'Courage Under Fire'

'Maybe,

As Captain Walden,
Meg Ryan gives a precise-
et shortly after the 1990 Gulf ly shaded performance in
War, euphemistically called a series of flashbacks that
Operation Desert Storm, illustrate the differing ac-
Courage Under Fire tells the counts of her actions and
gripping story of a soldier coming heroism. Serling is clearly
to terms with private conscience meant to identify with this
courageous woman and, by
and public knowledge.
Patently credible as usual, settling her accounts, come
Denzel Washington plays Lt. Col. to terms with his own con-
Nat Serling, a man who must con- science.
Director Edward Zwick
front his personal demons when
investigating disparate reports has captured with stun-
about an officer's bravery under ning intensity the mael-
strom of battle. During the
fire.
Serling remains tormented by midnight tank attack at Al
his own military error that re- Bathra, within the claus-
sulted in the accidental killing of trophobic interior of a
one of his soldiers during combat. tank, we share the soldiers'
Serling's dreams are haunted by panic as their battalion is
visceral images of his comrades heavily bombarded. We
trapped within the burning in- see the terror on the faces
of the crew as their bullet-
ferno of their tank.
General Hershberg (Michael riddled Blackhawk heli-
Moriarty), Serling's mentor, as- copter spins helplessly
signs him to review Captain earthward out of control
Karen Walden's (Meg Ryan) can- into enemy territory. The
sound editing isolates
didacy for the Medal
the barked commands, sud-
of Honor. A Medevac
MOVIES
den eerie silences and the
pilot killed in the

Rated R (in German

Rated R

with subtitles — nudity,
sexual content)

S

xel (Til Schweiger),
an incorrigible
womanizer with
the face an angel
and the body of Adonis,
cannot resist a lifted
skirt.
In Maybe, Maybe Not,
a riotous, risque comedy,
problems arise when
Axel's infidelities force
his girlfriend Doro (Kat-
ja Riemann) to boot him
out of her apartment.
Due to his philandering
ways, he is unable to
find an ex-girlfriend who
will take him in. Axel

Rufus Beck and Til
Schweiger star in an
outrageous comedy about
infidelity and mistaken
identity.

'Lone Star'

his hometown, leaving behind an Deeds boys, we are permitted
ex-wife (Frances McDormand) glimpses into the lives of an His-
panic-American schoolteacher
urs is a story about bor- and unhappy memories.
Deeds Jr. begins questioning (Elizabeth Pena) and the fami-
ders," states John Sayles.
those who remember the days ly of an African-American Army
Boy, he's said a mouthful.
colonel (Joe Morton,
The writer, director and when corrupt Sheriff
from Sayles' Brother
editor of all his films (Baby, It's Charley Wade (Kris
MOVIES
from Another Planet),
You; Matewan; Passion Fish and Kristofferson) ruled the
all of whom are seeking
last year's The Se- ,
their roots at this point in their
cret of Roan Inish),
lives, intentionally or unin-
Sayles has recruit- 1"-
tentionally.
ed many of his films'
These roots are the borders
alumni, including ,T,
to which filmmaker Sayles
Chris Cooper, for his
refers. In addition to geogra-
newest release,
phy, race, sex and religion,
Lone Star.
there exist boundaries be-
In Lone Star,
tween present lives and mem-
Sayles brings his
ories of the past. In Lone Star,
usual explorative na-
Sayles explores different peo-
ture to his unique
ple's ways of dealing with
version of a non-
these boundaries.
typical western.
In attempting to present
Taking place in a fic-
this point through as many an-
tional town in Texas,
gles as possible, the many lay-
two off-duty Army
ers do become a bit muddy and
sergeants happen
confusing. But, once the view-
upon the skull of a
Kris Kristofferson
man, his ring and portrays the power- town with violence, er is able to keep straight the
a rusty sheriffs hungry Sheriff Charley racism and fear. Back characters, the. spirit of this
badge. Enter Sheriff Wade in John Sayles' then, Deeds Sr. became would-be western comes through
unlikely western.
the town hero when he powerfully.
Sam Deeds (Cooper),
As John Sayles, through Eliz-
publicly opposed Sheriff
whose investigations
dig up a lot more figurative skele- Wade in a bar one night. Fol- abeth Pena's character, puts it,
lowing the disagreement, Wade "Forget the Alamo."
tons than just a skull.
Deeds — who is the son of the was never seen again, and Deeds
1/2
Q.±)
long-dead, legendary Sheriff Sr. was promoted to sheriff.
These events serve as a cata-
Buddy Deeds (the upcoming A
— Lynne Konstantin
Time to Kill's Matthew Mc- lyst to the true plot of the film.
Conaughey) — has returned to Aside from the Anglo-American

Rated R

Cr)

Lu

LU

CC
F--
LU

UJ

1--

8

6

line of duty, Walden's sto- Meg Ryan and Matt death-seeking sounds of
ry greatly appeals to the Damon are part of a cacophony of weapon-
White House press corps a Medevac team in rY.
the throes of
One aspect of
for its inherent senti-
mentality: Walden would Operation Desert Courage Under Fire
Storm.
questions the military's
become the first female
sanitation of war re-
Medal of Honor recipient
ports. Many Americans
ever and her surviving 6-
year-old daughter would accept were impressed by General Nor-
the posthumous medal from the man Schwartzkopf's consum-
mate handling of the Gulf War;
president.
But to the dismay of his supe- it was presented like a business
rior, Serling conducts the inves- plan with clear objectives and
tigation deliberately; his integrity timelines. Other Americans ob-
will allow no less. As Serling takes jected to the calculated manage-
detailed accounts from each of the ment of the press and felt that a
surviving members of Walden's real picture of the human cost of
ill-fated crew, he discovers they war had been hidden.
Courage Under Fire provides
all have differing recollections. At
first, they all concur that Walden insight into a post-Vietnam mind-
deserves the Medal of Honor. But set that wants the truth to be told,
as Serling digs deeper, he finds no matter what the cost.
there are significant discrepan-
1/2
got-)
'
cies between their stories and
those of the chopper crew they
—Dick Rockwell
rescued.

