Karen Watten is the heroine of the movie "Life and Death" and a courageous woman. However, the film does not stop at praising the hero's bravery and fearlessness in the face of life and death, but also explores what is true justice and courage in war by analyzing the loss and return of human nature in war. As the first film with the theme of the Gulf War, "Life and Death" tells the story of the commander of the armored forces, Colonel Nathaniel Sarin, who mistakenly ordered the destruction of his own tank in the Iraqi occupation area of Kuwait, and his comrade-in-arms Baldwin, etc. People sacrificed innocently.
Colonel Sarin, who was suffering in his heart, was transferred back to Washington and was ordered to investigate the incident in which the late female pilot Karen Watten rescued the trapped soldiers. If the review is correct, Captain Walden will be the first woman nominated for the Medal of Honor. However, with Colonel Sarin’s investigation, the truth about the death of Captain Watten gradually emerged... It
took only 5 minutes at the beginning of the film to truly restore the "desert saber" ground in the final stage of the Gulf War. Offensive action. Judging from the details of the weapons and equipment and the codenames "Puma" and "Saber", the team commanded by Colonel Sarin is likely to be the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (now the US Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment), which was responsible for the breakthrough combat patrol mission. Subordinate to the US 7th Army with a total strength of nearly 80,000. And their opponent is the most combative Iraqi Allah division of the Republican Guard.
Because Iraqi tanks rely on bunkers to carry out concealed shooting, the sandstorm known as "Saddam Weather" swept the entire battlefield, coupled with the obstruction of barbed wire and landmines, even with advanced fire control systems and thermal imaging cameras, the U.S. ground forces still Ushered in an extremely fierce battle. It can be said that Colonel Sharin's mistakes on the battlefield are based on real examples of the Gulf War. Because in the most intense "East 73 Battle" during the Gulf War, the panicked US army exploded its own 5 M1A1 tanks and 4 M2 tanks.
However, in this nearly two-hour film, director Edward Zwick did not put a lot of space on the description of the war scenes, but reproduced the narrative technique of "Rashomon" through the perspective of Colonel Sarin. The deeds of the heroine abandoned by her comrades are gradually restored to the truth, and the cruelty of the war and the fission of human nature have been ruthlessly analyzed.
In the words of the military doctor Iariou and the soldier Moffez, Captain Watten became a bold heroine and a cowardly coward respectively. In fact, even if Moffitz disobeyed the order and injured her, even the subordinates questioned her order, but when the rescue plane arrived, Captain Walden still shouted, "Go, I'll cover you! "Fulfilled her promise to herself and her comrades in arms.
For fear of being held accountable afterwards, Moffez lied about the death of the captain after boarding the plane, and the others chose collective silence. They watched as the woman who was covering the retreat was swallowed by the napalm fire.
However, it is always difficult for the survivor to get rid of the nightmare entangled in his heart. Just like Colonel Sarin used alcohol to relieve his pain, the frail Aitmeyer lay on his hospital bed and begged to die. Moffez ran into the roaring train, and the army doctor Iariou could only use drugs to paralyze himself. It’s worth mentioning that Matt Damon, who plays Iario, managed to lose 40 pounds (about 18 Kilogram).
At that time, the unfamous "Dai Meng" lost weight all by himself, and the disordered body functions did not return to normal until two years later. However, his dedication and acting skills in the film earned him the favor of famous directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg, so he appeared in "The Rainmaker" (1997). , "Mind Catcher" (1997) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998).
With sunken cheeks, painful expression, the anxiety and guilt hidden in Iario's heart finally poured out under Colonel Sarin's unremitting questioning. For Colonel Sharin, who also carries a heavy burden, he can fully understand the insignificance and fragility of people at the moment of life and death. So he made up his mind to make the truth of Captain Watten's sacrifice public. Because only by telling the truth, people can truly respect her and every soldier who sacrificed for the country, not just worship the halo on the hero's head.
"Go forward, command correctly, advise cautiously, stay vigilant at all times, and judge carefully. Also, more importantly, use all your mind and body, all your soul, and all your courage to protect your subordinates and the United States of America." Karen Watten used her life to fulfill the vows at the graduation ceremony. Colonel Sarin also began to face up to his own heart, regardless of the image of the army and his own future, exposed the truth about his manslaughter of his comrades-in-arms to the reporters of the Washington Post and Baldwin's parents, and was forgiven by Baldwin's parents.
Just as the English name of the film "Courage Under Fire" interprets another meaning, only facing the facts and acknowledging the facts is the greatest justice and courage. Although the "Rashomon" in the movie has ended, the reality of Rashomon is constantly being staged. The US government at the time beautified its actions in the Gulf War as "absolutely safeguarding justice" and emphasized that "high technology has transformed the harsh nature of war." However, only those who have been on the battlefield know that there are only one desperate fight and countless flesh and blood corpses.
Even though the film itself portrays the evocative image of American heroes and ubiquitously promotes the human rights and lives they value, will the human rights and lives of other nations and countries be cherished? Will they die heroically? The answer is obviously no.
In contrast to our country’s war films, from the founding of New China to the "Cultural Revolution", Chinese war films have also successfully created a large number of idealized and romantic hero images: Dong Cunrui, who sacrificed his life and bombed the bunker, shouted, "Shoot at me." "Wang Cheng and the five heroes of Langyashan who resisted the Japanese and puppet military aircraft and artillery bombardment but could not die.
The same emphasis is on heroes and collectivism. Those heroic images of "high Daquan" and "facialization" have disappeared in the popular "Bright Sword", "Soldier Assault" and "Assembly Number" in recent years, and replaced by full ones. Personality, more real and plump, bloody man. The material selection and narrative style of these film and television dramas gradually have the feeling of Hollywood blockbusters.
However, for audiences, Chinese patriotism educational films and "American" war films are the same as the main melody films, but the treatment they receive has always been very different. In fact, regardless of whether the cause of the war is just or stupid, Americans can make it into a patriotic propaganda film that is righteous and awe-inspiring. This kind of routine that is really hard to find without careful screening is worthy of our propaganda department's careful consideration. And borrowed.
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