Theatre Thursday Week 25

It's time once again...for what can only be known as Theater Thursday. Play along...if you would like!

Week 25 - Veterans Day.
Today is Veterans Day. With that in mind, this weeks questions are all about movies involving the subject of war.

1) Which war movie is your favorite? (Nothing about war could be considered a 'favorite', but ya get my meaning.)
Well, I will pick a few movies which I consider to be well done...or I consider to tell a really amazing story, since I am usually very anti-war, so yes...I would have a hard time saying I have a favorite war movie. Here are a few well done ones though. I thought Saving Private Ryan was beautifully done...it really brought out the story, but I think for me..I will always have a soft spot in my heart because of how I viewed it. I went to the theatre to see it. I went to see it with some friends in college...and there were a few older couples around me, I am assuming the men were veterans. I saw this one older man...just holding the hand of his wife and crying. That moment...more than the movie itself will always stick with me.

But there are some other war movies, which I think are brilliantly done...like Born on The Fourth of July (which isn't really about war, but the aftermath of war on the soldier), Schindler's List, Braveheart (more about the drive and the passion of one man, than about an actual war), MASH (I thought it was comical and brilliant), and To End All Wars (this movie has not been seen by many and it just broke my heart)....

2) What movie about war do you consider to be 'unwatchable', poorly done, or of poor taste?
It takes a lot for me to think a movie is unwatchable...and I can't think of a war movie that is unwatchable. But there are some I just don't like. The biggest example that comes to mind is Cold Mountain. It seemed too long for its own good....and it didn't move me like I can tell the creators intended. I am sure there are a lot of war movies that I might consider unwatchable...but then again, it's a sure bet I haven't seen it. I don't tend to run right out and see war movies.

3) Which actor/actress gave the best performance as a soldier? What movie?
Well, I think Mel Gibson was brilliant in Braveheart....and usually I am not a huge fan of Mel. Secondly, I thought Adam Goldberg was great in Saving Private Ryan. He played that scared soldier really well. I think often...there is a tendency to only show the bravery of those men who sacrificed so much, but the pain and fear...are always there and when a character embodies that, I quickly get drawn in. And finally...I don't think it was the best movie ever made, but I thought Demi Moore in G.I. Jane was a great performance of a female soldier...in an environment where she doesn't belong. I wasn't sure that Demi could carry off a role like that...but was pleasantly surprised by her performance.

BONUS) If there was a movie to be made about the current war in Iraq, who would you most like to see as the leading man/woman?
I am not sure I can answer that. I have too many conflicting emotions about the war in Iraq. I have nothing but respect for the soldiers...but I don't respect the war. I am not sure I would want to see a movie about it...especially if it was a movie where it glorified the war. I guess the only way I would like to see a movie about the Iraq war would be from the perspective of an Iraqi citizen...that I would like to see. I imagine in many ways...they are just as conflicted, if not more then I might be.