The Hurt Locker Review

        Now we’re in the final week of my look at war films. It’s apparent now that the key thing that makes war films enjoyable is the human element to them. Rather than have it be dominated with gratuitous action and nothing else, for me personally it’s interesting to have a person or a group be changed by what happens in the battlefield. And I find it not surprising how it can be Oscar bait for winning awards including Best Picture. Like, it’s Shakespeare with the edge to make grown men cry. Anyways, this week is focused on Kathryn Bigelow. She’s one of those directors who can make a whole variety of genre films. I believe she is attributed to making Keanu Reeves an action star with her film Point Break. Even though I just watched her films from the early 2010s, I believe that The Hurt Locker is the best. Yes, it even earned her the title as the first female director to make a film that won Best Picture. 

1. Sgt. William James

        We all know him as Hawkeye in the Avengers film and in his upcoming show on Disney Plus, Jeremy Renner plays the bomb diffuser Sgt. James. Before that, I just want to talk about the beginning. Usually with these kinds of films, it sets up everything we need to know going forward. We don’t see him in the start, as we see just how obviously dangerous diffusing IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices are. 

        With the guy we see attempting to do so, it goes wrong. The blast is compounded by the actual explosion with the slow motion. The use of it really emphasizes the overall power of the bomb, by showcasing the rubble rattle off the rusted car. It’s the perfect use of the aesthetic that really is the only way to show Slo-Mo. That and it's horrifying to even think that soldiers are trained to do this and in a matter of happenstance can change anything.

        So we see Sgt. James as the expert diffuser. When paired with fellow Sgt. Sanborn and Specialist Eldridge, they go and attempt to diffuse IEDs that are lying around Baghdad. The knock on James is that when spotting a bomb, he wears the Bomb Suit. What’s nutty is that he peels it off and attempts to diffuse the explosives with little protection. When you watch him, clearly the first takeaway is that he’s crazy. Why on Earth any sane man would literally not wear any protective gear must have some screws loose. 

        Though, it would be too easy to make the character just one note and just say that he’s risky. And well that’s true since he loves the whole rush to find the wire and diffuse the bomb. What makes him more relatable is that he loves to joke and rough play. Additionally, he pokes fun with a young boy who calls himself Beckham. With that human side, we see just how James is during those brief moments that can easily wipe him out.

        One of the film’s best moments is the overall tension that is shown when James and his trio go to the city to defuse the bomb. Making the situation more tense is when the terrorists blend in with the civilians. There’s constant chatter and we cut to James who’s attempting to find the wire to disarm the bomb. I think the best moment involving him is that we see a car that is loaded and James attempting to diffuse it. He goes above and beyond to cutting the cushion and ripping the radio to find the wire. 

        What is interesting is that he even collects mementos from his disarms. We hear from a brief conversation that he disarmed approximately 370 bombs. One of the mementos is the fuse that triggers the bombs. We see him toy around with it and I interpret it as it’s a sort of game to him. Perhaps as a way to let off some steam. Aside from the neutralizing of the bombs, it was good that the action is spiced up when he serves as a guide to Sgt. Sanborn who uses a sniper after being ambushed. Not only is he good at defusing, but he’s a more equipped person to scope out enemies in a few yards. 

2. War as a Backdrop

        I think the big takeaway for war movies is the not-so-subtle commentary. You have ones that have the cynic approach by saying that war is pointless or displaying some bravery as we’ve seen with the World War 2 films that I’ve touched on. I feel that with The Hurt Locker, there’s no need for subtle moments of morality. Most of that happened before and during the movie’s release. At it’s very core, we’re focused on a man’s unhealthy habit of diffusing bombs while becoming alienated from his partners.

        I was surprised when there were moments when his partners talked and contemplated on killing him. I could understand that what James did was just risky, but to even have that showed that they could’ve had done it. I feel like with the overall backdrop, we see just how humane the soldiers are, near the end of the movie they want out. With the amount of heightened tension they experienced is justified. My other favorite scene is when James takes a shower with his uniform, and slowly peeling off the helmet. It just shows how much he’s gone through, and how it’s taken a toll.  

3. Overall

        This is one of the best film’s of the early 2000s. And the fact that a woman director could make a movie that engrossing without a touch of exaggerated testosterone is a feat for any director. Sometimes the movie hits you in places where you’re not ready. For the genre to continue to exist, you need to show the toll a soldier can take when it’s too much. 

The Hurt Locker gets a five out of five. 

Full Metal Jacket Review

 

        Another Stanley Kubrick classic with this one. I always feel that this one is well known by general audiences when asked about favorite Stanley Kubrick film, they’ll point to this movie or The Shining. Full Metal Jacket is his second look at war, this time with Vietnam as the backdrop. It’s obvious that this is one of his best movies. Well, he hasn’t made a bad film as far as I’m aware. One more thing, this film is based on a autobiographical book called The Short Timers. 

1. War Film in Two Parts

        When watching this film, it can be divided into two sections. The recruiting act and the war act is the most basic simplistic approach to the film. We follow a group of cadets go into boot camp in South Carolina called Parris Island. They have their hair shaved off as they’re about to become welcomed to the world of being a United States Marine. 

    

        I might as well go into the star stealer. R. Lee Ermey is the man who absolutely steals the entire first act. It helps that just before he was an actor, he was in the Marine Corps. I think what’s funny is that Stanley Kubrick had lines prepared for Ermey. He wasn’t prepared for the level of intensity Ermey brought when he improv his lines.

        Sergeant Gunnery Hartman breaks down the incoming privates to their core. So much so that they give them nicknames which are demoralizing. From there we follow Private Davis who is given the name of Joker. Throughout the first act, Hartman instills his authority to the whole battalion. The thing that is stressed is that he’s training them to be killers. 

        Ermey’s performance as I said steals the entire show. He never loses a beat when he’s barking orders. Not even a moment where his voice cracks from the incessant shouting. Right down to have them compare their rifle to their actual privates. And it’s another example of a great performance that was snubbed since he wasn’t nominate by the Academy Awards to at least be best supporting actor. 

        With all that, Vincent D’Onofrio plays Private Pyle. I thought that he was going to be the one character you feel bad because he’s fat and he’s constantly getting berated by Hartman. What he represents is just how much the abuse can easily turn him wrong. It’s interesting to see the whole evolution of him slowly losing his mind. Compounding it visually is those slow zoom ins that the camera does to him. The recurring motif with any Kubrick film is the Kubrick Stare, which represents that the character is not well. Or just beyond help.

        I feel that the second half of the movie isn’t as good as the first. Now, the movie is great, but I feel that with everything going on in the training act is the most interesting and intense. Like just how Pyle has Joker as his only friend and shows him respect after being constantly berated. With the second act, we see Joker now working as a journalist for Stars and Stripes. I’ll talk about him in the next tab.

2. Duality of Man

        So Joker is probably the only instance where the main character gets overshadowed by the other supporting casts. The knock on him is that as much as he jokes during basic training and while he’s stationed in Vietnam, he hasn’t seen any action. What the other troopers call it as “The Shit”, compounded with that they have the “Thousand Yard Stare”. He gets heckled a lot since he doesn’t have that on him. Some things that he wears is a peace pin and the words scribed on his helmet “Born to Kill”. 

        He is endearing when he’s confronted with the other soldiers such as Animal Mother. That guy is carrying a big weapon and has the metaphorical guns. He chastises him for not seeing combat and Joker reverts to doing a John Wayne impression to throw it back at him. I think why Joker does the impression is a way to feel tough without ever feeling violent. Mostly to break the tension since he appears that he doesn’t appear violent. 

        His change is gradual as we see throughout the film. He’s seen enough where he doesn’t immediately become hardened that he’s unrecognizable. I love how the entire Tet offensive takes place in a series of days. Leading up to when Joker’s squad are tasked to scout the city Hue, he encounters his friend getting shot. The whole setting is sunset with his face having a lit and darkened look. 

        The film's saving grace is the overall message of the film. While one can say that it's an super exaggeration of one man becoming a killing machine and losing his humanity. I think it's a statement on masculinity on how much one can just become desensitized with being exposed with loads of carnage that it makes you lose yourself. As we've seen with Pyle, Joker seems to be the one who's gonna make it out of Vietnam as a normal man.  

3. Overall

        It was tough to pick the war films about Vietnam. I left out Apocalypse Now and Platoon since I wanted to talk about two films. Maybe in the future I’ll talk about those. Full Metal Jacket is a great movie, despite having the second part not being as good as the first section. 

        Full Metal Jacket gets a four out of five. 

    

The Deer Hunter Review

        No one could’ve imagined just how much the Vietnam War had stained the American people. It’s the only instance where the public didn’t want to go to war, and even treated the returning veterans shamefully. Immediately after it ended, Hollywood began to make movies that showed the obvious cynical and damaged look at the war. Most importantly, show just how much it can tarnish a soldier. The Deer Hunter is the first Vietnam War Film to win Best Picture. 

1. Three Act Story

        As the tab suggests, the film has a very direct three act structure. It’s one of the most interesting bit about it since it’s dynamic and it shows the character growth or devolution of our main characters. The film mostly follows Michael. Along with his friends Steven and Nick who are being deployed to Vietnam. Just before they get sent, there’s a wedding they attend which is for Steven.

        The whole wedding is played out. A good 30 or more minutes we focus on the wedding and the party. Right down to the ceremony in the church. In the midst of that, we see that those three are close along with their other friends who they go deer hunting in the woods. Both Mike and Nick have a special bond and they have a mantra that they use one shot to shoot a deer. Just as a mini spoiler, they don’t kill a deer. They gave it a drug to knock it out to imply that it was shot. 

        When the wedding happens, we see the friends hang out at the bar and just act as such. What I can assume is a warning, an unnamed veteran visits the bar and is just by himself. Mike’s friends try to talk to him but the shellshocked veteran just keeps to himself. The look he gives is that he’s seen hell. And for the three who are getting deployed, they don’t know what they’re going see.

        There in Vietnam goes predictably south. The most iconic moment in the film is the Russian Roulette game. It’s a tense moment when the Viet-Cong gamble and make Mike and Steve play against each other. Steve panics and if I have to commend the performance, it’s that he absolutely sells it. Just him reiterating that he wants to go home shows that this is nothing he thought he was going to see. 

2. Evolution of a Man

        The film I don’t think is antiwar in the least bit. To be antiwar is to have it be either too on the nose or very obvious that it feels preachy. What makes The Deer Hunter work is that we follow just how much the war has transformed the three friends to become alienated from society. It’s sad and obviously depressing. I believe it is suppose to represent the concept of patriotism. Mike comes back to the small town but feels that he doesn't deserve it. Just the fact that his friends celebrate Mike’s return and for him to avoid it is depressing. 

        Not that it’s a mark against him is not what I’m implying. But just him carrying the burden of what he saw and what he went through is too much for him to even be thanked. He feels like an alien trying to fit in. 

        I think the most gut wrenching is him attempting to find his friends. I don’t want to give anything away since it’s sad and just shocking. Now I will say that when he finds his friend Nick, I just can’t elaborate further. Robert de Niro gives it his all and he sells just what being damaged is. He at least tries to maintain his old self in the town, but he can’t strip off the military suit to fit in. 

        The whole town is even affected by the time that all three men are deployed. I think it goes to show that not just Mike and his friend go through a change, but also the little things as well. Such as one of the friends Steven. His wife becomes a bedridden mute due to Steve being in the V.A. It's tragic of what happened to him. All that is summed up with the idea of life. It sounds like a stretch, but when you see the individual acts play out, it's a grim reminder of how fast something changes in an instant. 

3.     Last of the Epics

        It’s another 3 hour epic war movie and I feel that when anyone complains about the runtime don’t really notice that it doesn’t feel long since the characters that we follow are that engrossing and make the film go faster. The entire film feels that way since we have moments where the scene will play out such as the wedding and including the hunting in the woods.

       What I feel that the woods represent to the whole movie is the humanity that Mike has just before he gets deployed along with his friends. He’s at peace with himself, only when he returns is that everything is out of place. He tries to hunt but can’t muster to shoot or kill an animal after what he’s seen. 

      I think the reason as to why there are no more epics, is that the studio gets concerned that it doesn’t get to the point of what’s happening or going on. The movie is an introspective look on a man being traumatized and thinking he’s fine. There are little action scenes, but that only implies just how much worse Mike and his friends have been involved in. 

      So is it the last of the epic war movie? I would probably say yes since the whole genre has seen growth and managed to tell stories of human drama in the midst of conflict. In this one, it’s the game of Russian Roulette which has traumatized Mike’s friends with risking to shoot themselves in the face of gambling. There’s an underlying message in the midst of the roulette, but I feel that it’s mostly under the radar for some people to notice.

3. Overall

        The Deer Hunter is a great film, but I feel it’s one of those that you have to be in the right mood for it. Its length shouldn’t be a point of contention to avoid it, the saving grace is the characters changing from the beginning to the end. I will say that it is a sad film, one that shows how the limits of war can affect a man. 

        The Deer Hunter gets a five out of five. 

Saving Private Ryan Review

 

        Saving Private Ryan warrants no introduction. It’s universally beloved by all when it came out and has a remarkable influence in the years after its release. To tell you the truth this is my first time watching it. I only ever got to see the first part and that’s about it. Then scant viewings from various channels with no context to what was happening. This is one of Steven Spielberg’s best films and, most of all, the best World War 2 film. 

1. Omaha Beach

        The introduction is synonymous with D-Day, and just a basic understanding whenever anyone looks up World War 2. This is the main highlight for anyone who watches the scene. Enough has been said with just how it’s portrayed. Technical aesthetics aside, this is one of the best openings to a film that I’ve seen. When a film tackles a very significant historical event, there must be so much care and attention to craft it and to make it presentable to the viewer as accurate as possible. 

        A lazy way to do it is to have the action, and to make it heroic with swelling music and just gratuitous loads of blood. In a classy way to do it is you cut the spectacle. Show it as it happened, with no music and have sparse moments of humanity. This is probably the only understandable rule when getting into this kind of movie. Any expectation that it would be a blood and guts thing is thrown out. Yes, there is the blood and gore, but it’s grounded with the gritty realistic aesthetic. 

        This is also probably the few instances where Spielberg’s filmography has two camps. You have the young Spielberg films that have the adventure feel to it. Then you have the mature Spielberg where the drama is at an all time high. With this movie it’s a combination of a mature film mixed with human drama. It never stoops to a level where the characters get boring, and we just wait for the Americans to kill the Nazis. 

        Anyways, we see Captain Miller and his squad gradually work their way to the edge and to take out the enemy artillery. The whole timing of the operation is rushed, since to be honest, no one has the time to watch a three-hour operation play out when the battalion must rescue a soldier. Just how Miller uses his authority to tell the other ranks what to do and to direct them shows that he is a competent leader in the heat of the moment. 

        If I were to at least say one thing on the contrary, I feel as though after this pivotal scene, no one really remembers what happens after. Don’t get me wrong, the film made money. But I feel as though as big of an opening the D-Day scene was, I understand where people or just action film aficionados just tune out after that moment. I haven’t met that person yet, but it’s an utter shame to have that person just not care or be invested in the film after the landing. 

2. Soldier’s Humanity

        The film’s highlight aside from the time accurate feel is the camaraderie that Miller’s battalion has. This is yet another example of how to do an ensemble film. Since the main complaint with war films in general, get it, is that the characters don’t have much depth about them. Be it that they’re soldiers and we don’t spend a good chunk of time to understand who they are, what kind of person they are, and why should I or anyone care.

        It’s the personality they each display among each other to at least make them be human instead of just an inhumane killing machine. Take for instance Corporal Upham, he’s the butt of the joke of the battalion. He asks a lot of questions and doesn’t understand what FUBAR is. The only knock about him is that he is hesitant on killing. We see that play out where he won’t take the shot. Although, he speaks French and German, such as when he and his squad see a surviving Nazi soldier. The team wants to kill him for killing their medic, but Upham doesn’t agree that he should die in cold blood.

        This is where the film gets interesting when they start to question Captain Miller about rescuing Private Ryan. Since they feel that it’s a lot of sacrifice for rescuing one man. That’s the main theme about the film. The sacrifice one must make no matter how small or big the odds are. The scene where the squad actually argues is my favorite moment. Just seeing them get frustrated and getting to the point where one of them goads his sergeant to shoot him is interesting. In context with other war films, you have moments of doubt, but it never permeates to an entire squad for just one moment to say no on rescuing one man. 

        As much as we don’t know much about Miller’s team, they give a great performance. I feel as though when they talk either by walking to the next location or waiting for the enemy is either improv or just the screenwriter being talented. I feel it was made on the spot since it feels authentic real talk. Now I don’t know if it was on the script or what, but I have to give it to the actors for given a lot of life to the soldiers. 

        Obviously the most painful thing to see is when they die. Spielberg holds nothing back with the violence. Especially when one of the squad mates are shot. One of them is the medic, just him slowly losing life and the entire team comforting him and just calmy asking what to do to patch him up. It’s unfortunate to watch, and it shows that there’s so much humanity and empathy being displayed. A little secret weapon when you want anyone to care about what’s happening with the troopers. 

3. Legacy

        The amount of influence that Saving Private Ryan had is unimaginable. One takeaway that I learned is that reading the accounts of the veterans who saw the D-Day scene. The scene is such a gruesome display of what happened that some cried in the theater or just left. It’s admirable that the V.A. established a hotline for the veterans who saw the scene. 

        It wouldn’t be the last time that Spielberg and Hanks had dabbled with World War 2. The duo in fact produced the beloved HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. I haven’t watched it, but now I feel it’s obligatory since that show has garnered near critical acclaim and won some awards. 

        This is one of the reasons why I just adore Spielberg is that he has also gotten into video games. Now, I don’t know if this film influenced him to create EA’s video game series Medal of Honor. The series was ground breaking for portraying World War 2 in an authentic view in that time. Some developers that were associated with the series, went to the studio Activision and created a rival series called Call of Duty. 

4. Overall

        With everything that I talked about, watch it.

        Saving Private Ryan gets a five out of five. 

The Great Escape Review

 

        It’s an embarrassment on my end that I didn’t include a Steve McQueen film during my summer slate. Hopefully this gets rectified in what’s considered his best film. Anyways, now I’ll be looking at World War 2 films. It’s become a sub-genre in terms of war movies. Since there’s so many of them with different vantage points, but mostly the Nazi’s are the bad guys. Very rarely, does a World War 2 film gain critical reception. The Great Escape is one of the films. 

1. The Escape

        Obviously, the film is inspired by an actual event that was featured in the book of the same name. The camp called Stalag Luft 3 contained prisoners of war consisting of the British, Australian, and American. Albeit some of the names have been changed and how the actual escape happened. Anyways, the film has McQueen play Captain Virgil Hilts as a prisoner who is once again brought back. 

        Meanwhile, a group of escapees called the “X” Organization plans an escape using tunnels that they dig in their huts to find their way to freedom. That’s basically the whole film just by me simply typing it out. Oh but that’s barely scratching the surface. We do see in the beginning as various members in the organization try to escape by going with a group of Russians to cut timber. 

        The Nazi colonel overseeing them knows and just admonishes them. I find it interesting that the whole camp is depicted as a harsh environment. Mind you, I haven’t read the book or was even aware that this event took place. As I was saying, the commandant who is like a warden tells one of the prisoners to just do the activities and to not escape. This is probably one of the first instances where the filmmakers make some of the Nazi officers into an understanding character. 

        Specifically with the guard named Warner. He is young and he gets taken advantage of one of the prisoners when he just wants to talk to him. This is probably one of the first instances of having a very subdued and sympathetic antagonists. Simply that it makes them human and not moustache twirling nefarious. 

        While the whole film hinges on the escape, we do see the prisoners dig a cave. What I like is not just a simple montage of them getting the materials and hashing out a way to dig an exit. Throughout the whole film is where the prisoners barter and just rip the wood out of their huts to have the support beams for the dirt. One character in particular becomes messed up from the digs. His name is Danny and when you see him react to his anxiety, its tragic but at the same time inspiring given the circumstances. 

        One last thing is the actual prison camp itself. Mostly all the shots in the place feels enclosed. That’s most of the time when the characters are together, they’re mostly close. It’s even echoed when they’re in their bunks trying to hash out a plan of escape. The whole thing is being communicated by us by saying that they’re trapped. And that there’s no way out by any means. 

2. How to Handle an Ensemble Cast

        It’s just a miracle that when you have a movie deal with such a huge cast of characters, there’s almost hardly any time to give them equal time so that you don’t feel that not one character feels left out. The best strategy to deal with a large cast is to divide them up. Mostly what I saw is that two characters share a scene and it gives them enough depth to show just who they are. A particular group is Danny and Willie. Willie comforts Danny with his debilitating issue and calms him down so that he can escape. 

        Although, Hilt’s character does have a partner, but throughout the rest of the film he tries to go solo. I might as well say that his stunt work is impressive for the time. Probably one of the most recognized moments in film that will be forever associated with Steve McQueen. 

3. Overall 

        This is my first film with Steve McQueen. Aside from that, this is a great World War 2 film, though it lacks action, it makes up for it with the determination to escape. A simple concept that anybody can understand and want to root for the prisoners to be free. 

        The Great Escape gets a four out of five. 

Lawrence of Arabia Review

 

        You’ve probably found out that World War 1 doesn’t have that many stories involving Americans. The reason is that the United States entered the war near the end of it. Although, given the three films I’ve watched about the war, there are so many vantage points that are new to me. Since, there’s hardly any focus on the war in public education because of the country’s last-minute involvement. With all that, Lawrence of Arabia is considered one of the best World War 1 films, and one of the best films in general. And I’m very fortunate to have watched it. 

1. Who is T.E. Lawrence?

        The film is told in a non-chronological order. It starts with the death of Lawrence, during his funeral a reporter asks some attendees just who the person is. We then cut to his tenure as a cartographer in Cairo. I feel that the way the film starts is justified and the whole film has that theme or idea that is basically asked throughout the film. Anyways, Peter O’Toole plays the late twenty something Lawrence. 

        He is assigned by British Intelligence to see if the Arab Prince Faisal would be willing to rebel against the Ottoman Empire. From there, the film sees Lawrence gain allies and manage to create a guerilla Arab army. What is done so well is just how well-rounded Lawrence is. When we see him, he’s a bit of a misfit and highly educated. The best moment is when we see him be introduced to the other military officers. He has this trick that he does such as lighting a matchstick, he snuffs it out with his fingers. 

        My favorite quote he says when a officer burns himself is “The trick William Potter is not minding that it hurts.” He has this mentality of mind over matter. It’s one of his defining traits throughout the film where he sees the situation concerning the Arabs and through some empathy and diplomacy, manages to assemble a rebel force that is too much for the Turkish Army. 

        As a side note, my first exposure of the movie and scene is in Ridley Scott's film Prometheus. The android David watches the film and repeats the lines from the film in Scott's movie. He even styles his hair to be like Lawrence's. Anyways, back to the review.

2. Evolution of Lawrence

        One of the things that goes against Lawrence’s ideals is that he doesn’t kill. More so that he doesn’t kill in cold blood. I haven’t had the chance to read his book for which the film is based on. Although, he values life among his friends. We see that when he meets his guide to transport him to Prince Faisel. They drink at a fountain, unbeknownst to them Faisel’s assistant shoots the guide. Lawrence is mad that the killer, Sherif Ali murdered his friend.

        As Lawrence becomes more empathetic to the Arabs, Sherif Ali gives him robes, What I like is that even before that, Lawrence uses his vest to shield his head from the heat. It’s one of those things where you have to really see just how much the character changes and really become alienated when he returns to the British army. 

        Aside from the historical aspects of Lawrence, the overall theme of the whole movie is this: Just who is Lawrence? The film touches on this since it seems to be that he starts to shift alliances from the British to the scattered Arab tribes. While he unites them, he is looked at as odd to the Brits. For instance, the soldiers in the headquarters in Cairo are weirded out by Lawrence’s get up, even asking him to leave. 

        I think the theme illustrates just what Lawrence goes through. He becomes more in tuned with fighting alongside the Arabs. One of the best scenes is when the entire Arab tribes storm and take Damascus. Lawrence shouts “No prisoners!” when he sees one of his own get slaughtered. The whole moment just screams epic. You have Lawrence’s army storming the Turks. None of it feels discombobulated. After all of it, Lawrence looks at himself and is bloodied from the assault. 

3. The Last of the Epic Films

        When this film came out, it won numerous Academy Awards including Best Picture. It came out just when Hollywood was about to transition to a new way of filmmaking. The days of making epics were over. For some that were released, they didn’t make back their budget. Most of the studios were losing money since they had to compete with TV. 

        Nowadays, you can’t make this film since it would be succumb to so much historical corrections. I think what made that slide was that no one ever heard of the man. Like I said prior, the only time the US was involved was in the tail end of the war. Lawrence’s story is important in the regions where he was a big influence. 

        With the big scope that it has, the film stills that I use doesn’t do it justice. It deserves to be seen in the biggest screen. Either a large 4K tv or a movie theater is enough to get a good viewing. One of things that is impressive is just the vastness of it. Even though it was shot in Jordan, Morrocco, and Spain, the whole desert just looks beautiful when the breeze moves the sand from the dunes. 

4. Overall

        I’m so glad that I got a chance to watch Lawrence of Arabia. I chose this month and the genre to do a review and it paid off. I can understand that the film is approximately three hours long, but it never felt like it was dragging or just slow. What makes it enjoyable is seeing the exploits of Lawrence, and just how much of an influence he had. Lastly, I didn’t elaborate on too much because I want people to see this movie as a cinematic achievement and see a part of history that no one has heard of. 

        Lawrence of Arabia gets a five out of five. 

Paths of Glory Review

 

        This is the third Stanley Kubrick film that I have seen. When seeing some conversations about him, the only movies that are ever uttered when evoking this director is usually 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket. I feel that Paths of Glory should be talked about, in the context that it’s probably groundbreaking for an anti-war movie being mostly about war. I’ve seen parts of it when watching Turner Classic Movies. This is probably my favorite Kubrick movie, although it might change when I see Full Metal Jacket later this month. One last thing is that the story in the movie is based on a novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb, which is based on an actual event called the Souain corporals affair. 

1. Colonel Dax

        This is probably my favorite military character in any movie. Kirk Douglas plays Colonel Dax for the French army. Just to put this out there, the entire cast are Americans who are portraying French characters. I’ll let it slide since it would be bad to have some actors attempting to do a phony French accent. Anyways, Colonel Dax is assigned by his superior General Mureau to plan an attack to take over a coveted German territory called Anthill.

        Dax is aware that his squadron is almost depleted and the attack is almost impossible. The General still wants his squadron to advance. The pivotal scene is him leading his men to try and takeover the yards of land they need. What I like is that the actual charge is so well done. It could be why 1917 copied the whole camera aesthetic of the movie. When you watch it, the whole combat looks like archival footage, since it's in black and white. The explosions and the way the camera doesn’t do a lot of shakiness but keeps at the colonel and his men as they advance is something else. 

        Eventually, the attack goes south. Making things questionably worse is when the General orders a bombardment on his own squadron. At this point, Dax realizes that the whole objective is just impossible. Even having his captain echo what he’s thinking. Throughout the film, to save face from the tactical farce, the General orders a court martial on just three members to be executed for their crimes. 

        I should probably elaborate why I love the character. Colonel Dax absolutely stands with his men. He has that one characteristic that any military officer should have. That is to have a complete understanding of his men. There’s one scene just before the attack when he walks and looks at his men. When the German bombardment is going on, he doesn’t flinch. He continues walking and prepares them for the attack. 

        Aside from being a war movie, the film is also a legal drama. Since the three men: two Privates, Arnaud and Ferol, and Corporal Paris were selected to be tried. The actual reasons as to why the three where picked would make you mad when you sit down and watch the film. Dax even goes above and beyond to tell them how to conduct themselves when they’re in court. The best moments is when he at least tries to vouch for them by attempting to bring evidence. Although, it’s not allowed. The whole entire court procedure is backwards, since the high ranking officers know the verdict. 

2. The Irony of War

        For as much as I can talk about Colonel Dax among other things. The big takeaway for the film is the two colliding ideas of valor and cowardice. It’s one thing where a war film would rarely even touch on this idea of cowardice. For instance, it’s taboo for any film concerning the military to bring it up. The moments when we see the Generals and Dax are the main highlights that elaborate on the concept. For as much as the two Generals: Broulard and Mireau talk about spending a long time in the army, the coward thing they have done is to have Mireau offer Broulard a promotion to take over the German territory. And the former General is okay with it. The whole scene just goes to show just how pointless it all is. 

        When looking at it between General Broulard and Dax, Broulard never goes above and beyond to even fight along. He is mostly seen in the very opulent mansion where everything looks nice. Right down to abusing his power by threatening any soldier or officer with a court martial. One thing that is striking is that he observes the battalion, and sees a man that is shell-shocked. He threatens him to knock it off or be punished.

        I think the damning thing about the two dueling concepts is the battlefield and the ballroom. All the soldiers including Dax, had to fight and advance for territory. Just once did the General visit but to mostly ask the same redundant question to the battalion of wanting to kill Germans. The ballroom is such a thing to see since it involves high positioned officers dancing while Dax shows up to try the last thing to get his men out of being executed. It shows that Dax has morals, whereas the Generals see their title as bragging rights.

        One last thing is the actual name of the movie. I feel like it’s ironic and it’s probably the whole point. Dax’s squadron had a path to succeed, but it was deemed impossible. There is no “Glory” when you have a general firing artillery at you to get your butt to takeover an impossible hill. It’s counterproductive and I feel that I actually felt something when I’m watching three soldiers basically take the blame on what is a failing of a General who won’t own up to his mistake. 

3. Overall

        It was surprising for me that the film was banned from parts of Europe when it came out. Even some people from France weren’t even aware that the whole event happened. I feel that when a film tackles with a very touchy subject, especially about the military, it should be seen. Since I feel that the whole point of war films isn’t to feel patriotic or victorious. It be propaganda if it was designed that way. But, to see the drama and how it affects any man or woman to feel that sometimes, it’s just not worth it. 

        Paths of Glory gets a five out of five.