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For good or bad, war films have done the job of bringing the experiences and hardships of war to individuals who have never found themselves in combat. Thankfully, films have become more realistic in portraying the true horrors of armed conflict, especially in recent years, doing much better justice to the fighting men and women who have laid down their lives for our freedoms. The entire history of film is filled with motion pictures which have acted as propaganda for various war efforts, while others have been artistic achievements which have shaped public consciousness on the perception of various wars. Nearly every major war fought has one film or another made about it. In a few years, we will no doubt see motion pictures which portray the war on terrorism we currently find ourselves embroiled in, and once again, film will act as an instrument to portray the realism of war which we can never truly find on the television news.
We will no doubt see a film about the Northern Alliance and the United States driving the Taliban from Afghanistan, and many, many years from now, we will no doubt see the definitive film made about the tragedy of September 11, 2001, just as the attack on Pearl Harbor has been dramatized in so many films throughout history. I don't think it's exploiting tragedy to make films that dramatize these historical events ... I think film is the best art form for portraying real horror and tragedy, like the various wars of the world, to allow audiences to at least get a small idea of what the tragedy of war is like. I find it so sad that in the 21st century, we still find ourselves embroiled in global conflict because of the actions of small groups of people who want to spread terror and kill all those who don't believe in what they do. At a time like this, I actually like to study the wars of our past, and also reflect back on the films which have shaped our consciousness on the various conflicts of the world. The war film as a genre continues to this day ... two major war films are being released this month and next month. In fact, one film, Behind Enemy Lines, was recently screened over Thanksgiving weekend on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, currently on active duty in the Arabian Sea. Part of the film was actually shot on that carrier. Another film being released in time for Oscar consideration in December will be a film which will revisit the tragic U.S. military events in Somalia, with Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. Buzz is already sounding good for this film, and it could be a serious contender at the 74th Annual Academy Awards.
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