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What we are looking for in a war movie

216.158.7.57

Posted by Victor Khomenko on April 18, 2000 at 13:21:25

In Reply to: Stalag 17 posted by Scott on April 18, 2000 at 09:35:53:

***Good to see someone more p*ssed off about a movie than me around here. Should I ask where you stand on Hogan's Heroes.......?

I actually don't remember that one enough to comment on it. However, as a general rule, American war movies all suffer greatly from the super-human super-hero syndrome, even the early ones. What is borderline acceptable in a toungue-in-cheek rubbish ala James Bond, becomes a complete inexcusable irritant in a movie that pretends to be a "serious" work.

I think people should leave war movie in incredibly sad mood. That maybe the only way to avoid the glorification (a great statement, BTW). I doubt anyone will feel joyful and elated after seeing Paths of Glory. That mood is much more in line with what wars had brought us - nothing but tremendous sufferings. I can't accept any "war" movie where there is even some remote potential for cheering teenagers. Good people get destroyed in war, all things beautiful get destroyed, so there is no reason for any joyful emotions.

That, however, goes agains the grain of the most American tradition - the happy end load of syrup. How deeply engrained it is in our culture you can see, for example, in the SPR "product of the year". There, an attemps was made at showing the true war horrors, with some passable results here and there. However, the director just could not fight that "happy end" tendency in himself and the whole movie industry (I suspect not having it would pretty much kill his chances at Oscar).

Sure, the hero "kind of" dies (in the director's all-out, albeit lame effort at getting the "most realistic movie" recognition), but look at plentiful things directly borrowed from any "made-for-prime-time-TV" Chuck Norris garbage. The worst one being the Merlins arriving *precisely" at the right moment to save the few remaining GI's. That moment alone could be considered a proverbial spoon or tar that destroys the whole barrel on honney.

Perhaps any good war movie should leave you with a sense of no hope and no optimism - because war does nothing but destroys both of these. It should leave no room for "Gee, that was great!" type of comments from the crowd.

Breaker Morant IS a war movie. One with Clint Eastwood killing twenty Germans with one bullet is not. I long for one where real people, with *real* strenghts and abilities, with real pains and feelings, try their darnest to prevent the horrible from happening.

And no, that woesn't mean a hero can not survive in a good war movie. He just should not be honney-dipped at the end.

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