Gladiator is a classic

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

The words of the Gettysburg address seem to echo this sentiment.



I'm not focusing upon the cause identified by Lincoln, but whatever cause our soldiers die for, if it be just.

I LOVE THE GETTTYSBURG ADDRESS!

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

The words of the Gettysburg address seem to echo this sentiment.



I'm not focusing upon the cause identified by Lincoln, but whatever cause our soldiers die for, if it be just.

Yes, Archea, those bolded words are exactly the point.

[woot]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Yes, Archea, those bolded words are exactly the point.

I thought it demonstrated my point pretty well, actually. We can't feel guilty or hope to repay them, we can only continue in the cause that they started.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by woot

Gladiator is pretty gory at times; I'd say much more so than LotR. However, I think one could get the gist of it without the violence. The problem is that such editing often messes with the flow of the movie, and when edited for TV, a lot more than just the gore is likely to be removed, and whole scenes could end up missing. Commercials also tend to take one out of the moment. Even so, it's probably worth catching next time it's on TNT.

That's not how I remember it, but it's been a while since I saw either one. I agree with you that it would be worth a watch in its edited form.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

Just missing the cut: Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Wait, what was Breakin' 1 called? I remember exiting that movie (yes, I saw it in a theater in 1983(?)) and seeing 2 guys having a breakdance fight right outside. I thought that Ashland, Oregon had really arrived.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

I don't agree that message isn't great. The closing scenes of SPR comprise an allegory for how we all should feel. In fact, that feeling and motivation to live a good life because of soldiers' sacrifices is the deal you make with them when they go out and lay it all on the line for your freedom and security while you stay at home and live the good life. That has been the message of all such dramatic and literary works since the Iliad. I would go so far as to say that one of the things that is deeply wrong with our country is people feel they have no need to feel that kind of metaphysical debt to anyone. People are cluelsess about how hard won were our liberties, prosperity and security, and how fragile they are. We're fucked.

Amen, brother.

[woot]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

That's not how I remember it, but it's been a while since I saw either one. I agree with you that it would be worth a watch in its edited form.

Yea at one point the drama is based on Maximus' penchant for extreme and quick violence, while the crowd supposedly wants a slower fight. That the crowd eventually loves him for his ability to dispatch his foes so quickly is a pretty important plot point as I recall. Lots of decapitation. LotR has a couple decapitations, but without all the spraying blood.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

Wait, what was Breakin' 1 called? I remember exiting that movie (yes, I saw it in a theater in 1983(?)) and seeing 2 guys having a breakdance fight right outside. I thought that Ashland, Oregon had really arrived.

It was simply entitled "Breakin'" It needed no tagline because the one word said it all.

Turbo. Ozone. Kelly. And the screen debut of a young MC called Ice T.

Ashland, Oregon was on the map way before Breakin. Have you never attened their wonderful Shakespeare Festival?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by woot

I agree that we owe much to those who fought in WW2, but think that remembering and feeling grateful to them is about all we can do. I'm trying to do my part to give back to society, but not because of them. What they did is not repayable, so I'm not trying. There is much that goes into it, and the motivation to live a good life is already ingrained in most of us, without the need of feeling overly indebted to WW2 soldiers. In my opinion, guilt is very rarely a good thing, so a movie encouraging it in such a large number of people doesn't really sit well with me.

I wouldn't classify that as guilt at all. Honor. Respect. Reverence. Gratitude.

[woot]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I wouldn't classify that as guilt at all. Honor. Respect. Reverence. Gratitude.

Yea I agree with that, but the contention was that SPR's message is universal, and I definitely feel that guilt is a pretty big player at the end of that.