American Blockbuster

Rating: 4/10 (15 June 2001)

Sigh. Yet again, the American blockbuster machine massacres history and entertainment. And yet again it is with the subtlety of a brick to the head. Every hero shot and `memorable moment' are spelt out explicitly and along with the patriotic speeches, come fast and furious. Pick one of the many and shed a tear. The director apparently doesn't give his audience enough credit to be able to recognize a heroic moment by the action itself. He must resort to trailer-made tricks such as stirring music, slow motion shots and that steely-eyed stone jawed look that suggests the actor is in an arm wrestle instead of a terrifying fight for his life. In our world, not all acts of heroism are in slow-motion and blurred. Sometimes Japanese people (or any given enemy) laugh. Not every sentence a person says is laden with a message/moral. We sometimes discuss the trivial and in doing so, show our humanity. And not every hero has a touching and poignant death scene, expressing their best wishes. (For a stunning contrast, compare these points to something like Saving Private Ryan, or even better, a British movie) On top of this, much of the true drama of that day is merely brushed over, such as the fate of the flight of B-17s and the heroism of the crew of the Nevada in their efforts to save her. The fate of a dog is however a guaranteed heart-jerker.
Don't be fooled, this isn't the fitting tribute to the brave fighters on both sides of the war. This is pure and shameless propaganda for reminding Americans that their country is great.