I must see Unbroken

Based on this review alone, though watching the previews and knowing a bit of the history, I was already looking forward to it.  A movie that portrays faith and patriotism well, and the Japanese as brutal and sadistic?  Wow.  You don’t see that much anymore.  Especially since the focus of America’s contributions to WWII – when the emphasis isn’t on it being a vast conspiracy set off by the American Military Industrial Machine – is typically the A-Bombs, Dresden, our antisemitism, and the Japanese internment camps.

BTW, on the same note, my son got my wife and me the movie Argo. Ben Affleck turned in a wonderful performance and did quite a job in the director’s seat as well.  But more stunning was the fact that the Iranians were actually portrayed pretty savagely, while acknowledging that some of our policies were to blame.  But the really jaw-dropping part?  The CIA actually comes off looking sort of good.  Almost like heroes.  That’s like a movie that portrays the Gestapo in a good light.

I always enjoy it when a Hollywood production bucks the liberal/post-modern trend.  I remember when Red Dawn was released in 1984.  It was almost surreal.  Not because of the implausibility of the scenario.  But because it actually made the Communists look like bad guys and more shockingly the US as the good guys.  Like my boys said when they recently discovered old reruns of the 60s farcical comedy series Hogan’s Heroes; the difference between Hogan’s Heroes and MASH?  Hogan’s Heroes never forgot who the bad guys were.

It’s a nice reminder, especially for Internet Catholics, who can sometimes feel righteous for proclaiming the eternally irredeemable evil of America as part of sacred confession.