Injecting More Razzle Dazzle into War Movies

For people like me.

People on twitter were raving over the lux cinematography of 1917, so I decided to see it. Guess what? They were right! The cinematography is stupendous! The storyline wasn’t bad. The actors did a great job.

But it wasn’t for me.

I just can’t get into war movies.

Maybe you’re gasping in shock right now. Don’t worry, humble reader! I’m aware that Americans require a certain amount of violent media injected into their veins on a weekly basis, otherwise they run the risk of turning into fragile buttercups, or, worse, Canadians.

I like learning about war. It’s kinda interesting. I read books and listen to podcasts on all kinds of historical topics, including war. When war-related themes creep into my beloved sci-fi and fantasy, I’m into it.

I also believe that war movies have had a big impact in our cultural deglamorization of war. Which can only be good.

But as for me?

I’m meh on them.

I prefer films to be fun or weird. If a movie isn’t either fun or weird, then it needs to be a masterpiece for me to like it.

You know what I do like? Musicals. Musicals are fun and weird at the same time. Life should be more like musicals with people performing songs at the drop of a hat, or forming kicklines to celebrate their latest promotion (How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying). Even when musicals are bad, they are still great. Sometimes I get very angry at them (Carousel), but I’ll still watch them all the way through.

Soldiers in war movies do not typically jump onto tables and perform time steps.

At least, not anymore.

In previous eras, Hollywood understood that war + singing + dancing = lots and lots of money (South Pacific).

But somewhere along the way directors lost sight of that winning combination and decided war movies needed to be about severed legs, bombs, brotherhood, and futility. BORING. And, let’s be honest, a little gross. Does every war movie need a scene where doctors perform an amputation without anesthetic? It’s getting irresponsible. I’m surprised Hollywood extras have any…

Related posts:

Writers are not the only storytellers of art. As with writing, painting has the power to transform. The painter’s story begins with a blank canvas. Then, as the first loaded paintbrush glides across…