Went to see it in London last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Firstly, it should come with a 'health warning' - if you're expecting John Wayne blasting the Nips, or a WWII documentary, then it isn't for you.
It's a thoughtful, and thought-provoking, study of the gulf between the experience of combat and the
PR/political machinery aimed at keeping 'the folks back home' onside. Some have seen the film as somehow unpatriotic or 'anti-American' which to me sems foolish and over-sensitive ; the 'media hero' is a 20th Century invention and every Nation had them, from T E Lawrence in WW1 to Guy Gibson, Douglas Bader and 'Buzz' Beurling in WWII. And don't forget the Other Side ; the Nazis used Hermann Graf, Michael Wittmann and many others.
The flashback format of the movie is confusing but the combat sequences are impressive and the cliches of 'SPR' in its later parts are avoided. The CGI are very good but they're still CGI - you
can tell the difference.... the battleship's guns aren't loud enough but I'd have loved to have seen more of the B-29 ( but that's the small boy in me ! [img]redface.gif[/img] ).
Some fine performances too, especially Adam Beach as the North American Indian character.
I viewed it as a worthy tribute to veterans, not as 'greatest generation' stereotypes but men who have done and seen terrible things which we have not had to ; and who also have experienced intense comradeships of the kind we have never had. And then they have watched as these buddies/kamaraden/mates have been killed one by one in front of them.
Certainly not a conventional war movie but to me it made more sense of the Pacific fighting than 'Thin Red Line'.
Certainly recommended for Forum contributors.
