Bear Up North
Cyburbian Emeritus
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Memorial Day and the July 4th Holiday both provided a boat load of patriotic movies, events, flag-waving, fire-cracker lobbing, etc. And, of course, our country remains somewhat evenly-divided on our continuing role in Irag. Which brings me to the topic of this thread.....ahhhh, those patriotic movies.
Some movies slam you with flag-waving "love it or leave it" patrioism. Others are more subtle. And a few "anti-war" movies are used as cinematic evidence that "real patriots" question a government and their motives. Here's my take on a few reels.....
YANKEE DODDLE DANDY
Just watched it last night (July 4). I watch it every year at this time. It remains more of a character study of George M. Cohan than a slide into absolute patriotism. But, it does have some moments.....especially when he writes the song "Over There", for the boys fighting in WWI. The line "....and we won't be back until it's over, over there....." is haunting, from an American point of view. Seems that for nearly a century the USA has had to be the country to straighten-out world problems.....with our might, with our money, with our influence, and with our soldiers. (James Cagney, normally a tough guy in the flicks, was outstanding as a song & dance Cohan.)
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
A wonderful movie that catches the frustrations of American servicemen returning to their home towns after the end of WWII. The home front has changed in many ways, such as the drug store fountain clerk returns to a drug store owned by a corporate giant, no longer the friendly store he left when he went to war. The symbolism in the final reels.....endless rows of WWII airplanes (bombers) being recycled.....and the just-returned bomber aviator.....both "put out to pasture", no longer needed in a world with a different kind of war (nuclear threat) looming over it.
Best Picture of the Year in the later 1940's.
THE DEER HUNTER
A personal favorite, with very-little actual war scenes. Basic storyline is about a group of steel workers in a small Pennsylvania town.....they work hard, the drink even harder, and they hunt deer. Three (3) of this group are headed for Viet Nam, to participate in a war they strongly believe in. Their experiences in VN change everything for each of them. In the final reel, at a breakfast after the funeral of one (1) of the three (3), they end the movie by singing, "God Bless America". Strangely moving and the movies' anti-war theme kind of slides in toward you from emotional places unexpected.
BAND OF BROTHERS
If you ever question why the USA steps in and helps the rest of the world.....this wonderful mini-series is for you. These soldiers, moving across Europe in 1944 and 1945, epitomized sacrifice for country. A technical masterpiece.
DOCTOR STRANGELOVE
I had to include this movie.....it hits patriotism from a quite different angle. Slim Pickens' final scene, riding a nuke down toward the Russian surface, is as much a flag-waver as any......"this is what I was trained for, and I will finish the job for the good ole' USA...".
Of course, my list has some older movies. The primarily-young Cyburbia crowd will probably "pooh-pooh" my list and plug-in modern stuff, with lots of guns and action and "blow -em up" stuff. You can wear your flag your way, I will wear my flag my way.
America.
Bear
Some movies slam you with flag-waving "love it or leave it" patrioism. Others are more subtle. And a few "anti-war" movies are used as cinematic evidence that "real patriots" question a government and their motives. Here's my take on a few reels.....
YANKEE DODDLE DANDY
Just watched it last night (July 4). I watch it every year at this time. It remains more of a character study of George M. Cohan than a slide into absolute patriotism. But, it does have some moments.....especially when he writes the song "Over There", for the boys fighting in WWI. The line "....and we won't be back until it's over, over there....." is haunting, from an American point of view. Seems that for nearly a century the USA has had to be the country to straighten-out world problems.....with our might, with our money, with our influence, and with our soldiers. (James Cagney, normally a tough guy in the flicks, was outstanding as a song & dance Cohan.)
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
A wonderful movie that catches the frustrations of American servicemen returning to their home towns after the end of WWII. The home front has changed in many ways, such as the drug store fountain clerk returns to a drug store owned by a corporate giant, no longer the friendly store he left when he went to war. The symbolism in the final reels.....endless rows of WWII airplanes (bombers) being recycled.....and the just-returned bomber aviator.....both "put out to pasture", no longer needed in a world with a different kind of war (nuclear threat) looming over it.
Best Picture of the Year in the later 1940's.
THE DEER HUNTER
A personal favorite, with very-little actual war scenes. Basic storyline is about a group of steel workers in a small Pennsylvania town.....they work hard, the drink even harder, and they hunt deer. Three (3) of this group are headed for Viet Nam, to participate in a war they strongly believe in. Their experiences in VN change everything for each of them. In the final reel, at a breakfast after the funeral of one (1) of the three (3), they end the movie by singing, "God Bless America". Strangely moving and the movies' anti-war theme kind of slides in toward you from emotional places unexpected.
BAND OF BROTHERS
If you ever question why the USA steps in and helps the rest of the world.....this wonderful mini-series is for you. These soldiers, moving across Europe in 1944 and 1945, epitomized sacrifice for country. A technical masterpiece.
DOCTOR STRANGELOVE
I had to include this movie.....it hits patriotism from a quite different angle. Slim Pickens' final scene, riding a nuke down toward the Russian surface, is as much a flag-waver as any......"this is what I was trained for, and I will finish the job for the good ole' USA...".
Of course, my list has some older movies. The primarily-young Cyburbia crowd will probably "pooh-pooh" my list and plug-in modern stuff, with lots of guns and action and "blow -em up" stuff. You can wear your flag your way, I will wear my flag my way.
America.
Bear
