In the Valley of Elah

In anticipation of the awards season starting, I decided to see one film each day this week to prepare.

In the Valley of Elah.

Wow, did I pick the wrong one for Christmas. But am I glad I did.

Totally amazing cast and direction. If Lions for Lambs was a lecture, this unfolded like an experience, with the taste of a crime drama. Its politics you don't have to fear!

I expected a very different film with lots of preachy Susan Sarandon dialogue. She is hardly in the film. Its as subtle, broad, insightful, focused and important as Crash. Interestingly, Paul Haggis posted the screenplay online at the official movie site - thats it.

Talk about letting your work speak for itself!

Ever wonder why WWII/Korea/Vietnam/IraqI vets were sullen and unemotional, but given to outbursts of rage (like your dad and/or his dad)? Its the defining characteristic of American men from 1945 on and sort of the underlying theme of every family drama of the 1960's on. The average age in WWII of inductees was 27. They had a clear sense of purpose against an aggressor with clear rules of engagement and a nation supporting them 100%.

Now consider that we have 200,000+ 19yos cycling through Iraq (with an equal number of private contractors, some of whom were unfit for the military). Recruitment problems have caused the US armed forces to lower their standards dramatically. When in Iraq, adrenaline flowing 24/7 or you're dead. Rules of engagement are kill everything because anything can be the enemy.

When they come back to base, we drop them into communities ringed by fast food, titty bars and pay day advance.

Forget about the politics of the war. We have 200,000 time bombs for whom we need to do a better job of caring.

Blackwater can only employ so many of them.

And that's just on our side. The Pentagon doesn't even keep statistics for Iraqi dead or wounded. As if the natural rate of beheadings and explosions would color their stats. But unofficial estimate range from 50k to over 600,000 with 2 million refugees. You know how we tell everyone about our problems with Sprint and plot their downfall?

Sprint never indiscriminately killed my entire family over a billing error.

I'll just leave you with this thought. We decry video games when one kid shoots up his school.