Artie Crawford (Pierce Brosnan) remembers things. The 92-year-old WWII vet remembers the white flowers, the forest stillness, the sun at the meadow’s edge. He remembers the sounds too: the rapid-fire machine gun, the explosions, the screams.
The Last Rifleman is about an old soldier who must return to Normandy’s battlefront 75 years later and, despite being confined in a nursing home, does just that. Hurdles abound for this aged soldier, including serious health challenges, but there are friends along the way who are willing to help.
According to Thought Catalogue, British D-Day veteran Bernard Jordan provided inspiration for the storyline.
Pierce Brosnan grumbles and stoops like some 92-year-old men. His bright-eyed glances, though, are all Brosnan.
A wide cast includes French actor and model Clémence Poésy, German actor Jürgen Prochnow, and John Amos (Good Times, Roots). This was Amos’ last role before his 2024 death. Irish actress Stella McCusker plays Maggie, Artie’s wife.
According to IMDb, director Terry Loane is an award-winning Irish screenwriter known for Mickybo &Me (2004) and In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023).
This movie reminded me of Richard Farnsworth’s The Straight Story (1999). If you loved that quiet road drama, you’d love this poignant tale that’s also quiet and slow. The Last Rifleman is similar, too, in how our protagonist meets people who need to meet him. Its PG-13 rating is because of war scenes. (Amazon Prime Video)
About the Author
Cynthia Beach authored the 2024 novel, The Surface of Water, and the writing book, Creative Juices for Writers. She co-directs Scriptoria Workshop with Newbery-winner Gary Schmidt. In 2025-6, she will serve as Artist in Residence in Dundee, Scotland.