Page 16 - the NOISE March 2015

in the last couple decades, there have been three ‘big’ war films that captured various religious postures in their text and subtext. All three films depict word war II, and so
the characters are historically mostly men. But with distance and artistic embellishment from fine filmmakers we come to know the ‘sacrifices’ our forebears have made for notions like freedom and democracy.
In the order they came out: Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Thin Red Line (1999) and Fury in 2014. One is a Christian interpretation of war textually and sub-textually, one a meditative Buddhist in- terpretation and Fury is Old Testament up to the film’s final im- age — a disappearing crane shot above crossroads, alluding to the sacrificial symbolism found throughout the new Testament.
The three films intersect and comment on the nature of preying gods and the great traditions these gods use to jus- tify killing. Or the state uses religious zealotry and its tropes to conform the masses? More people have killed in the name of religion than any other reason in history; look at the Cru- sades! The Judeo-Christian tradition has nothing on Islam.
Saving Private Ryan has the Christian theme of salvation prominently packed within the title. spielberg, like his other wwII film, Schindler’s List, uses the Torah’s epigram: “when you save one person, you save the world entire.” Or to para- phrase stalin: “when you kill one person it’s a tragedy, but when you kill a million, it’s just a statistic.” The Government sends in a crew of young men, led by Tom Hanks to save Pri- vate Ryan, only because the war had already killed three of his brothers. “we can’t let Ryan’s mom have another dead son.”
so the Government will save Ryan at all costs, eight men will die to save one? But it’s a PR move, with a Christian mo- tif and therefore, a worthy sacrifice, for film’s sake! The major thematic revelations come to the surface in a ‘church’ scene at the film’s climax, when the entire platoon realizes they’re on a suicide mission.
Tom Hanks’ character says, “If this will get me home to my wife sooner, I’m doing it.” This comes after they stormed the beaches at normandy in a previous suicide mission. sacrifice for the other — even an obscure ‘Private Ryan’ for PR purpos- es — can still be a noble undertaking in the hands of a great filmmaker like spielberg. Or as Churchill related, “ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die.”
sacrifice for a band of brothers is a 2,000-year-old trope — it teaches “to die for a noble sentiment like the community ant- hill is worthy.” sacrifice exploits emotion that triggers a desire within the noble heart to die for their country, right or wrong. Think of the millions who died in wwII and both sides thought they were the good guys. each side exploited their soldiers for a good cause, be it ‘democracy,’‘fascism’ or ‘communism.’
In the end, ask the dead soldiers if it was worth it. But what if it were for commerce? It must still be worth it, ask Hollywood.
Preying gods
A Thin Red Line addresses wwII in another way, relying on interior monologues, recording the inner questions of the same soldier-machines of Saving Private Ryan. These soldier’s interior selves question in voice-over narrative everything about the war, especially how it doesn’t work. Their out- ward bodies still show up at the battle and do their duty, but they’re in conflict with themselves. Terrence Malick’s master- piece is the best Buddhist war film ever made. The voice-over of lead character, Private witt, fills the screen with beautiful images from the community of children and the natural sway of the islands being destroyed by central command.
The question of “why” is a huge subtext. What if we gain the world but lose our soul? At what cost are these wars fought? What do we lose within, killing the other? And why do we compartmentalize ourselves, so we don’t have to face the consequences of our behavior? Our bodies march to the beat of a PR drummer?
The interior monologues allow the viewer to participate in the cognitive dissonance of war; their exterior goals versus the interior self-betrayals. By journey’s end we have followed the path of bands of brothers in a battle on Guadalcanal.
The two are linked in the Buddhist tradition of “you and the other are one” and when “you kill the other, you kill yourself.” Malick shows the invisible thread overtly and covertly in the text and subtext. It’s a piece of filmic-poetry you won’t soon forget. And none of the answers given in Saving Private Ryan will be found in Malick’s film, just profound eastern questions.
Fury, a recent creative work of Brad Pitt’s “Plan B Produc- tion,” stands as an Old Testament “eye for an eye” piece that becomes a Christian hybrid. The film uses the Old Testa- ment logic to lead us to a new Testament awakening, but also shows how our sense of self-worth influences our fate. A newbie joins a hardened crew of wwII battered tank members, led by Pitt, to learn some hard lessons in a classic coming-of-age story.
How do we keep our core decency in a world gone mad? Where does that innocence disappear to? Does it become ‘expe- rience,’ as William Blake tells us? The cult of leadership is explored. Why do we follow a charismatic fanatic ... even unto death?
A god-like father figure (Pitt) presents himself around a family dinner table in one scene. The newbie looks up to this father figure and will die for him, if necessary. What is this void in us, that we need outside input to re-direct us? What is miss- ing in us that we need domination by the other, our leader? Our emptiness allows their filling us with hogwash.
After the first two acts of violent retribution, the third act begins with the tank crew at a crossroads, literally, broken down. They are asked to ‘sacrifice’ themselves to help their unseen/theoretical band of brothers’ advance.
the “Big War Films” of the modern era: Saving Private Ryan, A Thin Red Line, & Fury.
On a side note, American Sniper is propaganda with a ‘moral’ conscience and not worthy of discussion within the context of these three highly acclaimed and nuanced films about war. As indicated by the box office return, this is violent porn- candy for the masses and they loved it. Does more patriotism and more children’s death bode well for oil companies in the Middle east? Time will tell...
The Sedona International Film Festival (sIFF) once again pulled off nine days of intermingling films, workshops, stars, and parties into a fun-fest in late February. The edition hits the stands 2/27, so it’s not too late to join the final weekend in progress and don’t miss This Filthy World with John waters, sunday 3/1 for a one man show bound to be unforgettable! How sIFF does it is a mystery, but they pull it off each year in fine style! Bravo Patrick and team, “here’s to 2016”! Go to: SedonaFilmFestival.com
The College of Arts & Letters Film Series promises to con- tinue with “The screenwriter: Oscar winning & Oscar nomi- nated Original screenplays” in March. Paddy Chayefsky’s The Hospital, Klute, War Games and Radio Days are featured. As always, the time is Tuesday evenings at 7PM in Cline Library for free! Don’t miss the black comedy The Hospital, written by Chayefsky, which shows a doctor who has lost his wife, his children, is impotent AnD a killer is running amuck in his hospital while he considers suicide. enjoy the medical mal- practice insanity! Look up more info at: nau.edu/CAL
The International Film Series continues with its theme this semester: “Oppression & Liberation.” These deep films challenge the audience to confront their own misunder- standing of the world. wednesday nights in March in room
120 in the Liberal Arts Building at 7PM for free!
On 3/25 This is Not a Film, from Iran plays with an intro-
duction from yours truly. Don’t miss this documentary shot almost exclusively on an iPhone and smuggled out of Iran to the Cannes Film Festival on a flash drive hidden in a three-lay- er cake. Under house arrest in Tehran, Jafar Panahi, decides to create a film while appealing his ban from filmmaking! Check at: nau.edu/CAL for more information.
The Prescott Film Festival continues to sprinkle the coun- tryside with various tantalizing offers each month. Look into their website for up-to-the-minute dates and times. Prescott- FilmFestival.com
| Bob Reynolds is a fan of flavored popcorn.
film@thenoise.us
16 • MARCH 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us