Jarhead
I just came back from watching "Jarhead" with a friend. (We were going
to see "Good night, and good luck," about the journalist who stood up
to McCarthy, but he got stuck in traffic.) I didn't think it was going
to be all that good, since the wisdom of the crowds who populate
metacritic and rottentomatoes said that it was only so-so. But it
turned out to be a very interesting view into the psychology of a
soldier. I've been learning about how military force gets deployed at
a high level, since part of this project on China and Russia requires
understanding the nature of hard power, but "Jarhead" really drove
home what it's like to be in the position of someone on the ground.
I'd seen other war movies -- Private Ryan, Apocalypse, Platoon. They
all had profound things to say about the nature of warfare, but this
one showed me what it would be like for /me/ to be going to war in
Iraq right now. (One of the secondary characters is literally a
Dartmouth classics major.)
to see "Good night, and good luck," about the journalist who stood up
to McCarthy, but he got stuck in traffic.) I didn't think it was going
to be all that good, since the wisdom of the crowds who populate
metacritic and rottentomatoes said that it was only so-so. But it
turned out to be a very interesting view into the psychology of a
soldier. I've been learning about how military force gets deployed at
a high level, since part of this project on China and Russia requires
understanding the nature of hard power, but "Jarhead" really drove
home what it's like to be in the position of someone on the ground.
I'd seen other war movies -- Private Ryan, Apocalypse, Platoon. They
all had profound things to say about the nature of warfare, but this
one showed me what it would be like for /me/ to be going to war in
Iraq right now. (One of the secondary characters is literally a
Dartmouth classics major.)