Cinerant

Great Indeed

The Great Raid is possibly the most needed movie of the summer.

By no means is it the best. It's fair at best. James Franco, Joseph Fiennes, and Benjamin Bratt all turn in less than captivating performances. Logan Marshall-Green (The OC) really is the most captivating actor onscreen, but that's beside the point.

This movie is imperative in a time where there are so many doubts and questions about the effectivity of the American military in Iraq. This true story of the liberation of a POW camp in the Philippines during World War II is a vivid reminder of the good that a military presence can do. It reinforces the point of a military as a liberator and agent of justice.

The film takes a little misstep in the very closing narration that keeps it from completely being a 100% "military can be good" picture, but nevertheless, the film strives to be patriotic (and none too subtly). I have to admit though that at the end when the camera pans down to capture an image of the entire camp with a beaten US flag flapping in the foreground, I became a little verklempt.

Apparently this is one of the films that is going to get lost in the Miramax dump/struggle as the Weinsteins leave their old company and start the new one. That's a shame. It's worth seeing--especially in comparison to a lot of the other crap that's out there right now.

One of the things I've struggled with over the last year is why anyone would want to join the military. I still don't understand why someone would willingly go through the apparent emotional and physical abuse that seems to perpetuate conformity and misogyny, but for the first time in a long time, I at least get an idea of what "one shot at glory" means. I'm still not convinced that the end justifies the means (regarding training and military culture), but at least this film provided me a reverse point of view for me to consider and bounce some ideas off of. For that, I am eternally appreciative.

Now, bring on The Constant Gardener!

posted by cinegod @ 2:46 PM