I've wanted to watch this one for a long time, and I finally found it on a combo DVD with a bunch of other movies. I can't say the title in my head without singing the Sabaton song, but it really helps to remember this movie is based on Audie Murphy's autobiography of the same name. I'm going to try not to focus too much on the man himself, but it won't be easy.
The movie has some narration to introduce it. We talk about Audie's childhood and how he ended up in the Army. Then we get to see the events that led to him earning every combat valor medal available including the Medal of Honor. The act that earned him the MoH seems like a work of fiction, but most acts of heroism do.
The movie itself was okay. I found myself being more impressed and sad that Audie Murphy was playing himself than focusing on the action itself. Knowing Murphy struggled with PTSD and the drugs he was given, and watching him reliving it all for the movie was hard. Afterward, I read he was reluctant to even do the movie, and that made it worse.
When I went into this movie, I wasn't sure what I would think at the end of it. Audie Murphy went through a lot in his life, and if you're not familiar with him, I recommend reading a bit about his life - both wartime and beyond. Listen to the Sabaton song. Read his poem about Anzio. He was a complex person, as all people are, and I wonder what would have happened if he'd been able to get the funding for the movie he wanted to make about life after the war.
So, I wasn't going to focus on Murphy, but I failed. It's just hard to disconnect them when the movie is literally based on his autobiography, and he's starring as himself! The action was decent, and the movie didn't drag. It's probably not going to rank up there as one of my favorite WWII movies, but it wasn't bad. Good Movie!
No comments:
Post a Comment