From weakness, strength

Rating: Null/10 (22 April 2000)

The facts are these: a well-decorated Marine Corps Colonel is charged with murder by ordering his soldiers to fire randomly into a crowd of demonstrators in Yemen to protect his men as they are evacuating civilians from the U.S. Embassy. "Rules of Engagement" dramatizes this actual incident in which Colonel Terry Childers has to defend himself with only his word while the evidence would seemingly suggest the massacre of innocent people. The film makes abundantly clear that while the 'rules of engagement' are spelled out in black and white, in actual combat those rules must be weighed in light of specific circumstances. It does so from talented portrayals (in addition to Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, and Bruce Greenwood) and straightforward storytelling. It also does something that we would easily miss if it was not so obvious - that race was never an issue. How truly refreshing in these days when that could easily have been Childers' trump card. But that would negate the singular message of this film, that honor to country and to men under one's command is supreme. This is a film that easily matches the skillfully made film, "The Verdict", in its 'against all odds' theme - a hopeless court case in which the deck is stacked against a lawyer, who admitted he was too weak to mount a winning defense and a soldier whose only hope is his Marine Corps devotion. The overall direction by William Friedkin is blunt and unequivocal although he probably did not need to show the little girl firing a weapon who later loses her leg or the reciprocating salute between Childers and the Vietnamese colonel . It's too early in the year for Oscar considerations but here's hoping we don't forget Samuel L. Jackson or Tommy Lee Jones when nominations are in order.