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April 2008
Elsewhere on the WebVictor Davis Hanson’s Private Papers Victor Davis Hanson Archive on National Review OnlineTour Books
A War Like No Other How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War
by Victor Hanson
Amazon.com’s Best of 2001 Many theories have been offered regarding why Western culture has spread so successfully across the world, with arguments ranging from genetics to superior technology to the creation of enlightened economic, moral, and political systems. In Carnage and Culture, military historian Victor Hanson takes all of these factors into account in making a bold, and sure to be controversial, argument: Westerners are more effective killers.
by Victor Davis Hanson
by Victor Davis Hanson
by Victor Davis Hanson
by Victor Davis Hanson, John Keegan Hanson, for those who somehow have missed him until now, is a professor of Classics at California State and also is a part time farmer, both of which have contributed to his writing as a military historian. As a classicist, Hanson is well versed in the sources in their original Greek, and as a farmer he understands how agriculture affected the experience of the Greeks at war.
by Victor Davis Hanson
by Victor Davis Hanson
Hanson relates the life stories of his farmer neighbors, writing that their way of life will likely soon disappear, thanks in part to a federal system of agricultural subsidies that favors large-scale, industrial farm corporations over individual “yeomen.” This is a sobering and eye-opening book. by Victor Davis Hanson On first glance, The Soul of Battle appears to be three different books: biographies of two well-known generals—Sherman and Patton—and one who is virtually unknown today, the ancient Greek leader Epaminondas. Yet Victor Davis Hanson, a classics professor and author of The Western Way of War, makes a compelling connection between these three men. They were “eccentrics, considered unbalanced or worse by their own superiors” who led democratic armies on missions of freedom.
by Robert B. Strassler (Editor), Victor Davis Hanson (Introduction)
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April 25, 2008 10:21 AM
From Obama to the Wild BunchParadoxes everywhere What strange paradoxes: the more the Democrats tried to show their egalitarian fides, they more they crafted an undemocratic nominating process; the more Obama talked of transcending race, the more he appealed to racial solidarity; the more Bill Clinton stumped and shook hands, the more he threw away his legacy; and the more Hillary and Barack slurred McCain as a right-wing nut, the more they repaired his relations with the his conservative base. And all this is only half-way through… Obama and race Lately a number of Obama’s African-American supporters have taken the airways to make the argument that his astounding percentages of 90% and above among African-American voters are not racialist because the community would not vote in such numbers for a Clarence Thomas or Condoleezza Rice. But that is a dangerous comparison that raises only more questions. So it’s politics, not race? Why then not a mere 60/40 margin over the ultra-liberal Hillary, wife of our first “black” President? The answer? Obama represents a certain racial chauvinism that neither a white liberal nor black conservative can convey. In other words, in the world of identity politics, he seems to reflect an authentic representation of grievance, and a perpetuation of the entire industry of racial reparations. Most think the corpus of Rev. Wright’s sayings, comments like “typical white person”, and snotty condescension about white Middle American yokels were terrible gaffes. True, but such wedge politicking apparently ensures him the astounding margins in the African-American community that really are unprecedented—when not long ago there were concerns among his strategists that he might not capture the black vote in such numbers. That problem of authenticy was put to rest by his choice not to disown Rev. Wright. Speaking of whom, the snippets from his interview with a fawning Bill Moyers were about as disingenuous as they come. He claimed they were out of context and his critics divisive, but never disowned what he said. He claimed he was a pastor outside of politics, but his attraction apparently hinges on his political views about everything from the AIDs conspiracy to apartheid. And on and on. The problem with Rev. Wright is, well, he loves the attention, makes a profit on it, and won’t shut up. And as long as he is not disowned by Obama, the more Obama has to explain why he continues to worship in that church, whether Wright is or is not really retired, and what exactly did Obama know and when did he know it. A fair reading of the Obama memoirs suggests he knew exactly what Wright was saying and heard a great deal of it. It doesn’t help his cause that when CNN and Fox bring in analysts from the universities (e.g., African-American studies professors), they not only excuse Obama, but Wright too!—usually by the tactic of redefining a Martin Luther King not as a healer, but a proto-firebrand like Wright. That sounds catchy and may ooh and aah the white elite base, but in the general election the defense of Wright and what he stands for will prove catastrophic. To fathom the soul of the Obama campaign juxtapose Obama’s Pennsylvania comments alongside the recent Axelrod’s dismissal of the need to reach out to the white working class: “The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years. This is not new that Democratic candidates don’t rely solely on those votes.” Now we wait to hear the “context” for “don’t rely”.
Again, I sense the tell-tale difference is in the voices. Today’s male sounds metrosexual, ambiguous, nasal, sing-songy—feminized. Today’s Westerns are embarrassing, as Hollywood searches in vain for a southerner, or anyone who does sound like a Valley Boy from San Fernando. Sam Elliot made an entirely successful career out of having an authentic Western voice, or at least something that resonates experience outside the suburb. In general, I don’t think we will ever see again the wide range of rich resonant and idiosyncratic voices of a Burt Lancaster, Frederic March, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, or Robert Mitchum, much less a Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, or Richard Boone (one of my favorite actors). The ability of today’s wild young actors to drink, snort, party, go on rampages, work as a bartender, drop out of high-school, provoke—part of the Sean Penn profile— is not comparable to the masculine world of the 1930s and 1940s, where there was a brutal honesty and hard decency utterly lacking today. That said, there is something in the eye and voice of a Robert Duvall, Christopher Walken, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, and a few others, which readers immediately noted, that reminds us at times of the old breed. My interest in movies was inculcated by my father, who grew up outside of Kingsburg, California on a small farm in the Depression to Swedish parents, was a central fire control gunner on a B-29 for 40 missions over Japan, lost many of his teeth playing football for Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Pacific, and was never quite tame or predictable, despite his ability to both farm and become a successful junior college administrator—and remain gentle and gentlemanly at all times. He took us to the movies quite often, roused us when a movie came on one of our three scratchy channels on a small black-and-white television in the kitchen, and shared with us his notion of the tragic hero, who either self-implodes as he eliminates the problem along with himself, or deals with an awful fate with a sort of resigned nobility. These are some of the great scenes I remember best—and I watched them all with my father from the 1950s to his death in 1998. The Wild Bunch: The scene when Ernest Borgnine, Bill Holden, Ben Johnson, and Warren Oates decide to give it all up, put on their guns, smile, and head off to take out the federales and meet their fate. Shane: Brandon De Wilde yells “Shane” and runs after the gunslinger, who rides off into the sunset, leaving the viewer unsure whether his limp arm is a minor or fatal wound. The entire movie is one of unresolved tensions and a certain dignity shown in not giving into the temptations. High Noon. A worried Gary Cooper accepts that his town has abandonded him, as he walks down main street, sweating and watching the clock as Tex Ritter sings ‘Do not forsake me…” Never understood Howard Hawks simplistic critique of this brilliant movie.
Twelve O’clock High: Dean Jagger snaps out of his long flashback of the awful B-17 missions, and rides off on his bike from the weed-filled airfield at Archbury. The Vikings: the Viking music cuts in as the Norsemen send their fire arrows into the funeral ship taking Kirk Douglas’s body out to sea. Hombre: Richard Boone shouts out to Paul Newman who has come down the hill on a suicide rescue mission, Mister, you have got a lot of hard bark on you coming’ down here like this.” The Searchers: the loner John Wayne walks his walk out the door to shadows and music—and a solitary existence after his work is done. Zulu: the survivors of Rorke’s Drift look up and suddenly see thousands of Zulus chanting on the hilltops—saluting their bravery and their survival. Comments (53)Dave Begley -Omaha :jreiD :I think the 1989 series "Lonesome Dove" with Robert Duvall (my current favorite actor)and Tommy Lee Jones will stand the test as great Western fare. I think it compares favorably with your choices. Rob :In my book, Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" is one of the great American movies ever made. Shamelessly violent and sexist, yet with an underlying heart that just carries you along. These guys are all vicious killers, but they have an unbreakable code of honor. Before the big final shootout, Bill Holden's character, Pike Bishop, is in the whore house with the Gorch brothers..he pokes his head into their room and says only "Let's go"...they exchange looks, and Warren Oates says "Why not"...they go outside where Ernest Borgnine is sitting in the sun whittling...he stands, looks at Bishop, and without saying a word, they share a knowing laugh...they all walk to their horses, collect their guns, then they start that long walk to retrieve their friend, Angel...all the time knowing full well they're walking to their deaths. Few movies today could match the subtle power of that scene, and even fewer actors of today could pull it off so heart-breakingly. Ron Kean :I have to respect Professor Hanson, Charles Johnson, Robert Spencer, and the rest for using their real names. We should too. The next phase on the net...anti-anonymity. Senator Clinton reminds me of Paul Newman on COOL HAND LUKE after he takes the beating from George Kennedy. '...just go down.' Nope. I liked it when the bulldozer pushed the tank off the cliff in THE FIGHTING SEABEES. I liked Lee Marvin when he shot the rope off in THE DIRTY DOZEN. I liked it when the guy threw the glove and ball to Steve McQueen when he'd come back to the camp in THE GREAT ESCAPE. ~Paules :Good professor! Consider the following: "No retreat, no surrender. That is Spartan Law. And by Spartan Law we will fight and die." "Men of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers, I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of friendship. But it is not this day! Not this day! Stand, men of the West! Or "Blackhawk Down" the greatest stand by a small unit against overwhelming odds since Rorke's Drift. Or Mel Gibson ordering the 7th Cavalry to fix bayonets against NVA regulars in a scene from "We Were Soldiers." Or Mel Gibson again, leading American militia against the British at Cowpens from a scene in "The Patriot." It's not all bad. Really, it isn't. Sometimes Hollywood even does it better.
Hank :Thanks for the article. One of my favorite scenes is from the John Wayne version of The Alamo when the night before the final battle the men are quiet and thinking and someone asks what Crockett (Wayne) is thinking and he says "... remembering". Ray Zacek :Actors like Lee Marvin, Richard Boone and Charles Bronson did an immense amount of journeyman work and were middle-aged before they got any lead roles in movies. By contrast a tough guy actor like Vin Diesel or Mickey Rourke today has a couple prominent supporting roles, becomes a star, pulls down an exorbitant salary, and then fizzles out just as quickly. They do not develop any staying power before they're used up. Tom Casey :"The Professionals", (Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode). Bullitt. The closing scene where McQueen has come home and is washing up, looks in the mirror. He is also good in "Sand Pebbles". "We Were Soldiers", particularly Sam Elliot; Mel Gibson in both that and "Patriot"; John Wayne, in just about any of his movies from 1950 onwards, and particularly in his elegaic "The Shootist". My wife and I often comment how credible some of these fine men were in their roles, because they had had real lives themselves. They also had that same "look" in their eye that my father could get. The one that said I was on really thin ice... We also have fun imagining Leonardo DeCaprio trying to play those parts... Allison Aller :Back in the 1980s, my husband and I bought a rundown ranch on the Oregon coast and turned it into a dairy farm, where we milked cows for 9 year. tthomas :Obama Movies Kids films remain the best place to find truly clever, entertaining movies. For example, anything by Pixar. Going to the movies reminds me of an old joke involving a room full of horse manure, and a kid having a birthday: the optimist dives in, saying 'I know there's a pony in here somewhere!' I keep looking for that pony too. Anon :Ahhh, movies! Another characteristic of many of the "classic" leading men, that most of the current fellas will have difficulty matching: their physical prowess. I loved "The Vikings", but remember well the glee I felt when Kirk Douglas leapt out of the boat and ran across the oars on the outside of the ship! And in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I realized that (while watching it again on TV one day), in the scene where Harry Carey Jr and Ben Johnson ride "Roman-style" around the parade grounds, there are no camera cuts as they jump up and begin their ride! Will we see their like again? "That'll be the day..." M.E. :My late father was simple worker. I was also a worker in a factory of Moscow. So for me it is inconceivable that a person like Obama with over $4 million income arrogates to speak of the “working class”. What does this hashish smoker know about the needs of the working class? I feel disgust for this kind of millionaire-socialists that present themselves as protectors of the working class. If they protect somebody, it is only their clients in manner of the Roman demagogues. The hypocrisy of these democrat millionaires is unlimited. I am poor, but I don’t make from my poverty an ideology. The millionaire-socialists do, but from poverty of the others. That is why (I think) a simple worker will vote for the rich, but absolutely honest McCain, and not for the rich, but absolutely dishonest and hypocrite Hilaris Obamus. Tom :Sixty-nine posts on the previous essay ? I remember when the site struggled to get twenty comments! I guess people really dislike Obama and really love movies. In truth, John McCain is well-cast as the President. Newcasters constantly mispronounce his name as "John McClane," the hero of the DIE HARD franchise. Obama has a similar, although less positive, pronunciation problem. And this summer, the biggest hero at the box office will be a heroic Defense Contractor. IRON MAN features Tony Stark, a character loosely based on young Howard Hughes. And whatever money is left will be scooped up by INDIANA JONES. Ironically, the Nazi bad guys will be replaced by SOVIET bad guys, just as they were in real life. Broadsword :In "In Harm's Way" when John Wayne says to Kirk Douglas, "We've got a real war on our hands", Douglas replies "A gut bustin', mother lovin' Navy war." Morgan Stanton :We should also add any movie by John Milius, including Dilinger, The Wind and the Lion, and the made-for-tv Rough Riders. The Man Who Would Be King, with Sean Connery and Michael Caine, displays the manly ethos throughout, particularly Sean Connery's final death scene on the bridge (can't go wrong with Kipling and John Huston). I think the Manly Actor Roster should include Harvey Keitel, Ving Rhames, and Kurt ("They call me Snake") Russell. Each guy over 50. Ouch. cfbleachers :Paradoxes, Paradigms, Parallels and Paradise? I have ten questions related to Sen. Obama's campaign to date, his associations and how it has been covered. 1) Can someone please explain how Moyers acting as the cloying sycophant to a raging Jeremiah Wright answered ANY of the questions about his most divisive and dishonest statements? 2)Speaking of the deadwood media voluntarily giving naked political cover to anti-American bile, which is it now: a)this is a distraction 3)Is Sen. Obama politically astute, intellectually curious, a sound decision-maker, culturally aware and sophisticated, sophisticated about foreign affairs? 4) If the answers above are affirmative, please explain his attraction to Cone's Black Liberation Theo-politics, Rev. Wright, Rev Moss, Rev Meeks, Father Pfleger, "Frank" Marshall Davis the CPUSA member, Ayers and Dorhn. 5. Please also explain the Chomsky admirer and chief blogger Sam Graham Felsen, the Socialist who suggests as does Ayers, that "the message" should be delivered in shrouded words, masked in populist phrases and soothing tones in order to dupe the public. 6)Why is Sen. Obama so difficult to pin down on issues related to character, beliefs, influences and leanings? 7)Why, as a candidate for the Presidency is it acceptable for someone to so severely restrict access? Since the deadwood media seems aggressively disinterested in asking any probing questions, and certainly even less interested in following up on any...will someone ask the deadwood media why? And ask them the follow up questions about their utter lack of integrity in refusing to inform the public, in fact, intentionally misleading the public (as in the case of Moyers most recently)? 8)Sen. Obama wishes to portray himself as a healer and uniter. Can we name one person who has overtly acted as a divider from whom he has permanently divorced himself? Rev. Wright? Farrakhan? Rev. Meeks? Rashid Khalidi? Ayers and Dorhn? Nation of Islam? Or has every inquiry into his connections with these dividers, and those intent on polarization, class and racial warfare...been weak, tepid, alibi-ridden and word parsing in the extreme? 9)What did Sen. Obama mean when he said that " a certain type of patriotism" was more comfortable to him? Why is a flag lapel pin uncomfortable...in detail...as a form of patriotism. Why is a hand over the heart during our Pledge of Allegiance or our National Anthem not comfortable? Does this have anything to do with Rev. Wright/Moss/Farrakhan's racial and class warfare Marxist teachings? How about Ayers and Dorhn's anti-capitalism urban terrorist stances? Sam Graham Felsen's/Chomsky anti-Americanism. Frank Marshall Davis' CPUSA mentorings? Rashid Khalidi's influence? Barack Obama Sr's socialist writings? It is perfectly fine if those reasons, mentors, writings, speeches, sermons, radical professors had an influence. It is also perfectly fine for the citizens of this country to ask. And they deserve a full, complete, honest answer. Not one given (as Ayers and Graham-Felsen suggest) in coded messages, broader phrases, parsed words...intended to disguise the actual meaning behind them. 10)Are the above factors the real reason that your voting record is the furthest left (adjusted for broad issues that everyone else votes on as well) of anyone...everyone...in the Senate? Gary Ogletree :Check out The Unit. 1st and 2nd seasons available on DVD. Far better than 24. Great characters, great actors, great writing. PC free zone. As close as anyone will ever get to a Delta unit. BLOC :Question: Why doesn't Obama throw Wright under the proverbial bus? Answer: There may be many reasons, but I'd bet one important one is this: Obama's afraid of what the good Rev. would reveal about him, and the nitty-grittys of his relationship with Wright and the church. And, as we well know from having watched the Reverend these past few months, those "revelations" could be real — or fictitious products of Rev. Wright's mind. Either would be equally damaging to Obama's campaign. ("Real" revelations would be damaging for obvious reasons, "false" ones because it would continue to remind us that for 20 years, Obama consorted with, sought spiritual advice from, exposed his kids to, and contributed $25,000+ to the racist, demagogic Reverend's church.) I am unsettled by the idea that Obama might have adopted his kid-glove treatment of Wright out of fear of what the Reverend might reveal: it sounds like blackmail to me, and a president who can be so easily blackmailed is the last thing I want. Denis Eugene Sullivan :Greetings: SInce you mentioned Sean Penn in appropriate voice, I thought I would share my favorite Penn anecdote. While in the throes of his "pacifist" period, Mr. Penn decided to lunch in Berkeley. While there, his "hot rod" was stolen and he revealed to the police that there had been two pistols in the trunk. Thank you for your work. HH :Oddly enough, one film that I have grown fonder of as I've gotten older is "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". One wonders who the film is actually about. Ransom Stoddard, who everyone thinks killed Liberty, Tom Donafen who actually did, or Liberty himself, who the whole film centers on? And the scene in the restaraunt where John Wayne and Lee Marvin square off is probably the most testosterone laden bit you will ever see. Not going to see their likes again. Bowden Russell :The meterosexual actors of Hollywood are nothing more than a reflection of the men of our era. It sickens me, the son of a WW2 Pacific veteran who grew up working in the construction field with my father and his Pacfic War veteran co-workers, to no end. A. Ronald Reagan couldn't get elected today. B. John Wayne, if brought back to life, would want to die immediately. C. Obama, if you've seen the video of him dancing on the Ellen Show, is the hyper-typical meterosexual. God help us, for we won't help ourselves. Jeff Heller :Look at the faces of the 12 "Dirty Dozen" as well as Lee Marvin. Now imagine replacing them with DiCaprio, Pitt, Damon, etc. What a joke. minerva :Speaking of Sam Elliot's voice ("Beef -- it's what's fer dinner") I always thought he was a Texican, as the Duke used to call them in his westerns. Turns out he was born and raised in Sacramento! Hope Bill Bradley vets your film list since there were plenty of tough hombre scenes in "Starship Troopers"! Bill Saunders :"WHERE EAGLES DARE" 1969 One of the best war movies of all time. imho. Michael J. Myers :All good movie choices; but one of my favorite lines in the movies, which sustained me through basic training in the Army was Bill Holden's line, as he was getting ready to die in a ditch in Korea in the movie "The Bridges at Toko Ri" "I'm just a lawyer from Denver, what am I doing here?" And as for Richard Boone? He grew up a wealthy kid in Glendale, California. He's mentioned in a WW II memoir (I've forgotten which one) as bringing his buddies from the training base (either El Toro, Santa Ana Army Air Base or Camp Pendleton) home on weekends for meals with his family when his buddies got a weekend pass. Boone went out into the Pacific in WWII and served. So did Lee Marvin. As for Obama and Hillary--lawyers both from Harvard and Yale respectively; if they ever mouthed the line "I'm just a lawyer from Harvard/Yale--what am I doing here?" in a tough situation---we'd all burst out laughing--although I'd laugh harder at Obama. jim flenniken :i can't argue with dr hanson's movie picks, all great choices. i would add "we were soldiers"; especially the scene where sgt major plumley (played by sam elliot) looks at sgt ernie savage (played by ryan hurst) after savage endured a night with his patrol isolated and surrounded and says: "now that's a good day sgt savage". Dennis :I am a huge fan of all those old Hollywood cowboys. I think the 60's TV show, Gunsmoke, is a fine distillation of what they did and stood for as well and is a show that stands up very well in our oh so sophisticated present. Pung Dude :As a naval officer in-training about 15 years ago, I watched Twelve O'Clock High on two separate occasions as a great vehicle for a lesson in leadership. It surely is one of the 'lost classics' that I don't hear about very often and one that I think offers much to learn about the leadership of others. Das Boot is surely one of the best war films of all time and very instructive to see WWII from the other side's perspective. No Country for Old Men is a definite masterpiece from the Coens, who have made several of them. And I nominate Josh Brolin as an actor from the old school who perfectly portrayed the American individualist at war with evil. Steven L. :On some of the left-wing blogs, young white women are explaining their support for Obama instead of Hillary by claiming that Obama "actually has more feminine qualities than Hillary does: Nurturing, emotional, thoughtful." This not only says something about Obama, but also says that today's young women wear being "emotional" with pride (which would horrify the older women who remember the bra-burning heyday of the feminist movement). M.E. :To BLOC: Zhombre :Thank you, Dr. Hanson, once again. The Wild Bunch is one of my favorite movies. It is as close as Sam Peckinpah got to being an American Kurosawa. He had a cast of worthies to work with, in addition to the ones you've named, fine actors Robert Ryan and Edmond O'Brien (their final scene at the end if echoic of Treasure of Sierra Madre) and the Mexican actor Emilio Fernandez (who makes General Mapache as cruel and sated as an Aztec god). And Slim Pickens' death scene in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is one of the most elegiac and eloquent scenes in an otherwise flawed movie. The only movie I would add to your list is Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales. tsmonk :Hawks was right to criticize "High Noon." The notion of a lawman begging civilians to pitch in to do his job repulsed Hawks. His movies, by and large, had a common theme: leave the job to professionals. Not everyone is cut out for the job. That's why he made "Rio Bravo" - John Wayne accepts help only from professionals to do the job (even if he's outmanned, one guy's a drunk, and another's Walter Brennan). J.E. Dyer :Another great from my service (Navy): The Enemy Below. A study in character and leadership as much as naval warfare and the many ironies of war -- and its lead characters are entirely believable. I haven't seen the more recent Master and Commander mentioned either. A very affecting but unsentimental look at maritime life 200 years ago, in which a captain and his ship's doctor can play music together, and argue over leadership vs. tyranny, yet not come off as anachronistic metrosexuals. Better done than Gladiator from this standpoint, IMO. A truly marvelous movie. Trudy B. Taylor :just when mccain seemed to be building a bridge to the core conservatives in the republican party someone (at least i pray that it was someone else-who can be fired) convinced him to open up on north carloina's state republican party for an instate pol ad against 2 liberals running for governor who've endorsed obama. what is mccain doing? this is a republican state. it is obvious to me that i have no handle on his socio-political view of reality. this was a fight he did not have to start, yet start it he did. thank heavens preacher wright escaped house arrest and is out making more outrageous and ludicrous statements. maybe it'll take the interest off mccain's self-imposed showdown with the n.c. state rep party. lord i hope so...
i never forgave hollywood for dressing shane in bucskins when everyone knows he wore black serge. dont tell me it doesnt make a difference--it does. hollywood isnt all bad these days. a while back we got 'the ghost and the darkness" out of them. and for anyone who enjoyed that rousing tale, try reading perterson's personal account of the devil cats in "man-eaters of tsavo". it would seem that hollywood left out some of the scarier parts... Christopher :Bravo on Breaker Morant. A fine film, educational, real. And the longer I live, the more those lessons ring true. John Wayne, in anything he made, beats anything Hollywood offers today. He used to represent America, he loved it, stood proudly upright for it. Our culture is committing suicide, from the illegal invasion to the liberal nuetering of the american male. I'm glad The Duke isn't around to see it. Rob :Loving the movie talk...more thoughts on the great male movie performances of yesteryear: wargammer2005 :as for movies like Das Boot and Letter fro m Iwo Jima. i simply do NOT care about perspective of the people that were fighting a war in which their invaded other countries, killed millions. the crews of the Uboots and the Japanese soliders were brave, to a point. where was the ability to see what their countries were fight for?? the United States us dying the same death that Rome suffered.... Nick B :I love PBS, but it was excruciating to watch Bill Moyers handle Mr. Wright with kid gloves. There’s nothing wrong with allowing him to tell his side, but why didn’t he simply ask, “Do you believe the US government created AIDS as a plague aimed at Black Americans?” Night Owl :Mr. Hanson; He often talked over whole movies, filling us in with all sorts of trivia regarding the actors, the movie subject, how the scene was shot, etc. So much so, that I liked to tell my dad that he invented the idea for directors' commentaries for films, where the director talks over the film, filing us in with all sorts of trivia... As kids we would often in exasperation beg my dad to please stop talking over the dialog. What I wouldn't give now to sit through one of his favorite films, and hear his low baritone droning on and on. Up until the day he died, when we watched movies together, he would often tease me by saying "Want me to tell you how it ends?", his blue Irish-eyes twinkling devilishly. Yes dad, do tell... Thanks for providing an opportunity to share this memory. George S :Peckinpah's "Wild Bunch" is certainly a classic, but it's not that far ahead of one of his earlier westerns, "Ride the High Country", with Randolph Scott, Joel McRae, Warren Oates, LQ Jones, etc. Great western. Anonymous :Back when Obama transended race, he was getting admirable support from a mixed base, and a relatively modest majority of the black vote. Now his campaign is broken over the Reverend Wrong issue and it has become more focused on race. (The folks who say it isn't should offer some alternate explanation of the sudden shift in support from black voters.) When pressed, Obama traded transcendence for fielty to the black community and the numbers don't seem to work. If he is elected on these terms, we can expect a racially-charged period in America. Obama ought to remember that poor whites outnumber poor blacks and that these people are to be addressed in a more nuanced and sympathetic way than he has mustered. -Poverty is a dire condition regardless of race. His suggestion that poor whites see their struggle as a 'zero-sum game where anything the black community gains, they lose, is just rediculous and offensive. He has suggested his view of this group is that they are a mean-spirited bunch who cling to guns and bibles and fear and hate those who look different. While there probably are people who fit this desciption, it's ignorant to suggest that it is pandemic. There are a lot of people who are defending Obama and Wright because of the nation's civil rights history. I think it's a mistake. It looks like folks are hunkering down. Megaera :Would submit the scene from "Zulu" with 'Men of Harlech' ... and just about any scene with the RSM. That's the original "Zulu", mind, not the remake. Robert F :Dear Mr. Hanson, Your article was good as always. There is one minor detail that is incorrect, however. In "DasBoot", the sub was coming from the Atlantic to an Italian port (La Spezia?), not heading to the Atlantic. DD :Great discussion on movies! Perhaps it's an age thing but I am personally partial to a lot of the classic 70's movies that combine macho toughness with the ambiguities of real life. Chinatown, the first Dirty Harry movie, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Godfathers I&II. Saving Private Ryan is a throwback (and almost an homage) to the early war movies and visceral in its recreation of the DDay landing. It is almost a perfect movie except for the maudlin bits at the beginning and end. Tom Hanks can do it if he's given the right material and direction. ed whyte :Can't think of Slim Pickens without the image of him riding the bomb popping into my mind. The Heflin-Ford "3:10 to Yuma" is superior to the remake. Boone and McQueens' 50s' TV oaters were iconic small-screen series. Will :Can't believe you left out The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. The final scene with the train leaving Shinbone, and the conductor tells Ransom Stoddard "Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance." In an interview Lee Marvin said his favorite character was a villain, but he said he didn't like the modern Hollywood villains who were conflicted and ambiguous. He said, "Now you take a character like Liberty Valance. He had absolutely no redeeming characteristics." Tim :Good choices for Westerns, but let us not forget the prosaic and true characters of HBO's "Deadwood" series, for excellent writing and personification of manliness. Bill Kovacs :How many of you noticed that the "German" chanting at the beginning of Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" is actualy the same as the chant at the beginning of "ZULU"? A tribute from a great director to a much overlooked movie. (P. S. Peter Jackson liked "Zulu" too.) John the Libertarian :Victor, I was one of the dissenters to your last Hollywood post, and gave a long list of he-man leading men. While I will agree with you that the golden era of Hollywood is over, and that we don't have quite the same preponderance of conservative he-men values, my argument is that since the studio system yielded to a new wave of artist-directors in the 1970s and the advent of the blockbuster, we have seen the movie business fragmentize and offer more of everything for every sort of taste. 3:10 to Yuma was a fantastic Western that came out recently. The Proposition was a hard-as-nails Western with Guy Pearce. Check that one out as well. Or look at Reign of Fire (a fabulous over-looked film) in which Christian Bale and (!) Matthew McConaughey were different takes on the post-apocalyptic he-man. Or Jamie Foxx in The Kingdom. Brilliant. These films still are made in great numbers. The conservative male hero archetype is always Hollywood's safest bet in the big actioners, and seldom do they stray. But a very large part of Hollywood insists on targeting to big demographics, and the big win, of course, is cross-over appeal. Hence the reason they give these men a soft, latte-drinking side to them in hopes the women will also flock. We saw this taken to the extreme in Spiderman 3, in which our hero was crying every five minutes. They killed the franchise. Also a problem is the studios long ago lost control of the entertainment press, which catches these leading men in compromising real-world positions. In yesteryear, look at how long it took for Rock Hudson's secret life to be exposed. The liberal-dominated press will bully anyone who portrays a pro-American viewpoint. It's just a matter of time before they get some dirt on you. Did anyone see Denzel Washington take on Katie Couric? Or look what happened to Mel Gibson. Crucified.
FamouslyUnknown :Please add 'The Professional' to the list of greats. Jean what's-his-name as the hit-man-of-honor, the young girl heroine, and the vicious cop-type. Fabulous and uplifting! 'Tunes of Glory' and that WW1 movie with Kirk Douglas about some of the insanities of that war. BobDD :George Bailey, giving up his dream of traveling the world to save the home ownership of fellow Bedford Falls citizens. He had his moment of stark agony, espcially when Potter was voted down in the boardroom (great Jimmy Stewart closeup). I choke up every year at that part - and others throughout the movie. Joe N :George C. Scott as Patton, Thirty years from now, when you're sitting around your fireside with your grandson on your knee and he asks you, "What did you do in the great World War II," you won't have to say, "Well... I shoveled shit in Louisiana." Men, all this stuff you've heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war... because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans. Michael Canzano :Denzel Washington's line in "Man 0n Fire" when asked what he was going to do after the girl he had been hired to protect was kidnapped and presumed dead said "I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to kill them all. Anyone who profitted from it . Anyone who looks at me sideways. I'm going to kill them all." Comments have been archived for this page. |
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1. Bill Maher and the liberal crowd love to attack the Roman Catholic church, but in my experience there is absolute *zero* politics from the pulpit.
Uninformed people also like to attack the "Church" for its wealth.
The Jesuits - the largest order of priests and brothers - all take a vow of poverty. Many of the Jesuits make good money as university professors, administrators and high school teachers. They donate it *all* back to their organization.
There was a big flap in Omaha when the soon-to-be-retired Archbishop had a house purchased for his retirement. It's in a nice part of Omaha, but it was not 10,000 square feet nor was it on a golf course. I think the price was circa $350,000
2. "Open Range" with Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner is a good recent Western. The scene in the bar (during a heavy rainstorm) is a classic. Duvall, "A man has the right to defend his property and his life." This one is worth seeing.
"3:10 to Yuma" with Russell Crowe was also good.
3. For a smart Harvard lawyer, Obama sure knows how to say the wrong thing.
Memo to Obama: running for President is an adversary process; not unlike a trial. If you were surprised about the attacks on your credibility, then you have no business being President.
Apr 25, 2008 01:09 PM