unbelievable

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 1998)

Never before have I seen people cringe, stare open-mouthed, cheer, and cry, then walk out of a theater in complete silence.
Having witnessed the so-called "greatest act of terrorism ever to occur in our nation," I can only say we have been so naive. My generation doesn't understand what war is. We watch our movies and we get excited by violence and gore, never feeling any guilt or sorrow for the people the actors portray. This film changes all of that. It is so hard to see the men murdered as they do "their duty" and then come to the realization that THIS REALLY HAPPENED. These men, our grandfathers, risked and in some cases gave up their lives to protect all that we take for granted.
Today we cry and demand justice for the 169 people who died because a PART of ONE building in a small city was destroyed by a bomb. We can't even begin to imagine running off of the landing boat only to be shot and killed by the unseen enemy. We see countless buildings annihilated in small, tactically insignificant cities.
This movie has made a difference in my life. Being only 20, I have to face that it could easily be me in the line of fire if our nation were called once again to defend the cause of freedom and the draft were reinstated. All I can say is after seeing this movie, war and violence will no longer be glorified in my mind.
Aside from the stunningly realistic portrayal of war, I can't ignore the fact that the movie itself is spectacular. Although the content takes the front seat, the acting, script, and cinematography are superior. This film is hands down the best of the year, and one of the best movies ever made. Four stars!