Classics: Another Memorial Day Salute By Lauren Ennis

Originally a Southern event designated to honor Confederate veterans of the Civil War, Memorial Day went on to become a nationally recognized holiday in the United States, which now honors all American veterans. While today the true meaning of the holiday is too often lost amidst the barbeques, beach days, and block parties that it has since become associated with, it remains at its heart a commemoration of the bravery and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. Below are three films that celebrate and honor America’s men and women in arms and all that they stand for.

You say you want a revolution...

The Patriot: The best place to start with America’s military history is at the beginning, and the 2000 historical war drama The Patriot does just that through its wrenching tale of one man’s struggle to protect his family amidst the American Revolution. The story begins with emotionally scarred French and Indian War veteran Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) attempting to maintain neutrality in an increasingly conflicted world. While his war-time trauma and the death of his wife leave Benjamin determined that his family remain safely out of the bloody events surrounding them, his pacifism places him in direct conflict with his headstrong eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger). Benjamin is eventually forced to choose sides when Gabriel defies him by enlisting in the Continental Army and is later arrested. The arrest sets off a brutal chain of events that ultimately lead father and son on a quest for more than mere revenge as they devote themselves to the colonies’ struggle for independence. Following in the footsteps of Mel Gibson’s earlier hit, Braveheart, the film portrays the harrowing reality of war and the heavy price paid by those caught in the cross-fire. In this way, the film not only pays homage to the courage of the Continental Army and its supporters, but also serves as an apt tribute to the sacrifices that they made in their pursuit of freedom. Perhaps the film’s greatest strength is its morally conflicted approach, which emphasizes the plight of the colonies under British rule without glorifying the gruesome reality of their fight for independence.  While the film serves as much to entertain as to educate it provides viewers with an introduction to the American Revolution and brings the historical events it portrays to life with equal parts gritty realism and emotional resonance. For a revolutionary way to honor Memorial Day look no further than The Patriot.

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight...

Glory: The American Civil War is most often portrayed on-screen as the struggle between north and south over the abolition of slavery. What such narratives all too often fail to acknowledge, however, is the role that African-Americans played in the fight for emancipation. The 1989 film Glory, presents a more complex portrayal of the Civil War from the unique perspective of an all-black regiment and their abolitionist leader. Inspired by a true story, the film follows the real life 54^th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the Union Army’s first all-black regiments, as they face adversity both on and off the battlefield. The film begins with Boston abolitionist Captain Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) being promoted to the rank of colonel for valor at Antietam and receiving orders to lead the 54^th regiment. To the credit of the film’s writers, the script approaches the characters as an ensemble cast, giving full weight to the men who comprised the regiment rather than merely focusing upon Shaw’s leadership. The film is made up of a variety of three-dimensional performances rather than mere types, with standout performances from Matthew Broderick as Shaw, Morgan Freeman as insightful John Rawlins, and Denzel Washington as rebellious Silas Tripp. The film relates a more complicated tale than most war movies as it portrays its heroes’ efforts to struggle against racial discrimination in their own army in the midst of their larger battle against the Confederacy. The film is made even more complex by its bittersweet ending, as the majority of the regiment ultimately fall in the assault on Fort Wagner even as their valor prompts the Union Army to accept the enlistment of thousands of African-American soldiers. Through its engaging performances and intelligent script the film offers more than a mere history lesson and serves as a solemn tribute to the soldiers of the 54^th regiment and those who followed after them.



Some of the grittiest stuff this side of 1950

The Best Years of Our Lives: While war dramas have graced cinema screens since the silent era, few films capture struglle that soldiers continue to face after the gunfire stops quite like The Best Years of Our Lives. Released in the immediate wake of World War II, The Best Years of Our Lives stands out from the plethora of war films released in its era for is stark portrayal of lingering trauma. The film follows three soldiers as they return to civilian life in the same Midwestern town while they continue to grapple with the traumas that they have suffered. The script aptly portrays the ways in which the war impacted people of all walks of life as middle-aged banker Al (Frederic March) returns home to a family who no longer know him, ambitious Fred (Dana Andrews) wrestles with both the plummeting job market and his broken marriage, and former high school athlete Homer (Harold Russell) adjusts to life with a disability after losing both hands in combat. The script approaches each of its characters and their individual journeys with an essential sensitivity and subtlety that provides apt insight into the trials of soldiers returning home not just from World War II but from every war. The film particularly stands out for its refusal to follow the propaganda film trends of its era in its focus upon the heavy price of freedom rather than limiting itself to the Allied victory. For one of the most emotionally resonant and honest film going experiences of your life look no further than The Best Years of Our Lives.

Classics: A Review of Notorious By Lauren Ennis

Nazi war criminals, jaded FBI agents, sultry playgirls, and a champagne bottle bubbling over with uranium mix nicely in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 thriller Notorious. By combining the elements of the salacious Mata Hari legend with the horrors of World War II, Hitchcock crafted a thriller that highlighted America’s lingering fears in the aftermath of World War II while simultaneously predicting the moral dilemmas and paranoia of the Cold War. At once a mind-bending thriller and a spy story with a soul, the film’s subversive script and uniformly superb performances elevate what easily could have been a standard espionage tale to classic status.

And they were big pimpin' in the 1940's

The story begins with FBI agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) receiving orders to recruit the self-destructive daughter (Ingrid Bergman) of a notorious Nazi war criminal into government service. What begins as a standard assignment quickly spirals into a moral and ethical quandary as he finds himself falling for damaged party-girl Alicia. Just as Alicia begins to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, however, she learns the sordid nature of her assignment; to seduce one of her father’s former associates and fellow war criminals (Claude Rains) who is now living a charmed existence in Rio de Janeiro. What ensues is a tale of love, lust, betrayal, and redemption that takes viewers into the murky world of post-war intelligence and the darkest depths of the human heart.

While Notorious does contain staples of the espionage genre, what sets the film apart is the way in which it utilizes these familiar elements to explore the political and ethical questions of its day. At the film’s start the story’s moral lines seem clearly drawn as honorable federal agent Devlin offers disgraced Alicia a chance at redemption. As the story continues, however, the characters’ ethics become as convoluted as the spy games that they are engaging in as damaged Alicia becomes the film’s emotional center. Rather than focusing upon the greater good goal of her mission, the script frankly portrays Alicia’s assignment ass government endorsed prostitution with Devlin her reluctant pimp. This approach, while accurate, was nothing short of subversive in the tense atmosphere of the post-war era as the film called the war-time actions of allied governments into direct question. The film consistently maintains its political stance as its shows Alicia experience disillusionment, betrayal, and abandonment at the hands of the very government organization that claimed to protect and redeem her. The film even goes so far as to draw parallels between the brutal and deceptive methods of the ex-Nazi’s Alicia is infiltrating with the questionable counter-intelligence methods utilized by the FBI.

Explosive liquor; a surefire way to start your night off with a bang

Beyond its sharp political criticism, the film also offers social commentary through its portrayal of the twisted love triangle between Devlin, Alicia, and her mark turned husband, Alex. While Devlin is initially presented as the story’s hero, his treatment of Alicia is hardly knight in shining armor material as he constantly judges and berates her for her vices. At first glance, his attitude could be dismissed as understandable given her behavior and the norms of the era. The fact that he continues to malign her even after learning of her efforts to stop her father’s fascist activities and that she uses her vices to escape the guilt of failing to do so is nothing less than cruel. The script goes on to portray him in an even more negative light when he tasks her with selling herself under federal orders after previously chastising her for her promiscuity. His hypocrisy, and the film’s biting criticism of it, reaches its peak when Alicia reluctantly agrees to her assignment only to be confronted with rejection and condemnation from Devlin when she succeeds. In an interesting contrast, the film’s villain, Alex, is portrayed as understanding and tolerant when he not only pursues a relationship with but marries Alicia with full knowledge of her past. In its sympathetic portrayal of Alicia and its exploration of her relationships with the two very different men in her life, Notorious highlights the hypocrisies of sexual double standards in a way that few Hays Code era films would have dared. Through its scathing social and political commentary the film raises challenging questions that remain startlingly relevant today.

The film continues to thrill audiences thanks in large part to the stellar work of its cast. Claude Raines portrays Alex with a humanity and complexity that make him a surprisingly sympathetic villain. Leopoldine Konstantin rivals Hitchcock’s other infamously evil mother, Mrs. Bates, in her wonderfully wicked role as Alex’s oppressive mother. Cary Grant makes for an impressive anti-hero in a performance that combines his characteristic charm with an underlying bitterness and menace. Ingrid Bergman inhabits the outwardly tough but inwardly vulnerable Alicia in a way that will leave viewers as susceptible to her charms as Raines’ and Grant’s characters.

Easily one of the most intelligent films to tackle international intelligence, Notorious is another masterful effort from the master of suspense. At once a tale of political intrigue and a powerful political criticism, the film is far more than just another spy story. Through its gripping script and uniformly excellent performances the film weaves a twisting web of suspense and deceit that will leave viewers guessing until its final frame. With its scathing social commentary and subversive take on post-war politics Hitchcock’s 1946 hit remains Notorious.