I know the tradition in most houses is to grill outdoors, have family and friends over and maybe take a dip in the community pool (and/or backyard pool). All good things and very enjoyable. We did all these things, but one thing I do for me is pick out some Memorial Day movies to watch. Nowadays, the cable providers such as TCM, AMC, or the History Channel (I watch some good stuff on H2) set a good lineup of history pieces and/or action flicks based on heroic deeds by military men and women. Nicely done. I think on Spike, they had a "Band of Brothers" marathon.
But sometimes, I just like to set my own lineup. A couple of years ago, I picked the entire "Pacific War" series from HBO (and Tom Hanks produced if I recall) based on two great books. That set me on trend to pick at least two or three movies to watch on my own away from everyone as a sort of tribute (and so I would never forget what these brave men and women did for me). This year, I choose three movies I had watched before but thought it would be a good thing to revisit:
1. Black Hawk Down - a retelling of the Battle of Somalia when two Black Hawks went down in a mission to extract a Warlord and his leadership from Mogadishu. The pilots and then several Delta force men that went to help a surviror were killed and dragged around the city, an event shown on CNN news and one that made us all angry. Brutal. But while I've seen this movie before, it was like a new experience to watch and pick out the nuances this time. Real impactful movie if you can follow the very fast pace. BTW - Ridley Scott knows how to direct action movies and this one does not disappoint.
2. Hunt for Red October - I watch this movie quite often and can quote quite a bit of it. It's just fun movie to watch, but still intense. Based on real events? You decide.
3. Tears of the Sun - This was my favorite this weekend and I didn't think it would be. I know, Bruce Willis, cheesy action flick all the way... huh? Nope, Willis is downplayed a bit from his usual sarcastic persona. In fact, very downplayed and very believable as a cold hearted Navy Seal sent into a war torn Nigerian jungle to extract an American doctor (actually the very beautiful Monica Bellucci) to safety. In doing so, Willis as "LT" (for Lieutenant) starts to let his guard down for the people being oppressed by the militia of the General who has thrown the country into turmoil. Navy Seals are supposed to stay on mission and get the job done in the most professional of manners, and a good long while this is what is happening. LT then sees the ravages of a hospital he's left behind with people he refused to extract (and who refused to leave in the case of a priest and two nuns). The horror is just too much and the Sir Edmund Burke quote used in the end of the movies comes to life "Evil will reign as long as good men do nothing". Willis orders the chopper back to an LZ where he's left countless others behind that he had no orders to extract. He promptly makes a decision to extract them first and then request another helicopter extraction to come get his men, the good doctor, and several other villagers out of the jungle and to the safety of Cameroon. He is informed by command that no such helicopter extraction is fothcoming, so he and his men with doctor in tow (with a handful of villagers) hump it through the jungle for about 30 clicks to the Cameroon border. This while being chased by 300 military fully armed and ready to take them out.
Now, I've seen this movie before, for the pure action of Navy Seal tactics of course. If you watch this movie for that, you won't be disappointed. But this time, having just read some articles about the horror that is happening today in the Nuba Mountains of the Sudan and knowing that this movie actually used "The Lost Boys of the Sudan" as extras made a connection for me. I watched with more emphasis of the plight of the locals and of course I got the Directors cut of the movie because Antoine Fuqua had some powerful scenes to bring home the horror of ethnic cleansing. This movie changed right before my very eyes from a Navy Seals action flick to a real life drama and how "good men" can do something, although small in scope, large in outcome. Don't miss these subtle messages if you watch this movie, either again or the for the first time. Of course, you may think this was a Bruce Willis vehicle and the fact that his own production company chose this script to make their first movie is probably and indictment that they banked on an audience coming to see it for the action and for Willis. But I'm glad I watched again and found a gem of a movie from Fuqua not too hidden from plain sight.
