| As the United Nations bickers over the book of Blix, as angry e-mails flood the White House and Grammy presenters vent, perhaps it’s a good time to look back on a few flicks that attempted to expose the meaningless motives of war:
1. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930): Often regarded as the greatest antiwar film ever made, this black-and-white Oscar winner was banned by Hitler himself – and considering the plot, it’s easy to see why. A schoolboy, driven by a fanatical teacher to join the Kaiser’s army, becomes more and more bitter, finally grumbling to a class of promising recruits, "When it comes to dying for your country, it’s better not to die at all." The final scene, an image of dead soldiers marching off into eternity, remains a haunting one.
2. The Killing Fields (1984): An American journalist (Sam Waterston) is forced to leave his assistant behind in war-torn Cambodia as the Khmer Rouge take over. Compelling and beautifully filmed, with tons to say about both human rights and human spirit, this movie remains tough to sit through because of the sensitive buttons it hits.
3. The War (1994): While not a classic by any means (and really, what Kevin Costner movie is?), its concept is great – a stressed-out soldier returns home and attempts to teach his kid (a wee Elijah Wood) about the futility of fighting when a neighbourhood war erupts over a tree-house fort.
4. Catch-22 (1970): Overshadowed by the release of Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H the same year, this underrated gem probably gets the antiwar point across more effectively than Corporal Klinger ever did. A U.S. bombardier (Alan Arkin) discovers that the only way out of the army is to go nuts. Sure, it’s heavy-handed and often ridiculous, but its sarcasm is surprisingly bold.
5. Born On The Fourth Of July (1989): Based on Vietnam vet Ron Kovic’s autobiography, the picture opens with an innocent yet unsettling scene of young Kovic and his childhood pals playing war. Cut to his transformation into a gung-ho patriot, an all-American teen ready to defend his country. Finally, after an unflinching tour of duty, he returns to American soil, physically and emotionally broken. Tom Cruise, in what was his first (and some say only) great performance, accomplishes a lot in the lead role. Freed of his usual glitz and glam by director Oliver Stone, Cruise reflects an inner struggle often hinted at in other motion pictures, but rarely explored: a soldier’s battle with his own naiveté.
6. The Deer Hunter (1978): Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and Christopher Walken headline one of the more compelling pictures to deal with the impact of Vietnam. What’s unique is that The Deer Hunter never really does make a case for or against war – instead, it focuses on the anguish of those who survive it. Choose this one over the manipulative goo of Coming Home.
7. No Man’s Land (2001): A healthy dose of mordant humour and comical swipes aimed directly at the press don’t diminish the relevance of this picture in which a trio of soldiers – one Bosnian and two Serbians – are forced to share the same trench for fear of getting mowed down in chaotic crossfire. To make matters worse, one of them is resting on a mine. It speaks volumes that these characters are willing to share supplies but remain forever reluctant to call a truce.
8. Shenandoah (1965): Cheesy, yes. But at least this movie about a farmer (James Stewart) who does everything he can to steer his family away from the horrors of the Civil War is one you can share with the family.
9. Three Kings (1999): You think Dubya is a George Clooney fan? The actor and writer-director David O. Russell certainly took Bush Sr’s administration to task in this movie. When the smoke clears, the claim that Three Kings makes is that the Gulf War wasn’t about freeing Kuwait, it was about oil – and it’s a darn convincing argument, at that.
10. Forrest Gump (1994): For all its swagger, the stars and stripes have always struggled in coming to grips with certain chapters of history – top of the list is the turbulence of Vietnam. Robert Zemeckis had a brilliant answer to the problem – do it through the eyes of a simpleminded, overly optimistic guy like Forrest Gump. His viewpoint on the war? "We took long walks and were always looking for this guy named Charlie." Forrest Gump is an uplifting movie that doesn’t have all the answers, but has a magical way of bringing a touch of solace to even the most unpleasant situations. |
Copyright ©2003 FFWD. All rights reserved.