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Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" occupies a place of odd duality in mind. On the one hand, my first memory of the song was in an episode of The Muppet Show, where the anti-war theme was reinterpreted to come from a fuzzy woodland creature, warning other woodland creatures to beware of the hunters marauding through the woods. The other, of course, is the war protest song that, along with stuff like "Paint it Black," "Eve of Destruction," and "Fortunate Son," seems to be a constant in Vietnam movies.
Oddly enough, there does not seem to be much in the way of anti-war music these days, despite the evident fervor of the sentiment. The only thing I can really think of that achieves any popularity is Green Day's American Idiot, but that's far less an anti-war album and far more anti-Bush--the war just happens to be one of many possible criticisms. Nothing at all like The Byrd' "Turn, Turn, Turn." In part, I suppose, because that stuff already exists and can be applied forward, but I find it hard to believe that, say, The Dixie Chicks don't have anything to say about it. Not that they have much of an audience left.
So it leaves me to wonder what the soundtrack will be to the inevitable movies about "my" war. If the recent Jarhead is any indication, somebody currently popular will get the iconic, memorable "theme" song and you'll get some era-appropriate stuff sprinkled in. Anyway, I can't honestly think of anything.
But that lead me to thinking about anti-war movies, and how popular they are among Marines, at least. More than once I've boggled just a little at how it's expected that a Marine has not only seen Full Metal Jacket, but can quote it at length. Same goes for Platoon. But then, my amazement got me to thinking about what makes them anti-war flicks. I know, for example, that Matthew Modine's little narrative speech winding up the first half of FMJ, delivered in a robotic monotone, where he protests that the Marine Corps does not want robots, but trained killers, is a pretty good example. But most of the rest of the movie, Joker's commentary aside, simply portrays the reality of war, which I think might be why it is so popular movie among Marines.
For the outsider, the reality is brutal, horrifying, the exact reason why war should be avoided. Young men and women die, they're forced to kill others, more are wounded and maimed, and few come out unscathed in one way or another. Especially in Vietnam movies, you see a plethora of characters who were drafted and don't want to be there.
The Marine Corps I knew was different than that of the Vietnam era. Professional, volunteer Marines must act as though war is inevitable, and I think most of them watch these kinds of movies for ,something different. It's a preparation of sorts, part of the mental preparation for war. I think what might be surprising to some is that there's also an element of hope in there; certain characters do die or are wounded, but others survive, which means that as horrible is the stuff on screen, it is possible to come out on the other side.
So, it makes me wonder what the movies about Iraq will be like. What will I see, and what will I recognize in the years to come when they start making them?
Oddly enough, there does not seem to be much in the way of anti-war music these days, despite the evident fervor of the sentiment. The only thing I can really think of that achieves any popularity is Green Day's American Idiot, but that's far less an anti-war album and far more anti-Bush--the war just happens to be one of many possible criticisms. Nothing at all like The Byrd' "Turn, Turn, Turn." In part, I suppose, because that stuff already exists and can be applied forward, but I find it hard to believe that, say, The Dixie Chicks don't have anything to say about it. Not that they have much of an audience left.
So it leaves me to wonder what the soundtrack will be to the inevitable movies about "my" war. If the recent Jarhead is any indication, somebody currently popular will get the iconic, memorable "theme" song and you'll get some era-appropriate stuff sprinkled in. Anyway, I can't honestly think of anything.
But that lead me to thinking about anti-war movies, and how popular they are among Marines, at least. More than once I've boggled just a little at how it's expected that a Marine has not only seen Full Metal Jacket, but can quote it at length. Same goes for Platoon. But then, my amazement got me to thinking about what makes them anti-war flicks. I know, for example, that Matthew Modine's little narrative speech winding up the first half of FMJ, delivered in a robotic monotone, where he protests that the Marine Corps does not want robots, but trained killers, is a pretty good example. But most of the rest of the movie, Joker's commentary aside, simply portrays the reality of war, which I think might be why it is so popular movie among Marines.
For the outsider, the reality is brutal, horrifying, the exact reason why war should be avoided. Young men and women die, they're forced to kill others, more are wounded and maimed, and few come out unscathed in one way or another. Especially in Vietnam movies, you see a plethora of characters who were drafted and don't want to be there.
The Marine Corps I knew was different than that of the Vietnam era. Professional, volunteer Marines must act as though war is inevitable, and I think most of them watch these kinds of movies for ,something different. It's a preparation of sorts, part of the mental preparation for war. I think what might be surprising to some is that there's also an element of hope in there; certain characters do die or are wounded, but others survive, which means that as horrible is the stuff on screen, it is possible to come out on the other side.
So, it makes me wonder what the movies about Iraq will be like. What will I see, and what will I recognize in the years to come when they start making them?