Lt. Dan - Satan or Christ?

Rating: 10/10 (25 September 2001)

I rarely comment, but feel compelled. By reading these comments it is clear how often people miss the point of movies. Someone above mentioned that Gary Sinise was "the devil incarnate." It would seem that the language of the character and his proclivity to use the Lord's name in vain offended the person. While I appreciate that this person may dislike the film and obviously does not like profanity, I think that this person is missing the point... and this saddens me.
I would challenge this person to understand first, then form a opinion later. Withhold judgment, at least until the end of the film. The person above let the barest surface of the language cloud their entire perspective of the movie. What a shame. After all, one doesn't have to like profanity to appreciate the point that artists are trying to make by using it.
In this particular case, this person above, who seems to be very devout, missed the whole point of Lt. Dan. In my attempt to voice my own interpretation of Lt. Dan, and to counter the very poorly voiced opinion that Lt. Dan is the Devil, I fear that I will introduce some spoilers below, so read with care.
I hate to spell it out so plainly, but since the person above missed the point so completely, I will give my interpretation, however flawed.
During the course of the film, Lt. Dan was on a very profound and religious journey. The whole point, in my mind, of the character was to explore, it very direct terms, the concepts of faith in the aftermath of tragedy. His use of the language, while consistent with the character, also show his inner turmoil and conflict with God. Granted, the language is not for children, but as an adult I can appreciate that Lt. Dan's language was *supposed* to make me realize that he was at odds with God. By being overly sensitive to the language, this person missed the payoff when Lt. Dan eventually finds God. I, as a person of faith, found his story, in the subtext of the entire film, to be very interesting and gratifying.
Great movies, like this one, have layers upon layers of themes and messages. It is what distinguishes them from the normal trash. While you may not like the movie, you should at least do yourself the favor of being open-minded when viewing it. Otherwise, don't bother spending your money.
For example, the character of Lt. Dan, while a very fully realized character, was also a symbol of many things in the story. While I will not say that my interpretations are the only possible ones - I believe that Lt. Dan, Jenny and Forest were all mirrors of the same character. All three characters go on a journey during this film, all fight the same demons in some form, but all three stories come to a different resolution. As they all "run" from their troubles, directly or indirectly, they each take a different path. But Lt. Dan's path is that of religious redemption. To call him the "devil incarnate" and treat him like a blasphemer is to deny the entire idea of redemption and forgiveness.
Lt. Dan was an obvious symbol of post-Vietnam America. He suffered physical wounds like we each suffered psychological wounds. And I can still visualize his final confrontation with God. I would like to ask the person above whether they even considered that, high atop the cross-timbers of a wooden mast, with his arms outstretched, his beard and hair whipping in the wind, that Lt. Dan looked quite Christ-like. He called out into the void, and, as Forest observed, God came to him. After finding God in the storm, Gary is given his peace, tames his demons, and is even eventually given his legs back. A cured body to match his cured soul.
I wonder if the person above thinks any of this symbolism to be an accident, or a message of the film. Frankly, I doubt this person even thought twice about it, which is what I find sad. But if they had, I wonder if they would have had the same negative reaction to the film.
Oh well. Monkey