Went to see American Sniper today. Its a powerful, disturbing portrait of a person immersed in the unimaginable violence of war. Upon conclusion of the film, the assembly was somber and silent. Movie-goers waited until the credits had finished in their entirety, and then wordlessly processed out of the theater. At first, I thought it felt like a funeral, but as the reverential stillness descended upon the room, I realized that it was nearly identical to the aura at the end of the Good Friday service, when the congregation departs in solemn silence. There was no laughing, no crying, no idle chatter. Just stillness. Its not a documentary, nor is it, contrary to some claims, a hagiography. Its not hero worship, nor is it piously patriotic propaganda about the righteousness of the US military. It is an artistic representation of one mans story about his experiences in a war we average Americans dont adequately scrutinize nor, really, begin to comprehend. Eschew the reviews. Resist convenient over-simplifications trafficked on behalf of preexisting agendas. Go see it with an open mind. Pray for the safe return of our men and women serving overseas. Pray for the healing of those who have seen too many deaths and too much evil. And say a prayer for peace in those parts of the world that continue to be torn apart by the sort of ubiquitous and relentless violence that is beyond our imagination.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:59:39 +0000
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