Courage Under Fire (1996)
Country: US
Technical: col 117m
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon, Michael Moriarty
Synopsis:
A tank commander, who has himself been implicated in a friendly fire incident during the First Gulf War, is assigned the task of investigating the politically sensitive case of a helicopter pilot who could be the first woman combatant to receive the Medal of Honor. The situation is complicated by the fact that she was killed in action, and that there are inconsistencies in the accounts of her comrades in arms.
Review:
Worthy drama, with all involved appearing bowed under the weight of responsibility in delivering a picture that both examines the human cost of war and yet does nothing to question the ultimate sacrifice so recently paid by many Americans. The results, with questions over the Ryan character's bravery of course quashed, and the Washington character's own-goal immediately vindicated by a table-turning outside-the-box decision made in the heat of action, and only revealed to us last minute, decisively thwart any chances of the film's being edgy or interesting. Instead, it satisfies only as a kind of procedural, multiple-perspective narrative. Compare the miniature-swigging Washington in this film with his future self in Flight, and you will have a measure of the old-fashioned glossiness of the endeavour.
Country: US
Technical: col 117m
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon, Michael Moriarty
Synopsis:
A tank commander, who has himself been implicated in a friendly fire incident during the First Gulf War, is assigned the task of investigating the politically sensitive case of a helicopter pilot who could be the first woman combatant to receive the Medal of Honor. The situation is complicated by the fact that she was killed in action, and that there are inconsistencies in the accounts of her comrades in arms.
Review:
Worthy drama, with all involved appearing bowed under the weight of responsibility in delivering a picture that both examines the human cost of war and yet does nothing to question the ultimate sacrifice so recently paid by many Americans. The results, with questions over the Ryan character's bravery of course quashed, and the Washington character's own-goal immediately vindicated by a table-turning outside-the-box decision made in the heat of action, and only revealed to us last minute, decisively thwart any chances of the film's being edgy or interesting. Instead, it satisfies only as a kind of procedural, multiple-perspective narrative. Compare the miniature-swigging Washington in this film with his future self in Flight, and you will have a measure of the old-fashioned glossiness of the endeavour.
Country: US
Technical: col 117m
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon, Michael Moriarty
Synopsis:
A tank commander, who has himself been implicated in a friendly fire incident during the First Gulf War, is assigned the task of investigating the politically sensitive case of a helicopter pilot who could be the first woman combatant to receive the Medal of Honor. The situation is complicated by the fact that she was killed in action, and that there are inconsistencies in the accounts of her comrades in arms.
Review:
Worthy drama, with all involved appearing bowed under the weight of responsibility in delivering a picture that both examines the human cost of war and yet does nothing to question the ultimate sacrifice so recently paid by many Americans. The results, with questions over the Ryan character's bravery of course quashed, and the Washington character's own-goal immediately vindicated by a table-turning outside-the-box decision made in the heat of action, and only revealed to us last minute, decisively thwart any chances of the film's being edgy or interesting. Instead, it satisfies only as a kind of procedural, multiple-perspective narrative. Compare the miniature-swigging Washington in this film with his future self in Flight, and you will have a measure of the old-fashioned glossiness of the endeavour.