Title/Year: Tears of the Sun/2003
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Antoine Fuqua/U.S.A./1966
Budget: $70,000,000
Gross: $86,468,162 (Worldwide)
Synopsis: A U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent into the war-torn jungles of Nigeria to extract an American doctor who refuses to come with them unless they rescue 70 refugees as well.
Narrative and Visual Key Words: jungle, war, religion, masculine, duty, honor, brotherhood, leadership, rebellion, exodus, tragedy, sacrifice, hero
Camera/Lighting/Editing Technique: There are quite a few crane shots in the film, typically used to reveal an imminent threat or grotesque sight. As this really a “road trip” kind of film, there are many wide open helicopter shots thrown in to truly show off the vast scenery. Also, for a war film, there was a lack of slow motion.
Political/Social Commentary: This film, released in 2003, was riding the wave of what we called in class “humanitarian war”. A few years removed from Black Hawk Down, the war still somewhat new, Tears of the Sun presents us with a group of American military men aiding a defenseless group of Christian refugees as they flee from a marauding rebel force that are part of a radical “other” religion.
Historical Relevance/Recognition: Despite having a name like Bruce Willis attached to the project, Tears of the Sun was not a very big success at the box office and was passed over by critics. The film was nominated for only 2 awards. The Black Reel awards nominated Antoine Fuqua for best director and the Teen Choice Awards nominated Monica Bellucci for breakout star. Neither won their nominations.
Notable Collaboration: Tensions between director Antoine Fuqua and Bruce Willis emerged soon after principle photography began, ending with each vowing never to work with the other again.
Random Fact, Etc.: The script for this film was originally considered to be turned into Die Hard 4.
POV: This film follows a group of Navy SEALs but our focus, our lens, is that of LT. Waters who is played by Bruce Willis. We stay with him throughout the entirety of the film and see how the events in the film change him fundamentally. The rebel force barely speaks a word in the film and are never given a real motivation for what they are doing other than religious differences. Every time we see the rebels, they are doing terrible, horrific acts. On the other hand, LT. Waters sees the faces of the innocent, defenseless refugees he is protecting and forms somewhat of a bond with them, as do we the audience.
Identity: The identity of LT. Waters is very much so flipped on its head in this film. As the film opens, LT. Waters is a gruff, veteran leader with only one thing in mind and that is completing the mission and getting his men home safe. His mission is to bring home an American doctor. The problem is, is that she refuses to go unless all the people she is caring for come with her. Knowing he has direct orders for only the doctor. He lies to her and tells her that he will take the refugees as well. At the last second he scoops her up in a helicopter and leaves the other 70 refugees stranded in the jungle. At this point we identify him as cold, callous and calculated. Just another mission. It is when the helicopter flies over a mission that has been massacred by the rebels that we see a hint of emotion, of guilt in Waters. He orders the choppers to turn around and vows that he will get the refugees out of the country safety. We see what happens to these people if “we” don’t act.
Morality: As you can probably assume by now, morality is a central theme in this film. It is a classic good vs. evil tale with little to no grey area. The SEAL team must walk a fine line between orders and what they know is right. This film goes out of its way to tell us what the right choice is. The SEAL team has to protect these people or no one else will. It all comes back to the idea of war as a humanitarian act. The moral statement this film makes is that those who have the ability to act, must act.
Memory: While this film was based on a book about a Canadian operation in Colombia, all the names and locations have been changed. The conflict is, although inspired by real world conflicts, a fictional one. This film does not really memorialize an event rather it feels more like a promotion piece for SEALs, Christian morals, the United States, and Bruce Willis.
Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314353/trivia
No comments:
Post a Comment