in a darkened theatre, i was destroyed

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2003)

Devastation - there are many things that can, and will, devastate a person in his or her life. Akin to the devastation of this movie going experience, in a darkened theatre, is the devastation of its lack of power, its lack of damaging, its lack of emotionally caving power, to destroy me, on home video release.

in a darkened theatre my heart wept for every living man, who had to fight in any war, of any year in the existence of this world. The horror and the hollow
vacuum that my heart was drenched and sucked into, during the first quarter of this film, was unlike anything that had ever become of me. The experience was in fact so upsetting and demanding of my soul, that i repeated it - once again on my own, and once more with a friend. And the beginning, THAT beginning, beat
my heart faster as it crept into the cut, to the past, to the horror, the second viewing, and once again, the third viewing. At this point, this movie was the only movie, and it stuck with me, and moved me so much that it was at this point, the most amazing thing i had ever witnessed.
So why is it no longer even close to meaning as much to me?
in a darkened living room, as it crept into the cut, my heart barely beat a beat faster - at home, in comfort perhaps, this movie did nothing - and became
nothing more than a Spielberg movie, with Tom Hanks trying to save Matt
Damon.
All i could think, was how? How could this be released onto video, into the
comfort of homes, the comfort of bedrooms? Releasing this on video has
destroyed the movie. I only pray that one day, i will own enough equipment, to bring the heart out of the magnetic tape, out of the glossy DVD, bring the pain beyond Tom Hanks face, beyond John Williams music - and once again watch
the ghost of a battle, that terrified and took so many lives, as it once destroyed me, in that darkened theatre.