Stuck On Stupid

The Great Raid as reviewed at the American Spectator :

I can think of no better way to spit in the eye of the current PC lineup at the Academy Awards than to turn off the show and instead watch the newly released DVD of John Dahl’s WWII epic, The Great Raid.

With authenticity and honesty, director Dahl details the U.S. Army Rangers’ raid on the Japanese prisoner of war camp, Cabanatuan, in the Philippines. Some 100 Rangers, with the vital assistance of Philippine resistance forces, safely released over 500 American POW’s who faced certain execution. All of the 250 Japanese guards were killed, where only two Rangers and 21 Filipinos were killed. Not one of the prisoners died in the action. (Not even the deaf British prisoner who fell asleep in the latrines shortly before the raid began, and woke up the next morning to an empty, corpse-ridden camp). The raid on Cabanatuan is the largest successful escape raid in American history and is studied in military schools as a textbook example.

…

Colonel Henry Mucci (as portrayed with integrity by Benjamin Bratt) gives a speech to his troops at the onset of the raid. Various liberal reviewers criticized the speech as "cliched," "stereotyped," and "sentimental."

But in fact, as we learn from the DVD commentary, the speech is a verbatim reproduction of the real thing. And in fact, I got a little choked up listening to the words. And in fact, the Rangers were inspired by those words of their beloved leader, Mucci, and over 500 American lives were saved by them.

Mucci’s speech is the very type that is philosophically abhorrent to the PC crowd. It’s the kind of speech that might make Americans think good things about their country and, gasp, perhaps somehow extend that thinking to the Iraq war. Spielberg, Clooney, Moore, et al. certainly wouldn’t want the public thinking there are genuinely evil people outside the borders of America (with the exception of the Israeli Secret Police), or that American soldiers and leaders are not committing atrocities, but instead trying to do good.

Mucci to his troops:

"How you acquit yourselves for the next 48 hours will determine how you are judged for the rest of your lives: Men worthy of serving in this army, or, an embarrassment that history or time will eventually forget. You’re the finest, best prepared soldiers this country has ever sent to war and I expect you to prove it. "One final thing. I want to see every last one of you in the chapel after this formation is over. I do not want any damn atheists on this raid. And no fakers, either. I want you to get down on your knees and swear before almighty God that you’ll give your lives before you let any of those prisoners die. That clear?"

The film cuts immediately to the outdoor prayer service. We hear the pastor: "…and build an enduring peace, founded upon Thy holy laws. And upon that unselfish good will to all those who love justice and peace which Thou hast given unto us through Jesus Christ Thine only son our lord."

 …

 A great alternative to watching the Oscars.

Linked To: Mudville Gazette