Showing posts with label War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
"1917"
A remarkable story - common soldiers, stuffy brass, and a whole lot of folks caught up in a story none of them wanted, but for which they suffered and died. As a war movie, it's an anti-war movie - and from the perspective of the trenches, with all of their blood, gore, filth and disease ... when killing the "enemy" is the only thing that counts. The cinematography is, of course, fantastic - long, long, shots without cutting ... some of the most elaborate sets ever, the trenches. And lighting - flames at night, flares ... and in it all, what soldiers seem always to say: they end up fighting, not for a cause, but for one another.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
"American Sniper"
American Sniper is an excellent piece of work, a subtle anti-war film if I've ever seen one ... "war is hell," and that's made abundantly clear here. I was worried, from some of what I've read, that it glorified war; it doesn't.
Throughout the film, bits and pieces lift up the futility, the aimless of war. I was particularly moved by the opening scene of the young Chris Kyle being raised in a "Southern Warrior" home ... a belt-loving father, a hunter, a quiet, if not silenced, mother, going to church - the toxic mix of religion and violence throughout the South.
Kyle had four tours of duty ... a profound dislocation for him, for his wife and his children. Where was home? Was it with his family, or with his "family" over there? The horror of war is clear ... this is not glory, this is pain and fear and sorrow and stress of the worst kind.
Kyle does his job. He's a Southern Warrior - not an evil man, but an innocent man, a good man, devoted to his country, his god and his buddies. Like Graham Greene says in one of his novels, "Dear God, save us from the innocent and the good." With that said, it's clear that Kyle was neither a mean man nor one who lusted for blood. He was a Southern Warrior, a class in America, if not a caste, like those found throughout history and cultures - a class of people who, by instinct and tradition, are warriors, willing to put their lives on the line for the cause of god, nation and the good, as they see it.
At the end, news footage of his funeral procession, and thousands lining the highway with flags a-waving. The hurt and pain of a soldier's life all covered up and glorified with the Stars and Stripes.
I don't think anyone seeing this movie would come out cheering ... I think it provokes lots of questions about what America is doing to its soldiers, and to the world.
I thought the "enemy" was decently portrayed - mostly, I think. The enemy sniper was no different than Kyle - a soldier doing his job. One character, "the butcher" was portrayed as a man of great evil ... but the enemy was simply that.
Blood and gore ... sudden death ... who's the enemy? women and children ... as is done in all wars by occupied peoples; sadly, women and children are called upon to defend their homes, their land, their families, too.
Acting is superb - Bradley Cooper is astonishing, and so is everyone else. My son noticed the evolution of equipment from Kyle's first tour to the fourth.
Kyle's belief rarely wavered, though at the end, he was ready to come home ... not just be stateside, but to come home, not only in body, but with soul, too, to his family.
That he was murdered by another vet whom he was trying to help is full of profound irony. Who knows how life would have gone on for him - it seems that he was making the transition to civilian life.
That Greg Abbot should declare a Chris Kyle Day is also ironic, and sad - for a man who only did his duty, who was not interested in his "legend," who only wanted to serve his country, not be used by a political hack to further the culture of violence and American pride.
Worth seeing? For sure ... you'll come out as I did - appreciative of this strange Warrior Class, and one member of it: Chris Kyle, and all the more determined that we end our nation's warring madness ... as Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote:
Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.
Throughout the film, bits and pieces lift up the futility, the aimless of war. I was particularly moved by the opening scene of the young Chris Kyle being raised in a "Southern Warrior" home ... a belt-loving father, a hunter, a quiet, if not silenced, mother, going to church - the toxic mix of religion and violence throughout the South.
Kyle had four tours of duty ... a profound dislocation for him, for his wife and his children. Where was home? Was it with his family, or with his "family" over there? The horror of war is clear ... this is not glory, this is pain and fear and sorrow and stress of the worst kind.
Kyle does his job. He's a Southern Warrior - not an evil man, but an innocent man, a good man, devoted to his country, his god and his buddies. Like Graham Greene says in one of his novels, "Dear God, save us from the innocent and the good." With that said, it's clear that Kyle was neither a mean man nor one who lusted for blood. He was a Southern Warrior, a class in America, if not a caste, like those found throughout history and cultures - a class of people who, by instinct and tradition, are warriors, willing to put their lives on the line for the cause of god, nation and the good, as they see it.
At the end, news footage of his funeral procession, and thousands lining the highway with flags a-waving. The hurt and pain of a soldier's life all covered up and glorified with the Stars and Stripes.
I don't think anyone seeing this movie would come out cheering ... I think it provokes lots of questions about what America is doing to its soldiers, and to the world.
I thought the "enemy" was decently portrayed - mostly, I think. The enemy sniper was no different than Kyle - a soldier doing his job. One character, "the butcher" was portrayed as a man of great evil ... but the enemy was simply that.
Blood and gore ... sudden death ... who's the enemy? women and children ... as is done in all wars by occupied peoples; sadly, women and children are called upon to defend their homes, their land, their families, too.
Acting is superb - Bradley Cooper is astonishing, and so is everyone else. My son noticed the evolution of equipment from Kyle's first tour to the fourth.
Kyle's belief rarely wavered, though at the end, he was ready to come home ... not just be stateside, but to come home, not only in body, but with soul, too, to his family.
That he was murdered by another vet whom he was trying to help is full of profound irony. Who knows how life would have gone on for him - it seems that he was making the transition to civilian life.
That Greg Abbot should declare a Chris Kyle Day is also ironic, and sad - for a man who only did his duty, who was not interested in his "legend," who only wanted to serve his country, not be used by a political hack to further the culture of violence and American pride.
Worth seeing? For sure ... you'll come out as I did - appreciative of this strange Warrior Class, and one member of it: Chris Kyle, and all the more determined that we end our nation's warring madness ... as Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote:
Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Rambo
Okay, so I'm a sucker for Stallone.
I liked it.
Great soundtrack, good story, Rambo with his sullen, silent rage, and all the 50-caliber mayhem you could want.
I was particularly taken with the story and its portrayal of Christians. So often, Christians are simply stereotyped as either bigoted and shallow, or perverted and evil. Here, they're real people, with passion and compassion. They're shown interacting with the people: doctors dressing wounds and giving out medications; missionaries teaching the gospel - caught in the middle of a terribly difficult situation, where violence, sadly, has its place. The writer of Ecclesiastes said it well: "There is a time for war."
The soundtrack was one of the best - the visual beauty of the jungle and the river was captured well - reminded me of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Mosquito Coast."
The battle scene at the end - what we're all expecting - doesn't disappoint. Well choreographed, well filmed and edited, it's one of the best!
Is Stallone an actor?
Yes. I've never forgotten him in "Cop Land," one of Stallone's best performances. Here, in Rambo, Stallone, captures a character - troubled, alone, carrying huge demons of the soul, nonetheless, with a sense of justice and shreds of compassion. And like all beasts, here we see beauty taming him. The plot at this point might have gone south - a first kiss and then some steamy sex - but thankfully, the writers didn't go there. Rambo remains Rambo - a man looking at life from afar.
Stallone is criticized for this roll, but it touches a nerve in our spirit and tells a story lived by many. Veterans of war all carry some demons, but millions of human beings live lives of quiet desperation, never quite knowing who they are or where they're going, weighted down by some unnamed weight of rage.
In the end, we see him back in the US of A, on a country road by a weathered mailbox, and on it, the name Rambo. As the credits roll, we watch John walk the long driveway downhill to the farm where his father lives. How long has it been?
It's home for him.
And that's a good prayer ... for all the Rambos of our world - for they are many - to find home again ... if not literally, at least in their own soul and memories, or with a friend ... with God ... somewhere, somehow, to be reconciled and find peace.
I liked it.
Great soundtrack, good story, Rambo with his sullen, silent rage, and all the 50-caliber mayhem you could want.
I was particularly taken with the story and its portrayal of Christians. So often, Christians are simply stereotyped as either bigoted and shallow, or perverted and evil. Here, they're real people, with passion and compassion. They're shown interacting with the people: doctors dressing wounds and giving out medications; missionaries teaching the gospel - caught in the middle of a terribly difficult situation, where violence, sadly, has its place. The writer of Ecclesiastes said it well: "There is a time for war."
The soundtrack was one of the best - the visual beauty of the jungle and the river was captured well - reminded me of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Mosquito Coast."
The battle scene at the end - what we're all expecting - doesn't disappoint. Well choreographed, well filmed and edited, it's one of the best!
Is Stallone an actor?
Yes. I've never forgotten him in "Cop Land," one of Stallone's best performances. Here, in Rambo, Stallone, captures a character - troubled, alone, carrying huge demons of the soul, nonetheless, with a sense of justice and shreds of compassion. And like all beasts, here we see beauty taming him. The plot at this point might have gone south - a first kiss and then some steamy sex - but thankfully, the writers didn't go there. Rambo remains Rambo - a man looking at life from afar.
Stallone is criticized for this roll, but it touches a nerve in our spirit and tells a story lived by many. Veterans of war all carry some demons, but millions of human beings live lives of quiet desperation, never quite knowing who they are or where they're going, weighted down by some unnamed weight of rage.
In the end, we see him back in the US of A, on a country road by a weathered mailbox, and on it, the name Rambo. As the credits roll, we watch John walk the long driveway downhill to the farm where his father lives. How long has it been?
It's home for him.
And that's a good prayer ... for all the Rambos of our world - for they are many - to find home again ... if not literally, at least in their own soul and memories, or with a friend ... with God ... somewhere, somehow, to be reconciled and find peace.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Lions for Lambs
Tight drama ... script and actor driven ...
Cruise better than I had anticipated ... a smarmy young Republican who could score some points, nonetheless, with an aging journalist (Streep) trying to recover her integrity in an industry that had long since traded away news for ratings and profits.
Redford is the quintessential college professor, trying desperately to awaken young minds to their responsibility for the world - here is where the story becomes very good: two of his students decide to join the army and make their stand as soldiers. Though the professor strongly disagrees, he nonetheless supports their heart for making things better.
In this film, no one is innocent in the current mess - but it's the soldier who is spared - a lesson we learned from Vietnam - the grunt in the rice paddy is not the enemy - he's a lion - being led by politicians who have never bled on the battlefield - men who are lambs (from a German general in WW 1 - of the British soldier - lions - being led by the inept lambs).
Hats off to Redford and company for producing a film that avoids the cliches and easy categories, yet relies upon truisms that are simply that - always true.
To the young man in his office, Redford says something like, "Adulthood sneaks up on you. You're 10 decisions into it before you realize it. The decisions you make now you will live with the rest of your life" (this is a script I'd love to read).
Great music throughout ... I loved the abrupt ending ... you live with your decisions ... or die with them ... and as the credits began to roll, the theater (Arclight - LA) remained dark - folks sat there, and then one of the credits, in the background, a scattering of political buttons inscribed with one word, "Vote."
That's the message ... cast your vote, and vote with your life. If you've been given a silver spoon, use it to feed the hungry.
You can make a difference!
Cruise better than I had anticipated ... a smarmy young Republican who could score some points, nonetheless, with an aging journalist (Streep) trying to recover her integrity in an industry that had long since traded away news for ratings and profits.
Redford is the quintessential college professor, trying desperately to awaken young minds to their responsibility for the world - here is where the story becomes very good: two of his students decide to join the army and make their stand as soldiers. Though the professor strongly disagrees, he nonetheless supports their heart for making things better.
In this film, no one is innocent in the current mess - but it's the soldier who is spared - a lesson we learned from Vietnam - the grunt in the rice paddy is not the enemy - he's a lion - being led by politicians who have never bled on the battlefield - men who are lambs (from a German general in WW 1 - of the British soldier - lions - being led by the inept lambs).
Hats off to Redford and company for producing a film that avoids the cliches and easy categories, yet relies upon truisms that are simply that - always true.
To the young man in his office, Redford says something like, "Adulthood sneaks up on you. You're 10 decisions into it before you realize it. The decisions you make now you will live with the rest of your life" (this is a script I'd love to read).
Great music throughout ... I loved the abrupt ending ... you live with your decisions ... or die with them ... and as the credits began to roll, the theater (Arclight - LA) remained dark - folks sat there, and then one of the credits, in the background, a scattering of political buttons inscribed with one word, "Vote."
That's the message ... cast your vote, and vote with your life. If you've been given a silver spoon, use it to feed the hungry.
You can make a difference!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Turtles Can Fly
“Turtles Can Fly,” an Iraqi film about children in war – heart-wrenching – terrible reminder that adults fight the wars, but the children fight, too – to understand, to survive, to make sense out of it, and find their own way.
The children die, too; they lose limbs, family and friends – they lose their character, their childhood, their hope. Powerful nations, such as ourselves, like to glorify war, and memory itself cleanses us of the terror, and all we have left is the glory, such as our memories of “The War” – a war with a good cause, I suppose, and America has been looking ever since for another good cause to support its aggressive policies throughout the world. We are an aggressor nation! Oops, did I just write that?
But getting back to the film - tremendous acting, pathos, sorrow - a portrait of children in war.
"Wars and rumors of wars" said Jesus. Yup, and how we love 'em - the smell of napalm in the morning ... damn the torpedoes, full-speed ahead ... American, right or wrong ... and all the other nonsense that fuels the illusion.
I suppose some wars are necessary, and some may even have the hint of virtue in our all-too violent world, but war is hell, that's for sure, so we need journalists to remind us, and pundits to challenge us, and touching, searing, films like this, lest we succumb to our own self-spun illusions and turn a blind eye to the truth.
PG-13 - a fine film in all regards: music, just enough; the acting superb, cinematography and script conjoining to bring it home. Children are survivors, and love springs eternal in their little hearts, but even the young have limits, and sometimes what happens to them is beyond their powers of recovery. For those who bring such harm to these little ones, it would be better for them to have a millstone tied to their neck and be thrown into the sea (Jesus).
I pray for the day when the Jesus-followers of America will be able to separate their faith from their love of country, and to be the best of all patriots, those who can carry on a lover's quarrel with a good nation that can often to terrible things. The illusions of our innocence serve us poorly.
Better to know the truth and then make terrible decisions rather than masking our behavior with religious cant and swaggering pomp.
"Turtles can fly" - no, they can't fly. They die!
The children die, too; they lose limbs, family and friends – they lose their character, their childhood, their hope. Powerful nations, such as ourselves, like to glorify war, and memory itself cleanses us of the terror, and all we have left is the glory, such as our memories of “The War” – a war with a good cause, I suppose, and America has been looking ever since for another good cause to support its aggressive policies throughout the world. We are an aggressor nation! Oops, did I just write that?
But getting back to the film - tremendous acting, pathos, sorrow - a portrait of children in war.
"Wars and rumors of wars" said Jesus. Yup, and how we love 'em - the smell of napalm in the morning ... damn the torpedoes, full-speed ahead ... American, right or wrong ... and all the other nonsense that fuels the illusion.
I suppose some wars are necessary, and some may even have the hint of virtue in our all-too violent world, but war is hell, that's for sure, so we need journalists to remind us, and pundits to challenge us, and touching, searing, films like this, lest we succumb to our own self-spun illusions and turn a blind eye to the truth.
PG-13 - a fine film in all regards: music, just enough; the acting superb, cinematography and script conjoining to bring it home. Children are survivors, and love springs eternal in their little hearts, but even the young have limits, and sometimes what happens to them is beyond their powers of recovery. For those who bring such harm to these little ones, it would be better for them to have a millstone tied to their neck and be thrown into the sea (Jesus).
I pray for the day when the Jesus-followers of America will be able to separate their faith from their love of country, and to be the best of all patriots, those who can carry on a lover's quarrel with a good nation that can often to terrible things. The illusions of our innocence serve us poorly.
Better to know the truth and then make terrible decisions rather than masking our behavior with religious cant and swaggering pomp.
"Turtles can fly" - no, they can't fly. They die!
Friday, September 21, 2007
In the Valley of Elah
What a profound film ... of father's and sons ... the grace of a family ... dignity and hope ... the madness of war and the courage to love.
Oscar-level in all regards.
The most powerful anti-war film I've ever seen without being anti-war - no politics here, just a family: a Vietnam veteran father, a mother - the death of an older son ten years earlier in a helicopter crash, and now their younger son, just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, missing from his base.
Dad hauls gravel in a small Tennessee town - when a soldier, he was military police; a no-nonsense kind of guy - few words, clear and to the point. Upon hearing of his son's disappearance, he heads west to the base. He mets a local detective who persists in following the leads, confronting inertia in both the military and local police departments - just another soldier. But not just another soldier - Hank Deerfield's son!
Tommy Lee Jones reflects the heart of every father - his face conveys every emotion - a man filled with military poise and dignity, looking for a boy whom he loves dearly.
Charlize Theron is Det. Emily Sanders - young, savvy, with a heart - incredible performance.
Go see this film ... and pray for our solders!
This war is doing horrible things to them, to our nation, to all of us!
Oscar-level in all regards.
The most powerful anti-war film I've ever seen without being anti-war - no politics here, just a family: a Vietnam veteran father, a mother - the death of an older son ten years earlier in a helicopter crash, and now their younger son, just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, missing from his base.
Dad hauls gravel in a small Tennessee town - when a soldier, he was military police; a no-nonsense kind of guy - few words, clear and to the point. Upon hearing of his son's disappearance, he heads west to the base. He mets a local detective who persists in following the leads, confronting inertia in both the military and local police departments - just another soldier. But not just another soldier - Hank Deerfield's son!
Tommy Lee Jones reflects the heart of every father - his face conveys every emotion - a man filled with military poise and dignity, looking for a boy whom he loves dearly.
Charlize Theron is Det. Emily Sanders - young, savvy, with a heart - incredible performance.
Go see this film ... and pray for our solders!
This war is doing horrible things to them, to our nation, to all of us!
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