Watched Born on the Fourth of July last night. I hadnt seen it in years and actually had never watched it from beginning to end. I have to say, I believe it to be Oliver Stones best work (though I still havent seen Platoon or any of his later stuff for that matter, but still...); I think the same can be said for Tom Cruise - it was the role he was born to play. Not that Im a fan of Tom Cruise the same way I am of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman (may he rest), but I love Tom Cruise for who he is (mind you, I was an adolescent girl during the peak of his career). While the film depicts a story of a Vietnam veteran and the political climate of the era, its also the story of a man who took a stand, sacrificed himself, lost out, hit rock-bottom, and then took a stand once again - a true hero. On a deeper level, its about a man struggling with an existential crisis - what does life mean if you sacrificed yourself to stand up for what you believed in, only to learn it was all a lie? That no one cared, that your efforts helped no one, that you were in fact harming people, that the country you loved and fought for, putting your life on the line, didnt fight for you; that when you began to realize the injustice and spoke out, you were beaten and arrested. What moved me was that Tom Cruises character (Ron Kovic) suffered an enormous betrayal and injustice, having lost so much, still fought for what he believed was right, though that which he believed had changed so drastically. The story urges us to choose not to suffer in vain, to share our experiences by having the integrity to take a stand for what we believe, to extend ourselves, to continue to care, to be a part of society... and being willing to allow life to affect and change us, instead of simply resigning in defeat, clinging to old beliefs and remaining a wounded victim. Tom Cruise really did give an amazing performance, the story was well written, well directed and incredibly moving. I love all kinds of films for different reasons, and this one isnt exempt from critique, and being over 20 years old, my little review is a tad late; with that said, what makes it great is the passion behind it, the social relevance and its overall potency. Two thumbs up.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:15:19 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015