Paul Schrader's (and Martin Scorsese's) Taxi Driver (1976) by Mark Zuiderveld

Title/Year: Taxi Driver, 1976
Director/birth country/year born: Martin Scorsese, USA, 1942.
Budget: $1.3 mil
Gross: over $28 mil
Synopsis: A Vietnam veteran returns from war to work as a lonely cab driver in New York City, later encountering a young prostitute, and tries to save her from a world of darkness.
Narrative/Visual Keywords: Lonesomeness, voiceover narration, Jesus Christ, religion, redemption, vigilante justice, racism, racial tension, 1960s, 1970s, psychotic behavior, hypocrisy of politicians
Character Arc: Travis Bickle is a lonesome marginalized member of society who takes a stand against the status quo and bravely sets a silent standard for modern day heroism. Compared to Batman, he's a common sense street hero with a little bit of a psychotic problem.
Political/Social commentary: Turbulence of 1970s American society. Domestic life of returned veteran. 
Camera/lighting techniques: Interesting and awesome zoom pan camera movement of Travis Bickle running through a crowd of people!! tracking shots, zooms, birds eye view shot at the end. The film has a sick yellow/green color palette. 
Fun facts: Scorsese has a cameo as a cab rider who observes the silhouette of his wife in a window (who is cheating on him with another man).
Historical recognition: Hailed as one of the top 10 greatest films of all time (obviously). The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Score (Bernard or "Bernie" Herrmann)
Notable collaboration: Bernard Herrmann, music composer, did his last score for Taxi Driver. Herrmann's music is notable because of repetitive melody. You know it when you hear it. He died on Dec. 24th, 1975. Herrmann is most known for composing scores for most of Alfred Hitchcock's films. He won an Oscar for The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) and was nominated twice posthumously in 1977 for scoring Taxi Driver and Obsession (also a Paul Schrader screenplay, and film directed by Brian DePalma). This was Scorsese's second collaboration with Jodie Foster, having previously worked with her on his film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), starring Ellen Burstyn.

Mark's heart-felt review:

Travis Bickle is the kind of man who is reluctant to do anything with his life. However, he is innately wise. We first see him applying for a taxi driver position. He was in the Marines, served in Vietnam, but doesn't talk about his past or mention it much. He's just a man who needs a job, who can work "anytime, anywhere." He's quiet, lonesome, and doesn't even beg for our sympathy, yet we're with him every step of his life within the timeline of the film. There's an existential philosophy to Paul Schrader's story about the lonesome cab driver, in some ways a parallel to Schrader himself, and a parallel to the life of Jesus Christ (Robert DeNiro's Travis Bickle talks to a prostitute, trying to convince her to leave her pimp named "Sport", played by Harvey Keitel). It's existential in the sense that Travis is a man who is lost and has to reluctantly make sense of his path in life. We see him confused, distraught, lost; going to an adult theater and hitting on the girl at the concession stand, only to be rejected. He's innocent, yet scarred from his past that we don't know much of, something he prefers to be kept hidden.

Now more on Paul Schrader (because I know about this man). Schrader comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Calvin College (in the same graduating class as my mother, in 1968, I've seen the yearbook) and was raised in a strict Calvinist (religious) family. He saw his first film at age 18. Both of my parents were around him at this time, although they never hung out with him. Something must be noted about the rebellion he was innately feeling in his life; the need to get away from something holding him back. After he graduated college he drove to L.A. to write and direct films, including American Gigolo, Light Sleeper, a remake of Cat People, Affliction, and (in Japan) the Japanese film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, about the famous yet controversial Japanese fiction writer Yukio Mishima. Schrader was fixed (and obsessed) with exposing the portrayal of male violence, and the motivations leading up to those actions, Travis Bickle being his quintessential creation. Schrader is influenced by Yasujiro Ozu (a prolific Japanese film director from the early 1900's to his last film An Autumn Afternoon in 1962). There is generally a parallel between Schrader and Bickle, a man surrounded by hatred, racial tension, and revolting, disgusting social life; a man with a kernel of hope inside of him that he rarely reveals to others. The religious element is key to understanding Schrader. It makes him likable.

In picture above (from left to right): Paul Schrader (screenwriter), Director Martin Scorsese, and Robert DeNiro.

Despite the ominous bad taste in the film and racial tension the movie touches on, Taxi Driver is heart-felt film that has a core value for humanity. Martin Scorsese saw something in Paul Schrader's screenplay that sparked a reaction of reality in the New York City scene. In a featurette on a special edition DVD of Taxi Driver there are more current interviews with real taxi cab drivers who were around in the 1960's and 70's--men who described New York City then as a place where you would be eaten alive (metaphorically). Socially, America was in tumultuous times in the 60's, so being a cab driver meant being exposed to the everyday harassment and tension so prevalent in urban city life. Travis' voiceover in the first act of the film is revealing, saying "sometimes I have to wipe the cum off the backseat. Sometime I have to wipe off the blood."

Robert DeNiro's character of Travis is a sympathetic one. He's in control of himself, sometimes not, he's lost at times, he's reserved, keeps to himself, somewhat polite most of the time. He walks into a political campaign office for a politician named Palantine, where a woman (Cybill Shepherd) works, along with the Albert Brooks character. He fawns over her, tells her she's beautiful, and asks her out on a date. He's later rejected because he takes her to an adult Swedish movie. He means well, but others don't see it. He sees the good in people, yet sees the bad. Bickle sees the virtue and value in a politician, yet sees the hypocrisy of a such a role. He sees the young prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) taken advantage of, and tries to save her (he pays for having time with her, only to try and convince her to flee the prostitution business.) Travis Bickle sees through it all, through thick and thin, and is a walking example of a dialectic.

One great scene (exterior sidewalk, night) is between Travis and Wizard (Peter Boyle), a fellow taxi driver. Travis seems to confess to Wizard like he's confessing to a Catholic priest, mentioning that he feels "like doing something." Travis is confused, unsure, yet fervent and resolute in his fully charged thoughts and actions. There's so much character motivation here for Bickle! Wizard reassures him that things will be okay. He supports him through the tough times.

Another great scene that shows Bickle's vulnerability is when he's on a pay phone in a hallway talking to Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) and being rejected. The camera movement is then a tracking shot that moves right, and stays put on an empty hallway, because apparently we don't want to witness the embarrassment and sadness on his face. Roger Ebert mentioned this in a review, and it begs to be mentioned again, because it shows who Travis Bickle really is, and how Scorsese sympathizes with him.

There is an overt theme, or political sub-text of Taxi Driver; a theme of moral vigilante justice. A theme of redemption may be involved, seeing how Travis is rescuing Iris from her dark world of prostitution (he makes a conscious decision to do this). Travis Bickle is a hero, but not such an obvious one. He's an underground, "in the shadows" type of hero. We initially see Travis as a broken man, distraught. However, his actions near the end of the film are horrific yet justified, daring yet optimistic, providing a positive change in another person's dark circumstances. Yes, he does murder people, but in the attempts of saving a young teenage girl's future. At the end of the film a voiceover of Iris' father is reading a thank you letter to Travis for giving her daughter back. There is a light at the end of a turbulent and dark New York City tunnel after all.

(Note: I've seen this film so many times since my high school days that I felt the need to write about it. I'm aware I'm supposed to write a film review about a movie I haven't seen before. However, Taxi Driver has been one of the first influential films in my life, no matter how dark and disturbing it may be.)

Above photo: Robert De Niro's taxi cab license he used while learning the role. (from Roger Ebert's Facebook page)

Sources:
https://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1222&bih=646&q=taxi+driver&oq=taxi+driver&gs_l=img.3..0l10.495.1688.0.1718.11.8.0.3.3.0.77.564.8.8.0...0.0...1ac.R1drZvoZF18
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/
https://www.facebook.com/RogerEbert

ENEMY AT THE GATES (2001) by BRYAN TOSH

Title/Year: Enemy At The Gates (2001)

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Jean-Jacques Annaud – France - 1943

Budget:  $68 Million

Gross: $96,976,270

Synopsis: During the WWII battle of Stalingrad, two snipers, a Russian, and a German, are locked in a battle of wills and marksmanship, while the Russian is boosted to the status of hero by a political official

Narrative and Visual Keywords: World War II, Stalingrad, Sniper, Politics, Hero, Nazi, Action, Thriller, Russia, Stalin, Drama, Monochromatic

Characterization/ Dialogue:

Camera/lighting/editing technique: The film is very gray and bleak throughout. There is a very “gritty” feel. In my opinion, this is to give the audience a sense of the terrain and environment a sniper will sit in,  for days at a time, waiting for the most opportune moment to fire upon his target. The battle of Stalingrad was one of WWII’s most brutal and bloody battles. Most of this battle sequence was shot handheld. Very little fluid camera movements, if any at all.

Political/ Social Commentary: One of the tag lines for this film was “A single bullet can change history.” The fate of Stalingrad rested on the shoulders of one sniper, Vassili Zaitsev, played by Jude Law.

Historical Relevance/ Recognition: Set during the bloody and brutal battle of Stalingrad, also based on the true events of a Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev, who was lifted up to be the hero of Russia. Supposedly single handedly took out dozens of Nazi officers during his reign as this hero. According to the film, there is an exhibit about Vassili in the Russian WWII museum.

Notable Collaboration: It is rumored that Jude Law and Ed Harris were cast largely due to their expressive and piercing eyes. They were able to convey many emotions with only their eyes.

Random fact, Etc.: This story was a passion project for THE Sergei Eisenstein.

Are there any evident elements of an evolving group dynamic?

There is somewhat of a small group dynamic in this story. Maybe not so much in the traditional sense as in The Thin Red Line, but there is an element where the characters have to work together and rely on each other to move toward a common goal. Vassili (Law) meets Commisar Danilov (Fiennes), a political officer, and shows extreme skill with a rifle, saving both of their lives. Danilov is impressed and moved by Vassili’s heroics and decides to write something about his new hero. Soon, Danilov and Vassili share a symbiotic relationship, each feeding off of each other. Danilov creates Russia’s greatest hero in Vassili and is commended. Vassili finds his calling in the Soviet Army and proudly, but cautiously, is motivated to drive the Germans out of Russia. 

Other characters come into play, such as a young boy named Sacha, who becomes an informant for both his hero Vassili and the number one German sniper Major Konig (Harris). Other brave Russian souls come forth to try their hand at being a sniper and become heroes themselves, even working alongside Vassili himself. 

Are there any scenes where self-sacrifice is apparent? 

SPOILER ALERT: After a deadly game of hide-n-seek and cat-and-mouse through-out the film, Vassili and Major Konig finally have their standoff, each one outsmarting the other. Danilov and Vassili have been in a conflict of the heart regarding a shared love interest in Tania Chernova (Rachel Weisz). Danilov knows his love is not reciprocated by Tania. 

The boy, Sacha, is killed and hung for all to see, by Major Konig, as a way of luring Vassili out in the open. Vassili is enraged and now has a personal vendetta with Konig. He sends Danilov and Tania to get Sacha’s mother to the evacuation boats. Mortars are dropped near the boat landings which result in Tania receiving shrapnel and Danilov mistaking her death. 

Danilov is at a loss. He knows Vassili awaits Konig in an attempt to ambush Konig. Danilov sacrifices himself. Konig mistakes this target to be Vassili and fires, killing Danilov, but also reveals his own position to Vassili. Vassili relocates as Konig moves to check his kill, realizing his mistake he turns to find Vassili behind him with rifle aimed at his skull. 

Identify the central character(s). Which are static and which are developing? Which are flat and which are round? 

Our hero, Vassili, is the central character. The film opens in the mountains where we see a young Vassili being taught how to handle a rifle by his grandfather. Throughout the film he struggles with himself and the pressure Danilov has built by making him the “hero” of Russia. 

Many of the static characters are also the “expendable” characters, literally. The static characters we meet are other Russian snipers that join in Vassili’s cause. Through Vassili’s adventures hunting the German, many of these static characters end up being killed in action by the main antagonist, Konig. As a matter of fact, now that I write this, Konig himself is somewhat static. He does not really change or have a defined arc in this film. He does grow to respect his Russian enemy, Vassili, but that is where the arc ends. In the end, he too is expendable. He is the enemy. His goal is clear and predictable, as is the character. 

With regard to some of the characters that are round or flat, Vassili is our most round character. Being that he is the main character, he needs to be round or else the film would be lacking. When we are first introduced to Vassili, we know very little of his skills with a rifle. We know that he has some experience, but to what degree, we do not yet know. 

Enter Danilov, the political officer. He meets Vassili in dire circumstances. Danilov is not experienced with a weapon and it is obvious. They are both trapped but hidden and cannot escape until the nearby Nazis have been neutralized. Vassili offers his services. With only one mag in his rifle, he takes out each Nazi. One shot, one kill. This is the first time his extreme skill is revealed to both us AND Danilov. This ability alone makes Vassili more of a round character and introduces him into a new world within the Russian armed forces. 

Tania, both Danilov’s and Vassili’s love interest, is a bit of a round character as well. How accurate her character is as it relates to the historical element of this film may be in question, but her role in the film is important. Tania is first introduced to us as a simple soldier, trying to do her part for the cause. She has befriended a boy, Sacha and his mother. Danilov and Vassili are very much vexed by her and silently compete for her attention. It is revealed to Danilov that she is quite intelligent and can speak German very well. He convinces her to transfer with him in the political officer arena to help intercept and translate German communications. 

The war calls to her, however, and she requests to be transferred back into the field to fight. She wants to be a person of action, like Vassili, whom she is truly attracted to more so than Danilov.

Pick out bits of dialogue, visual images, or scenes which you consider especially effective in revealing character and tell why they are effective. 

One scene that comes to mind in which I felt was effective in revealing character involves both Vassili and Danilov. It is actually the first time Tania is introduced to us as a character and not just an acquaintance. We are also introduced to the boy Sacha and his mother. 

Vassili is invited into Sacha’s home. Sacha recognizes Vassili right away from the papers and photos. He is Sacha’s hero. Moments later, Danilov enters, greeting Vassili and the family. It appears that Sacha’s home is somewhat of a refuge. There are letters from all over Russia for Vassili that Danilov presents to him. They decide to reply to some of them for the moment. Danilov is educated, where Vassili is not AS educated. Tania then enters the home. Both men are immediately awe struck by her. The men continue to reply to a letter from a group of miners. Tania looks on. Vassili has his input on what some of the reply should be, talking about how miners are heroic in their own right. Danilov is there for context, grammar, and spelling as well. They both steal glances at Tania from time to time. It is a silent game of brain versus brawn in a way. Vassili is the Russian hero, out there in the trenches, taking down the Nazis one officer at a time. Danilov uses his words as his weapon, but during this exchange, there is an undertone of jealousy from Danilov. Almost as if he can sense that Vassili is also attracted to Tania, so he takes his jabs where he can by correcting Vassili purposefully and in ear shot of Tania. 

This is the beginning of the rift that forms between these two comrades. 

References: www.imdb.com
                   www.wikipedia.org
                   www.boxofficemojo.com

The Thin Red Line (1998) by Andrew Barrick

Title/Year: The Thin Red Line / 1998

Director / Birth Country / Year Born: Terrence Malick / USA / 1943


Budget: $52 million

Gross: $91 million

Synopsis: The film follows the soldier of C - Company; 2nd Battalion during WWII as they fight for Guadalcanal and their own sanity.

Characterization / Dialogue: A group of young WWII riflemen are sent in as backup reinforcements to capture the hill of Guadalcanal. Through their adventures and exploits they come to learn what friendship, family and love truly are.

Camera / Lighting / Editing: Epic tracking shots / Naturalistic outdoor lighting / Dreamlike compositions for memory sequences / CU shots on characters to help convey the expressions and emotions.


Political / Social Commentary: The Thin Red Line is a contemporary take on the "war is hell" concept. It is a political view of the evils of war, and a social commentary on how war destroys those who must fight in it.

Narrative and Visual Keywords:  WWII, US Soldiers, Guadalcanal, Leadership, Honor, Personal Discovery

Notable Collaborations: Large Star Actor Cast: Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Elias Koteas, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Jared Leto, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, John Travolta, Miranda Otto.

Historical Relevance / Recognition: The film is based on James Jones's 1962 novel of the same name. The book pulls from Jones's own personal experiences of his campaign of Guadalcanal in which he served in the US Army. The 1998 feature film would go on to be nominated for seven Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing from an Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music; Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound)

Etc / Random Facts: The original assembly edit of the film was over five hours long. A number of other star actors appearances were cut from the film. Theses actors included Gary Oldman, Bill Pullman, Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen, Lukas Haas, Mickey Rourke, and Viggo Mortensen.

Sources: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/
               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_(1998_film)
               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line_(novel)

1.) From the very start of of the film the unit of C - Company is always evolving in various forms of group integration. At different points in the film various characters change roles, whether in a military capacity or that of a brother and friend. These men share their hopes and fears with each other, and are all fully developed and realized personalities.

2.) As with the evolving character traits the Army unit displays throughout the film, they also show personal acts of courage and self sacrifice. In some cases they are able to survive to the next moment in time, in other situations they are acts of fatal sacrifice and valor. In one scene Sgt. Welsh, rushes out into the line of fire to give a fellow solider who has been wounded. Earlier in the film, Sgt. William Keck sacrifices himself to protect his fellow soldiers from an accidental grenade explosion.

3a.) Some of the scenes that I felt really were effective where those of Private Jack Bell and his wife Marty Bell. With little dialogue, except for voice-over that is culled from private letters, the audience is able to discover and learn about their romantic relationship. Separated by time and space, we hear of their desire for each other and the love they share. Slowing moving camera shots, soft lighting and images of nature and their separation from each other during war time. One striking sequence of images shows Marty on a swing, going back and forth, to and from the camera. In one take the shot is flipped and she is seen swinging upside down. It would seem that literally their world and relationship has been turned inside out and upside down. In the end Marty meets another lover and pleas for a divorce from Jack.


3b.) A character that seems to be rather exaggerated in the film, is that of Lt. Col. Gordon Tall as played by Nick Nolte .While I did find that character and his actions believable, I believe that his mannerisms and exposition we emphasized to extremes to help Lt. Col. Tall as being a man of power. He is definitely given the screen presence to be a foil to the character of Captain Staros. At a number of turns Lt. Col. Tall seems only be concerned about the mission and victory at hand, rather than the safety and well being of the troops he commands.

The Thin Red Line - Benjamin Hilton

Title/Year: The Thin Red Line/1998

Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Terrence Malick/USA/1943

Budget:  $52 million (estimated)

Gross: $81.6 million (worldwide)

Synopsis: In World War II, American soldiers attempt to take over an island in the Pacific where Japanese soldiers are building an airstrip to invade Australia.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: AWOL, World War II, Japanese, American, Air Strip, death, water, peace, self sacrifice, Charlie Company, bunker, machine gun, POW, morphine, hill, Dear John Letter,

Characterization/Dialogue: Pvt. Witt, a carefree person, is sent with fellow soldiers to take over an island inhabited by Japanese soldiers.

Camera/lighting/editing technique: Malick uses long extended shots throughout most of the movie. Even in some of the battle scenes shots drew out for longer then 2 seconds, as opposed to short shots that give the battle a sense of fast paced excitement. Very few of the shots were static as well. The surreal shots of nature where moving, and the shots while on the battle field appeared to be mostly hand held. Though lacking in static shots, these camera moves gave the viewer a sense of direction and motion.

Historical Relevance/ Recognition: The movie is about a conflict on the island of Guadalcanal during World War II. Many viewers compare The Thin Red Line to Saving Private Ryan, another contemporary war movie. The Thin Red Line was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, but won none.

Notable Collaboration: Hanz Zimmer composed over four hours of music for the film. 

Random fact, Etc.: The average shot length for the film is roughly 7.9 seconds.

1. Several moments in the movie the soldiers show compassion for one another. One example is when Sgt. Keck attempts to throw a grenade at the enemy, but ends up only pulling out the pin. He throws himself up against a rock so that the blast does not hit any of his comrades, killing himself in the prosess. Another example is when Sgt. Welsh runs out into the field of battle so that he can give a dying soldier needles of morphine so that he can die pain free.

2.  Several scenes in The Thin Red Line contain instances of self-sacrifice. The most prominent, of course, being in the final scenes of the movie when Pvt. Witt leads the Japanese soldiers away from the direction of his unit at the cost of his own life. Another scene of self-sacrifice is when Sgt. Welsh runs out into the field of battle so that he can give a dying soldier needles of morphine so that he can die pain free.

3.   Which minor characters function to bring out the personality traits of the major characters? What do they help reveal? One example that I continue to reffer to is when a dying soldier was screaming in pain after being shot in the stomach. After a med was killed attempting to get to the soldier Sgt. Welsh ran out there to give the dying soldier morphine so that he wouldn't have to die in pain. Another is when Sgt. Welsh tells a soldier who claims to be sick to go back behind the lines. Both times he shows compassion for his men, and a human side in the war.

Pick out bits of dialogue, visual images, or scenes which you consider especially effective in revealing character and tell why they are effective. The scene where Capt. Staros refused an order from Col. Tall to send him men up the hill to attack the Japanese. Despite him knowing that it would likely result in punishment to himself he refused to let his men be slaughtered because he knew the strength of the the Japanese that were bunkered on the hill.

*Source for all information is www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/ www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/synopsis and www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/trivia*

The Thin Red Line by Chris Moretti

The Thin Red Line /1998
Director :Terrence Malick /U.S/1943
Novel Writer: James Jones
Budget:52,000,000
Gross:81,600,00
 
Synopsis : A group of young soldiers are brought as relief for battle weary marine units in The battle of Guadalcanal.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: The film has a visual image that would give anyone who has never been in combat in the jungle a strong sense of what it is like to be in such an environment.

Characterization/ Dialogue : Characters are well developed and each have their own personalities independently from each other.

Camera/lighting/editing technique : The editing in this film in very motivated with long takes which hold on important moments. As in most Terrence Malick films a strong use of natural lighting is employed.  Camera seems in be close in and very personal showing the many casualties of war.

 Political/ Social Commentary : A brave look at soldiers who are different from the films made about WWII in the past.




1. Are there any evident elements of an evolving group integration? In many films including this one the have a group of soldiers who battle through the odds and come out a family , but in this film they do not come out as a family.

2. Are there any scenes where self-sacrifice is apparent? The end of the second act is a self sacrifice in its own regard.

3. Which of the characters are realistic and which ones are exaggerated for effect?Some characters in this film are very stereotypical war junkies while other characters have a softer side and emote in a very nontraditional way. Woody Harrelson's character is realistic in the sense that he makes a fatal mistake, and many people make mistakes in war.

The Thin Red Line by Kevin Fisk

Title/Year: The Thin Red Line/1998
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Terrence Malick/Ottowa, Illinois/1943
Budget: $52 Million
Gross: $81.6 Million
Synopsis:   C Company attempts to take control of a hillside in Guadalcanal while they wrestle with their own mortality.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: War, South Pacific, Japanese, Pride, exhausted, malnourished
Characterization/ Dialogue:
Camera/lighting/editing technique:  The first cut of the movie was over five hours long.  Terrence Malick edited many stars completely out of the film but still managed to keep plenty of footage of waving grass and light through the trees
 Political/ Social Commentary:  The viewer doesn't learn enough from a history perspective.  Why was Guadalcanal important? 
Historical Relevance/ Recognition:  The film was nominated for seven academy awards, including best director, best original screenplay and best editing.
Notable Collaboration:  Terrence Malick's all star cast included Sean Penn, Adrian Brody, George Clooney, Nick Nolte and Woody Harrelson.
Random fact, Etc. Gene Siskel called it "One of the greatest contemporary war films i have ever seen".

Reaction Questions.

1. Leading up to the deployment on the island, the men of C-Company have many conversations among themselves covering their impending doom, and their thoughts of dying which helps form a common bond among the men.  They work together throughout the entire movie, never leaving each others side.  In another scene, Captain Staros refuses a direct order to ascend the hillside "at whatever cost" because he refuses to let his men be easy targets

2. Most of the film deals with the soldiers thoughts about sacrifice.  They know that unless they consider themselves already dead, they can't adequately function as soldiers.  This was apparent when a soldier is shown ducking behind a large boulder, all but ready to give up.  The soldier knows he is going to die if he gives up his position.  He takes a deep breath and emerges from behind the boulder charging after the Japanese bunker.  He shoots a few Japaneses, drops a grenade in the bunker before heroically leaping back behind the boulder. 

3.  One of the most interesting characters was lieutenant Tall, played by Nick Nolte.  Tall is an older officer who is serving in his first war.  The officers he answers to are all younger than him and he uses this as motivation to attain what seems like a more personal victory at Guadalcanal.  He constantly reminds his subordinates not to question his authority and asks questions like "How many lives are you prepared to sacrifice to get the job done".  In a defining moment, he orders a dangerous frontal attack on a Japanese stronghold instead of a more rational flanking strategy.  He wants to win with brute force to attain this personal victory.  His character attempts to change when he orders for water, but doesn't admit that he was wrong.  
Private Witt was a great character.  A man who at the beginning of the film was seen living a peaceful serene life with native island people.  Witt had no desire of going back to the army after going AWOL, but when he finds himself back in the thick of battle, he realizes who he is fighting for and sacrifices his life for the good of the company.  In one scene, Woody Harrelson's minor character dies from a malfunctioning grenade, and Witt is there to comfort him as he dies.

Homework -- Week 4

1. Partner up with somebody for the Mid-Term Assignment: Reviewing an anti-war film.  You will be assigned your film next week in class

2 Choose from one of the following films -- Complete the template and answer response questions IN FULL SENTENCES. I am not expecting MLA form, but forming entire thoughts in writing is essential to your academic growth.

Week Four- Vietnam

Full Metal Jacket – Stanley Kubrick

The Deer Hunter – Michael Cimino

Hamburger Hill – John Irvin

The Boys in Company C – Sidney Furie

Rescue Dawn – Werner Herzog

Good Morning Vietnam – Barry Levinson

Casualties of War – Brian DePalma

The Hanoi Hilton – Lionel Chetwynd

M*A*S*H – Robert Altman

Sub-Category --- The Returned Vet

Dead of Night (1974) - Bob Clark
Tracks - Henry Jaglom
Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese
Black Sunday - John Frakenheimer

Response Questions:

1. Is the soldier/veteran depicted as being in control of his destiny? Give examples.


2. What political sub-text, or overt theme is the film exploring?


3. How are masculinity and patriarchy displayed through the main character(s) -- broken and dissociated or reinstated and productive. Please give examples