Courage Amidst Fire

Courage Amidst Fire

  • Submitted By: sowmiyanitin
  • Date Submitted: 09/29/2013 8:35 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 388
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 155

In 1991, millions of people tuned in to CNN to observe a real life and death drama played out in the cities and deserts of Iraq. For the United States, the war was more or less a display of power and a preservation of economic interest. Nobody was to ever hear of the mishaps and foul-ups of the war. In many eyes the war was seen as a chance to boost American spirit and make the government look empowered. Director Edward Zwick and writer Patrick Shane Duncan snatched onto this notion and expounded on it in their movie Courage Under Fire. Through its superb acting, successful plot, structure, and filming perfection, the movie becomes a powerful and brilliant examination of the consequences of guilt and responsibility, and the meaning of absolute truth.

Courage Under Fire was the first Gulf War movie to hit American theaters. It is a movie that steers clear of the typical type set of the war film genre. Movies like Platoon and Apocalypse Now took us into the heart of the savagery of war and its torment upon the individual. Courage Under Fire contrasts greatly with these movies by showing that acts of valor do not necessarily result from the savageness of the battlefield. The real subject of the film is not a specific war, but the military ethos and its effect on many individuals.

The movie begins as many war films have, on the battlefield. Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) finds himself in an impossible situation, u...


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...ody looked as though they belonged in the movie and the uniforms all seemed as though they had been hand delivered by the U.S. Army. The music was a presence but certainly did not make or break the movie. It was just an average performance by James Horner.

Overall, this is a very strong movie that makes a powerful statement about the U.S. government and its actions during the Persian Gulf War. Courage Under Fire is an astoundingly intelligent and well-produced film. I...

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