Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Eastwood Makes a Statement
Clint Eastwood has a new movie out. If you've seen the ads, you may have thought (at least I did), "oh geez, another ra ra patriotic-nationalistic killer movie honoring the greatest generation!".

Well, au' contrar:
The battle scenes, shot in the muted gray tones of memory, are brutal. The scenes back home that follow are not violent but every bit as bleak. The three flag-raisers are hurled into the public spotlight as canon fodder and used as propaganda tools to sell war bonds.

The war and their subsequent brush with celebrity marked the men for the rest of their lives. The crux of Eastwood's film is how wars, even "good" ones, create perpetual nightmares for the people who fight them.
The worm has certainly turned, hasn't it? From post 911 movies that glorified Amurika and killing brown people to questioning any war as a solution.

Americans have a short attention span, and love fads. If the Bush administration spawns a fad of actual values examination, and contains a backlash against our darker sides, it might actually have been worth it.

Well, maybe not worth it, but perhaps good ultimately reins? I know I know, a moment of optimism. Chew it. Savor it. Allow it to wash over you. Above all, I can't lose hope.
Written at 9:04 AM by Greyhair.
2 comments
2 Comments:
Blogger Lynne said...
Ah, thanks for that. I had not intended to see the movie because I thought it was in the pro-war vein. I've changed my mind.
9:29 AM  
Blogger Greyhair said...
Yeah! Me too. But I think I will see it now since it treats the subject seriously.
9:35 AM  
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