[b]Act of Valor
[/b]If you are looking for a Hoo-Rah flag waving shoot-em-up look elsewhere. This film is so much more…
This is not about Patriotism, nor is it a propaganda piece to bump up recruitment numbers for the military. It is a salute to those who place themselves in harms way, we get to glimpse into their souls and understand why they do so day after day. It is about the brotherhood formed among men at arms. The camaraderie that grows among those who see battle together. And it is about dedication, professionalism, honor and sacrifice, tradition, heritage. Shit, I am tearing up just trying to write this, not simply because of the experience I had viewing the film but because of what happened after-wards.
It is in their genetic code, a sense of duty. To protect and to serve, to belong to something greater than yourself in order to better your society. To protect your family and those you love. It is not testosterone driven, it is a state of mind; seared into your soul… a ‘calling’ if you will. It is hard to explain if you have not felt it yourself. Those who feel the call often go into service as first responders, police, firemen and… yes; military. OK enough preaching, on to the movie.
Sure the acting was not great (They are warriors not actors) but the attitude was dead on. Weapons, tactics and techniques were as deadly accurate as the intelligence community will allow you to see. The cinematography was surprisingly beautiful for a military themed film, and they did not do long lingering beauty shots on the hardware which was nice. It would have seemed like a commercial if they had. The director gets accolades from me for that decision. This is not about the ‘tools of the trade’, this about the men and women who use the tools. The battle scenes are expertly shot and edited to give the sense of chaos which erupts under fire, squad commands, lingo and acronyms are barked out rapid fire without any explanation. Which was awesome, they figure if you are watching the film you know what the Hell they mean!
(another nice call)
The bad guys are not cookie cutter villains, nor are they evil monsters. Each has an agenda, or believable motivation which drives them.
The only thing I can liken this to is ‘We were Soldiers’. Though WWS is far better balanced in terms of showing both ‘fronts’, the battlefront and the home-front. How war effects both the soldier and the family left behind. Because when a soldier dies it is not just he who is effected, it is all those whose lives he touched. The emphasis on family helped personalize the characters motivations, because whenever America is mentioned during a briefing it is always referred to as ‘HOME’ or ‘back home’. Which makes things less ambiguous and more personal, and drives home the fact that they are fighting for more than ‘God and Country’ they are fighting for their families and loved ones. Their children’s futures. There may be flags on their uniforms but they are not ‘wrapped in them’, this is a personal fight. They are not just fighting for OUR America, they are fighting for THEIR America too.
Alright enough about all that, the next part is about the experience I had. If you do not wish to read about it I will understand not be offended, you may bounce on to the next post without guilt.
I showed up for the very first viewing in town. EARLY. I did not pay any attention to how many entered after-wards, I was attempting to catch up on old podcasts while waiting for the film and previews to begin. So I did not realize just how many had entered nor what kind of demographic had been attracted to the feature. I had however noticed (during the film) certain guffaws and snickers during moments only an insider should have gotten. And I also noticed a large number of ‘sniffs’ during emotional scenes. When the end of the film came there was applause, real applause. Which only made it even harder to stop crying, my eyes had teared up a great deal during the film (I guess a part of me needed it) and it took me quite a while to clean my face enough before I dared get up. When I did I was shocked by what I saw.
Everyone there was at least as old as me, most I would say were older than me (thats oooooold (as Sean would say)). And we ALL had red eyes from having cried, and after an awkward silent moment of looking around it soon became apparent we all shared the same look and the same realization. I am not the only one. There was something else we all shared, (Though it some time to sink in) we were all vets. It took a while but it all be came clear to us all, we stopped. It was dead quiet. I do not know how to say this other than, a lot was said without speaking. The one thing that kept going through my mind was… [b]I am not the only one.
[/b]As in: I am not the only one this effected… I am not the only one this reached out to. I am not the only one who ‘got it’. I not the only one who has known loss. I am not the only who, well you get the idea. We were all strangers and yet we all shared something in common. The cleaning crew fled when they found us all staring at one another, maybe they thought a fight was going to break out between the different branches! 
Maybe because were all strangers it was easier to let our guard down and let the pain show, and something which for some of us had been hidden a long time; the pride, after all when we were in it was not ‘cool.’ It was not accepted by society like it is now. The only time I had ever openly stated in public I was a vet was at the first Tea Party Rally in Phoenix, I did not feel ashamed of it there. And I was shocked at the positive response I received, and humbled by it. I had friends I had known for years that I never opened up to about my time in the service, you just don’t. That line that Spock uses in ST IV? Its true. Get over it McCoy.
Anyways some of us shook hands or clapped each other on the shoulder, most simply offered a knowing look, or a sad but proud nod. But we did not talk, after all that is just something you don’t do. It is just too hard, too personal. And like most I just had to stop by the ones in wheelchairs to shake their hands. Yes there were a few that would not make eye contact at all, and for those I felt deeply saddened. But overall it was a very cathartic and moving experience. One I never expected, nor shall likely have again.
If you slogged through this lengthy and blubbery post God Bless you and thank you for your time. And thank you GWC for offering a platform for venting this.
