The classic that never was

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2005)

Although I think the finer points have been hit on, I wanted to add my two cents about what is bound to be an over looked classic. Perhaps I should start then by stating why exactly this movie is going to miss the mark, so to speak, while at the same time hitting it so precisely. In the end there are few things which do not boil down to politics, and while competitive democracy has its high points it creates a sort of vacuum of polarization with no in between. This is important because in a world where there is no middle road, we cannot take seriously something un-polarizing and un-opinionated. It's unfortunate but true and it's exactly why some people are going to be unable to enjoy this movie (a lot of people). In fact if you've ever held a protesters sign, regardless of the cause, there is a fairly high chance you will find the lack of moral direction here offensive.
The movie quite literally does the impossible; it portrays war without attempting to lead the viewer to moral conclusions. In fact it is not so simple as to ignore these moral conclusions; you will find characters expressing them from both sides of the moral spectrum. In each case attempts by characters to frame the issue in a certain way simply fall flat in the face of reality. Over optimism finds itself faced with sad truth while true pessimism is never realized. And if the last sentence sounds like it should be impossible, then that is yet further truth of just how good (and different) this movie is.
The objective of this film is to tell a story about people and the effects war has on them. It is funny, sad, disappointing, anticlimactic, beautiful, intense and frustrating especially if you were a character in it. I am not an easy judge of movies (quite harsh actually) but I do enjoy things which attempt a topic from a new angle. Perhaps the fact this is the first war movie which has no angle provides a sad insight into both why it is so good and why it will be so under-appreciated.
~Ryan