tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post768558257518265728..comments2024-03-18T00:41:13.588-07:00Comments on Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule: THE COMPLEX CLARITY OF SEVERE CLEARDennis Cozzaliohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-6826591603174694002010-03-24T12:59:15.716-07:002010-03-24T12:59:15.716-07:00Your article convinced me to watch the movie. It&#...Your article convinced me to watch the movie. It's definitely my style, since it is a war movie and I believe that in times of war, in times of despair, man's true identity comes to surface. That's why I liked Hurt Locker and that why I'll probably like this film too. What I dislike on the other hand is how these movies are used for propaganda and for manipulative purposes by the usage of cliches.Joannahttp://anynaseo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-44688601610256646482010-03-23T11:09:25.015-07:002010-03-23T11:09:25.015-07:00I recommend The War Tapes, also video shot by thre...I recommend <i>The War Tapes</i>, also video shot by three soldiers on the ground. It's eye-opening and sounds quite a bit like this film. I think it qualifies as the first Iraq War film to be shot in this way.Marilynhttp://www.ferdyonfilms.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-56846533057115376922010-03-22T12:21:26.653-07:002010-03-22T12:21:26.653-07:00"His higher-ups" should be "their h..."His higher-ups" should be "their higher-ups." Sorry!Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-31396560365282538932010-03-22T12:18:24.099-07:002010-03-22T12:18:24.099-07:00Bkah: I don't think I understand the point of ...Bkah: I don't think I understand the point of your comment. First of all, isn't the term "substantial fraction" a bit of an oxymoron? What exactly would constitute a substantial fraction of the soldiers returning from Iraq who turn out to not be productive citizens? And if you're really worried that such a generalization might be in any way accurate, take heart from the bio of Mike Scotti himself, as quoted from the <i>Severe Clear</i> website:<br /><br />"After being Honorably Discharged from active duty, Mike attended the New York University Stern School of Business, where he received a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance. While at NYU Stern, Mike founded the Military Veterans Club. He is also helped build a charity called Reserve Aid, which has raised over $3 million for the families of wounded veterans, and currently sits on its Board of Directors. Mike remained a Captain in the Marine Corps Reserves until his Honorable Discharge in early 2007."<br /><br />You're not "impressed" that they managed to survive their tour of duty. You seem to want to entirely blame those soldiers who have difficulty upon returning for their inability to gather themselves back into society. And yet you reserve a final razz for George W. Bush, presumably for initiating a war under false pretenses that has ended up destroying the lives of the soldiers you criticize. <br /><br />Nobody's saying the soldiers now serving or those who have served in the past in Iraq were all model citizens before they left country, to say nothing of when they get back. And of course there are those who have shown that it's possible for American soldiers to behave pretty despicably during wartime, with or without the tacit approval of his higher-ups. But ultimately I'm not sure why the general population of U.S. soldiers overseas should be worried about proving anything to you, me or anyone. For those who aren't as composed as Scotti upon making it back home, who behaved honorably during their tour, isn't it enough to be glad they made it through, and to offer them help in readjusting after they've been put in harm's way and had their lives shaken for no apparent good reason?Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-6331377752443326562010-03-21T22:39:38.136-07:002010-03-21T22:39:38.136-07:00I'll be impressed by these soldiers alleged ab...I'll be impressed by these soldiers alleged ability to "make it through" the crap in Iraq after they prove they can do something constructive when playtime is over.<br /><br />A substantial fraction of them will just end up on the streets or institutionalized.<br /><br />Thank you, George W. Bush.bkahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-26090735919432840592010-03-20T14:11:36.500-07:002010-03-20T14:11:36.500-07:00Bryce, there's a sequence in Severe Clear wher...Bryce, there's a sequence in <i>Severe Clear</i> where a commander is addressing his troops with cliche after cliche re our supposed motivations for being in Iraq in which I had almost the same thought-- God, what an incredible meathead, one of many in this situation. Yet I know damn well I'd never make it through what he and these other guys go through every day.<br /><br />I will check out <i>Generation Kill</i> and <i>Stop Loss</i>.Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795280.post-46186240194669096802010-03-20T14:06:08.899-07:002010-03-20T14:06:08.899-07:00Great write up, I'll have to see this one.
T...Great write up, I'll have to see this one. <br /><br />The Iraqi war is so interesting to me, because its at once one of the most well documented (in terms of quality not quality. I can't think of another conflict that has had so many movies made about it, with such a high percentage of them being awful.) and forgotten wars of all time (Seven anniversary was yesterday, anyone hear about it?) <br /><br />I forget where I heard it, but I think the best summing up of the war was a soldier making a statement that "America didn't go to war, 100,000 military families did." It was a war of cognitive dissonance.<br /><br />I still think the best thing made on the war, and perhaps because its the only film where I've sensed zero "war movie bullshit" is David Simon's HBO series Generation Kill. Its damn near black comedy at times, and is able to make the point that there are alot of dumb meatheads in the army without masking the fact that this is a situation I'd probably wouldn't be able to handle. <br /><br />Other then The Hurt Locker, I think the best movie produce about Iraqi is still Stop Loss, which I believe will be more then ripe for rediscovery in twenty odd years.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.com