Tag: World War II
A Good Villain, Relevant Theme, and Tense Moments Can’t Help Resistance Fight Off Unevenness
“Resistance” is a term that has experienced increased traction within our culture over the past few years, both the word in general and as a concept. As American politics become increasingly polarized and controversies continue to mount, much…
Read More »Middleburg Film Festival: A Hidden Life – On Having the Courage of Conviction, Groupthink, and Faith
“If God gives us free will we’re responsible for what we do, what we don’t do; aren’t we?” How far are you willing to go in defense of your principles? What would you be willing to sacrifice? The…
Read More »Operation Finale Features One Great Performance Amidst a Familiar Backdrop
Operation Finale takes place in 1960, fifteen years after the end of World War II. By this time, Israel’s Mossad has been hunting escaped Nazis who have retreated to attempt to live their lives in secret across the…
Read More »Darkest Hour Dazzles Visually Amidst Gary Oldman’s Virtuoso Performance
“Those who never change their minds never change anything.” After finally achieving his lifelong dream of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) is immediately thrust into facing the country’s most turbulent situation in its…
Read More »Mudbound Explores the Ties That Bind America
Mudbound follows two families, the Jacksons and the McAllans, one black one white, in the Mississippi Delta who farm on the same land. Two sons from each respective family return to the Delta after serving in World War…
Read More »Dunkirk is a Clinic in the Art of Film-making
Dunkirk is the latest film from director Christopher Nolan, taking us into WWII Dunkirk, France as German forces have pinned allied forces from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada against the English Channel, dive-bombing the…
Read More »The Bridge on the River Kwai Shows How Pride and Misplaced Sense of Duty Can Lead to Peril
The Bridge on the River Kwai is director David Lean’s classic 1957 World War II epic set in a Japanese POW camp in Burma. The camp is overseen by Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) of the Japanese army. Colonel…
Read More »Hacksaw Ridge’s Accurate Portrayal of the Battlefield Cannot Overcome Its Plainness
Hacksaw Ridge is a film based on the true story of Desmond T. Doss, a Christian army medic during WWII who, despite refusing to even touch weapons, saved 75 men during the Battle of Okinawa without firing a…
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Middleburg Film Festival: Jojo Rabbit Successfully Mixes Humor and Frankness to Promote Compassion
What is the best way to combat hatred? Do you meet force with force or can evil only be defeated by its opposite? Satire has been used to great effect in the past to highlight the danger of…
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