Life is Precious

Rating: Null/10 (22 January 2007)

Watching this movie shows that life, however mundane, is precious. To us city folk, living in rural Pennsylvania would be quite dull and hard to accept. But after spending about an hour learning how the "rednecks" live and witnessing how three of them survive the hell of war in the jungle, you feel sorry for them all and conclude that their lives are just as worthy as any "city slicker" life is. After two of these lifetime buddies return to the USA (one back to steel town, PA (un-injured), and the other to a Veteran's hospital (legs amputated)), the emotional impact of this film just begins. How? By showing the stark contrast in the main characters' mannerisms, relationships, and outlooks on life BEFORE Vietnam and AFTER Vietnam. BEFORE Vietnam, these men were happy go lucky, bonding in the woods while hunting, just the PA version of the Dukes of Hazzard. AFTER Vietnam, these men have matured by many orders of magnitude, gained a respect for ALL life (yes, that includes the deer), and have grown closer together. The un-injured character "Mike" (De Niro) risks his own life by returning to Vietnam AFTER his tour of duty has ended to track down his buddy "Nick", who never came home. The viewer is elated when "Mike" finds "Nick" still alive and un-injured, but very mentally unstable. When "Nick" not only refuses to return home but also commits suicide in front of "Mike" simply for the pleasure of his captors, heartbreak occurs. This scene is very powerful, because not only is it a profound expression of love between two male friends, but also a study of exactly how war affects one's soul. I will watch this again because it shows perfectly how mental anguish can continue to haunt veterans of war.