The War

I'm going to post two reviews tonight, so forgive me if I'm not all-inclusive in either review. Both movies were not easy to watch, and I'm still contemplating what I think about the two.

"The War" by Ken Burns recently aired on PBS, and most likely will re-run for quite a while. I watched each consecutive episode, and I can only reccomend viewing it this way. To watch one or two episodes, or to view out of order will defeat part of the purpose. This is the best kind of anti war film that can be made. "Saving Private Ryan" is in the upper tier of anti war films, but sometimes it steps into the action genre and therefore cannot be at the top. "The War" is an unflinching look at the horrific nature of humans killing each other for their respective countries. Don't get me wrong, this was a truly reverent homage to the men and women who fought and supported the war effort durring World War II. Just as in his "Civil War" series, Ken Burns paints the struggle as being on of good vs. evil. Even if the men on the ground didn't realize the atrocities of Hitler, history has made heroes out of everyone who fought his regime. The fervent determination of the Japanese is portrayed in uncanny similarity to our current struggle with religious fanatics. At the same time, fourteen hours allows Ken Burns to address the agonizing ironies, such as Japanese internment camps here in the United States. Another subject Burns looks at was our decision to bomb hundreds of thousands of civiliians on Japan, so shortly after discoving the death camps in Germany. There are things I saw that made me feel good to be an American. There were things I heard that made me think of Pop and remind me that I'll never be able to completely appreciate or comprehend what he and so many others have done for us. I also saw things that were hard to see. Hopefully with all the questions I have and all the emotions it stirred up, the final outcome will be a balanced, thoughtful perspective, and a greater respect for men who are willing to do what is right regardless of the cost.