Soldier's view of war

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2003)

Ridley Scott has been fumbling recently, making more producer type of movies then his own. He established himself with "Alien" and "Blade Runner". Thelma and Louise, G.I. Jane kept it going. Hannibal really screwed it up. His direction is coarse, he wants to be focused on the photography, focused on the action. He wants YOU to be there with the soldiers, fighting along side with them, watching them die watching them kill. He succeeds. Ken Nolan on the other hand wants to create a war drama, an embodiement of the human fighting spirit and about the sadness of war. He fails. Jerry Bruckheimer wants to make a movie so over- the- top in it's own patriotism, it'll make money and hey, it'll be called "good". He succeeds. Ken Nolan's script should come first. What he tries to show is the bleakness of war, with the characters of Eric Bana coming into play. He also wants to show the seasoned veterans who disobey orders and who actually help win the fighting: William Fichtner's character, Tom Sizemore's character. And there's the rookies; Josh Hartnett and Ewan Mcgregor. They aren't developed. Words don't ooze from their lips with power and drama as they did in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. They say the same things over again. They run and duck as RPGs blow over head and as bullets knock their friends down. The acting is solid, but there isn't much acting required. They just have to look proffesional and even acted scared. Ridley Scott's direction wants to go deep in there, he wants to give you a camera and let you follow these men. He does a fine job with this movie, deserving an Oscar nomination. Yet at the same time there's the patriotism provided by Bruckheimer. Scott's vision of bleak warfare is turned into "Wow! America is so good at fighting!" The photography, editing, sound all come together masterfully to give the experience to the viewer. But remove all the fancy camera angles, the tight editing and the detailed sounds. What is there? Nothing. That is the problem with this movie, it is hollow. Gunfire, pants, blood, they all come together well but what's the significance? When the movie ends, and the factual subtitles start to roll, the movie is briefly remembered then forgotten. Recommended for people who want to get a good view of the war, but for those looking for depht, it's recommended that they pick up "Apocalypse Now" or "Full Metal Jacket." 6/10