Showing posts with label anti-war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti-war. Show all posts

1969 (1988) Review

1969 (1988)
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Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer Sutherland, Bruce Dern, Winona Ryder, Mariette Hartley star in a movie about the Music, The Anger(Remember Riots & Revolution in the streets), and The Innocence of a generation who believed they could change the world!At the end of the 1960s, Scott and Ralph, two college kids from a stuffy, upper-middle class suburban town, decide to spend the summer on the road, living out of their van and experiencing all the freedom the counterculture(Hippie)has to offer. Family conflicts and the harsh realities of the war in Vietnam, however, interfere with their idyll. Scott's older brother, who Scott self-rightously criticized for going to war, is reported missing in action and then comes home in a casket. Then Ralph is arrested for stealing his file from the draft board to avoid duty. Before their "last summer of innocence" is over, Scott and Ralph learn that there's more to being radicals than just drop out and tuning in.If you were there or wish you had been 1969 is the movie for you!96 minutes, Rated R

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Scott and Ralph (Sutherland and Downey), two small-town class-of- 67 high school graduates, venture off to college to sow some wild oats and stay one step ahead of the draft board. But when Ralph is expelled from school, he suddenly becomes a prime candidate for serving in his country's armed forces. And when the lifelong friends take drastic and illegal measures to ensure Ralph's freedom, they trigger a chain of events that will forever change theirfriendship, their lives and how a town thinks of war.

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The English Patient (1996) Review

The English Patient (1996)
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This rare and beautiful film, based on a book that is felt as much as read, transcends the medium to become art. Painted on a vast desert canvas with deep rich oils, its beauty is felt as much as seen. This film will find your heart and remain there forever. If love had a face, it would look like this.
Director Anthony Minghella's screenplay shifts the center of Michael Ondaatje's story slightly in order to capture on film the essence of his beautiful prose. Ondaatje's novel is one of poetic beauty, a potrait of a rose beneath the water's surface. The film brings that beautiful rose out of the water and into the sunlight. The book and the film are so deeply intertwined you can not watch this film without wanting to read the book, nor can you read the book without wanting to see the film. The story itself centers around three people either in love with, or haunted by ghosts they have loved and lost to war.
Juliette Binoche gives an Oscar winning performance as Hana, a kind nurse with a gentle spirit but a damaged heart. She latches onto the burned and charred body of a man known only as the English patient, and ends up caring for him in a shell ravaged Italian villa in Tuscany where she feeds him plums and reads to him. When a man named Caravaggio with scars of his own arrives, the mystery of who the English patient really is begins to unfold via flashbacks. In the present, Hana begins to let her heart heal when she falls in love with a Sikh who disarms bombs left by the Germans.
It is the memories of the English patient, however, which are at the heart of this film. Ralph Fiennes gives a subtle performance as the introspective Almasy, part of an international expedition mapping an unending desert with both the romance, and the danger of the sea. Kristin Scott Thomas is wonderful as Katherine Clifton, the stunningly beautiful and enigmatic wife of a fellow mapper. An instant but unspoken attraction between she and Almasy finally becomes too unbearable to ignore and the affair that holds the key to the mystery surrounding the English patient begins.
This is one of the most romantic films ever made and is filled with the joy and anguish of love and war. It shows that while war may create logistical lines that can not be crossed, the heart has no boundaries. Anyone who has ever experienced a love of such emotional intensity and physical longing that love and need became one will understand the love affair of Katherine and Almasy.
Cinematographer John Seale has given this film a grace and beauty seldom seen on film. A haunting score full of mystery and romance from Gabriel Yard accompany scenes never to be forgotten, and will not be described here in case you have not yet seen them. Director Anthony Minghella explores the mystery of the desert, and the heart, which according to the "The Histories" by Herodotus, a book the English patient clings to, is an organ of fire.
If there is but one ounce of romance in your soul, you will love "The English Patient." It is a well charted and romantic map of the human heart, as wide and treacherous as the unending desert. This will be one of your favorite films once you see it. I promise.

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King of Hearts (1967) Review

King of Hearts (1967)
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A fairy tale set in a French town caught between the opposing armies of the First World War, "King of Hearts" has lost none of its beguiling charm in the 35 years since its original release, nor has its message grown stale. Alan Bates shines as Charles Plumpick, a simple private in a Scottish regiment and perhaps the only sane man in the abandoned town. But is his world of war and brutality really any saner than the make-believe world conjured up by the escaped inmates of the town lunatic asylum, the only residents Private Plumpick encounters during his reconaissance? It is a point of view that depends entirely on one's perspective. This whimsical, gentle tale challenges the watcher to reexamine what constitutes true madness, just as the asylum characters force Pvt. Plumpick, having been to his initial discomfort acclaimed as the King of Hearts, to choose which role he prefers: king of the fools or fool for King George V? Broca directs his own screenplay with a deft touch and using a stellar cast of mostly French actors. A very young Genevieve Bujold makes one of her earliest appearances in a major picture. The English subtitles aren't the best I've seen (and unlike the VHS version, are distractingly present even during English dialogue), but far better than the awful English-dubbed version of "King of Hearts" that is sometimes broadcast or sold. (The best subtitles I have ever seen were on a print that circulated around theatres during the 1970s and 1980s, but I've never seen this version used for home video.) The score by Georges Delerue is one of his best.
Quelle Surprise! This DVD version has, without fanfare, at least two entirely new scenes in the film that I have never seen before (and I first saw this in 1977). The first is a lengthier "homily" by Monseigneur Marguerite (aka Bishop Daisy) in the church before Charles' coronation. But the real grabber is an added scene at the very end of the movie that offers a parting glance at the primary players and a final bittersweet twist. Where on earth did this footage come from, and why has it been missing from this film for so long? Does this DVD version offer a "better" ending than the familiar one? It's debateable. But it's certainly intriguing.

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One of the most popular foreign films of all time, playing continuously in some theatres for over five years, King of Hearts is a "bright, lilting, whimsical, lyrical" (Cue) comedy thatcleverly satirizes the absurdity of war with a "message [that is] meaningful and entertaining" (Boxoffice). Bumbling Scottish Private Plumpick (Alan Bates) is sent to a village in the beautiful French countryside during World War I on a suicide mission to detonate explosives set bythe retreating German army. The village, soon to be blown sky-high, has been abandoned by its inhabitantsand replaced with escapees from the local insane asylum. Now, with the mentally challenged running the town, Plumpick is crowned King! But his new title brings him his first horrible decision: to carry out his deadly mission or join the ranks of the blissfully ignorant who know nothing about war. King of Hearts is subtle, visually striking and, in short, the "ultimate display of madness" (Life)!

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M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972) Review

M*A*S*H - Season Seven (Collector's Edition) (1972)
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There are many enjoyable episodes in this season. Though this season is the last for Radar, aside from his final episode in season 8, MASH went on. This show, for better or worse, survived on through the many changes in cast. Radar was no exception.
Commander Pierce - Much to his own dismay Hawkeye takes charge and finds that the grass isn't greener on the other side of command.
Peace on Us - Hawkeye goes to the peace talks when they change the rules on discharge for doctors. Margaret's marriage to Donald hits a real rough patch, prompting her to get a divorce.
Our Finest Hour - The second of the documentary style shows that are shown in black and white and color. This one looks more deeply at the characters and their feelings about the war, family, and being away from home.
The Billfold Syndrome - A talented medic forgets his own name and Sydney is called in. Charles stops talking to B.J and Hawkeye after being turned down for a prestigeous post back in Boston. This gets a minor war going on between the Swamprats.
Major Ego - Charles' ego gets much higher when he saves a patient, and Stars and Stripes sends a reporter.. He sees a chance to get home. Klinger shows some of his more extravagant flair when the reporter shows up to interview Charles.
Point Of View - This show is shown from the view of a patient, for the entire show. You see a distracted Potter, and an enraged Charles. This episode was very very well done.
An Eye For A Tooth - Hawkeye, B.J, and Margaret trade a series of practical jokes, with Charles helping both sides. This series of jokes include a lemon pie, a full sized dummy, and a special mail delivery. Father Mulcahy goes on a mission of mercy after being passed over again for premotion.
Dear Sis - Father Mulcahy writes his sister over a Christmas holiday and tells of how he feels lost in the middle of a war zone.
The Young And Restless - A young brilliant surgeon bruises a few egos upon his visit displaying new surgical techniques.
C*A*V*E - A serious barrage of fire at the camp sends them to a cave, much to the dismay of Hawkeye, who suffers from clausterphobia. He an Margaret head back to camp under heavy fire to save patient who needs emergency surgery.
Rally Round The Flagg, Boys - Colonel Flagg goes way over the top and thinks everyone is a commie symp. He is copiously aided by Charles. Hilarious ending. This is the last show in which we get treeted to Flagg's raving paranoia. He left the show with some real flair.
A Night at Rosies - Hawkeye escapes a long night of surgery, and a horrid breakfast at the mess tent by heading for a drink at Rosies. He gets beer and then pours it over cereal. Then B.J follows, then Radar, Charles, and many others. Klinger heads to a floating crap game. The crowd pulls an all night binge to escape the war. This gets into Potter's craw, but he relents when he realizes that it's just what they all really need. This is also where we meet Scully, who's AWOL. He later becomes a love interest of Margaret.
The Party - B.J works hard on getting the loved ones of the main cast members together for a huge party. This happens after Radar offers his mother's help, and Potter hands him his home address. Peggy, his wife, had recently ruined the stove while canning. Radar says that his mother puts something special in it to keep it from boiling over. Potter talks about how good a canner Mildred is. This happens in the middle of a bug out, and return to camp when the Chinese pull of a huge offensive. This also happens while B.J has a patient that may never walk again, or have no feeling.
I prefer M*A*S*H after season four. I wasn't as crazy about the first few years. I enjoy the later episodes, because they got away from the slapstick humor and touched upon many many issues from suicide, blindness, love, hate, envy, infiltration, peace talks and so so much more.

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As the seventh season opens, peace talks to end the war have been going on for over a year and Hawkeye has had enough. He jumps in a jeep and roars off to the talks, and although he makes it onto the speaker’s floor, his rant does little to speed up the negotiations. His discontent isn’t helped by the return of war correspondent Clete Roberts who has came back to the 4077 to tape another one of his television talks for the folks back home. Yet Hawkeye isn’t the only one feeling the pressures of war. BJ nearly drives himself to exhaustion trying to help a poor Korean family, Father Mulcahy almost gets himself killed trying to get a promotion, Charles falls in love with a working girl at Rosie’s Bar, and Margaret’s divorce is finally made official. It’s all part of life during wartime.

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Hair (1979) Review

Hair (1979)
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If "Hair" were only a period piece, it would still be wonderful entertainment - but it's so much more. Previous reviewers have already spoken for me in praising this film's astonishing energy, its fine acting (not stereotypes, but iconic characters), and its forever-fresh-as-a-summer-flower soundtrack. I can only agree with them completely, and add my positive vote to theirs. This is a highly (no pun intended) recommended film!
But I'd like to emphasize something else now. Those reviewers who complain about the film being dated are missing an important point. Love, friendship, joy, exuberance - these things are never out of date. And it raises an interesting question: why are some people so embarrassed and downright afraid of the so-called "hippie-dippy" aspect of this movie, and the years it captures so well? Possibly because it goes against the current wisdom, which claims that the uglier and nastier and more downbeat something is, the truer it is.
Well, no one is claiming that this is a perfect world - far from it! - but there is still plenty of joy and beauty and magic to be found in it! Yes, in too many ways it's a more cynical world now ... which is all the more reason to celebrate and uphold those naïve, utterly necessary values. Don't be afraid of looking foolish, don't worry about having to be cool and detached all the time, don't be afraid to embrace the Universe and exult in it - let the sunshine in!

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Brimming with the energy, passion and music that rocked a nation, Hair is an entertaining and powerful tribute to the turbulent spirit of the '60s. Brilliantly recreated by OscarÂ(r)-winning* director Milos Forman and screenwriter Michael Weller (Ragtime), this vibrant screen version of the Broadway phenomenon ranks "among the best film musicals" (The Hollywood Reporter)! Fresh from the farm, Claude Bukowski (John Savage, The Thin Red Line) arrives in New York City for a date with the Army Induction Board, only to walk into a hippie "happening" inCentral Park and fall in love with the beautiful Shelia (Beverly D'Angelo, American History X). Befriended by the hippies' pacifist leader, Berger (Treat Williams, Mulholland Falls), and urged to crash a formal party in order to declare his love for Shelia, Claude begins an adventure that lands him in jail, Central Park Lake and, finally, in the army. But Berger's final effort to save Claude from Vietnam sets in motion a bizarre twist of fate with shocking consequences.*1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; 1984: Amadeus

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All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) Review

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)
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As a history teacher I am always looking for good materials to use in the classroom. I use exerpts of the book in my Global Hist. class and used to use the 1939 version of the film as a supplement to the reading. The older version is truer to the book but the over the top acting of Lou Ayers doesn't click very well with today's young viewers. They are more likely to laugh at the drama of the older version. The 1979 version misses some of the books irony because it bipasses, or treats very lightly, some crucial scenes in the book, but the character portrayals and somber mood of the film are much more apt to hold my students attention. I enjoyed this film when it first aired on television almost 30 years ago and was happy to finds it on DVD so that I can use it in the classroom.

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ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT - DVD Movie

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Casualties of War (1989) Review

Casualties of War (1989)
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Casualties of War is a unique film. There are many films that depict wartime atrocities. This one stands above the rest because of it's character development. We get to know the guilty parties, and they are not purely evil, but are in many ways quite ordinary. They seem like regular US GI's at first, just trying to survive day by day.
Sean Penn's character (Sgt Meserve) leads them into an abyss, and only one of them (Eriksson, played by Micheal J Fox) refuses to enter. The others commit murder and rape, while Eriksson cringes. The separate perpetrators display trepidation, anxiousness, remorse and the lack thereof. Other characters exhibit cynicism and callousness. Their victim shows her fear alone.
This film is effective because it shows all but one of the soldiers as having different and human sides. Eriksson and Diaz (John Leguizamo) know that what is happening is wrong, but one fails to stop it, and the other participates. Meserve comes up with absurd lies to try to justify what they are doing, not only for Eriksson, but for the others, and it seems even for himself. Only one character in this film (Clark) is completely inhuman. His sadistic fervor and amoral smugness makes him appear as a monster, plain and simple.
This film is effective because it shows seemingly normal men in a descent into utter barbarism. Thuy Thu Le sets the mood for this by portraying the terror of their victim so well. Sympathy for the victim will surely make anyone cringe. But, it is by showing that the perpetrators, except Clark, are like most anyone that this film has its' strongest affect. How would we each fare if faced by such a situation? Who among us would stand against it? Who would succumb to it? This film strikes deeper than any horror film, with obviously inhuman monsters. It shows real people who become monsters, and is therefore vastly more effective- even more so because it all really happened.

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CASUALTIES OF WAR - DVD Movie

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Oh What a Lovely War (1969) Review

Oh What a Lovely War (1969)
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"Oh! What a Lovely War" takes on nothing less than the immense task of encapsulating the entirety of World War One into two and a half hours. This is a story of courage and sacrifice beyond comprehension, and of stupidity and heartlessness on a truly monumental scale. But the courage and sacrifice are not, as in the usual telling of tales, that of a handful of heroes, but of an entire generation. And the stupidity and heartlessness belong to the military and world leaders of the day. As monarchs, generals, and politicians wallow in luxury and privilege, the ordinary soldier wallows in mud - and brutal death. This is a story that will make you gasp and cry `never again.' And you know your cry is in vain.
A notice after the opening screen credits states something that must be kept in mind throughout the film: "The principal statements made by the historical characters in this film are based on documentary evidence, and the words of the songs are those sung by the troops during the First World War." Therefore, to underscore the absurdity of an international effort that did its utmost to murder an entire generation, much of the dialogue of the historical characters, comfortably ensconced away from the fighting, sounds absurd. Is it really possible, for example, that General Haig, after considering the huge loss of life on both sides, could have said something like "in the end, the Germans will have five thousand men and we will have ten thousand, so we will have won"?. Apparently so.
The men in the trenches, on the other hand, had the unenviable choice of facing probable death or mutilation on the battlefield, or facing the firing squad for cowardice if they deserted. They express themselves in the memorable songs of the day, many of which are rich in gallows humor ("hanging on the old barbed wire" is one cheerful refrain). But despite its gruesome themes, there is not one drop of blood in the film: when death comes, it arrives in the form of a bright red poppy.
Those who cannot relate to epochal events except through the eyes of a circumscribed set of characters may have trouble with this film. And some may find frivolous a film that depicts human tragedy through upbeat song and dance numbers (all of which are wonderfully staged and performed). But recall that the words sung are those of the actual participants in the unfolding tragedy. "We're here because we're here because we're here" underscores the troops' view of the meaningless sacrifice. If their impious words set to beloved hymns seem offensive, perhaps it is because when life is at its bleakest, humor can help save one's sanity.
This film, directed by the great Richard Attenborough, is a work of genius; it delivers a message that is all-too-relevant for our times.


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It was the War to end all wars – well not quite. For with the ricochet of one bullet, the entire course of human history was changed forever...Now, for the first time, Academy Award®-winner Richard Attenborough’s* directorial debut is available on DVD. Based on the stage musical by the same name, Oh! What a Lovely War features a stellar cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Mills, John Gielgud, Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian Holm, Dirk Bogarde and Susannah York. By fusing the surreal with the factual and juxtaposing savagely funny satire with quiet sorrow, Attenborough has created the oddest and most outstanding film ever made about the "game" that became World War One.

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