absurd logic of his situation.
Directors George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Ellen Kuras do a fantastic job of encapsulating the heart of the original in the miniseries, alongside its iconic comedic disposition that not only makes it digestible to the viewer but also reflects the flippant attitudes of those in charge. Christopher Abbott’s role in Catch-22 is easily one of his best performances and is key to the successful translation of Heller’s novel from paper to screen. His embodiment of Yossarian is to be greatly commended and presents Abbott’s range as an actor. Alongside this, Catch-22 exudes a plethora of great performances and is definitely worth giving a watch if you haven’t already.
Catch-22 is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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