Lions for Lambs

While out of town (again) we took in a movie this past weekend. Lions for Lambs had come out and, though ambivalent about how enjoyable it would be, we spent the money and went to see it. As usual Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance as does Robert Redford and Tom Cruise. Though the movie is not "action packed" it does have one "on the edge of your seat" aspect that does not conclude until the end of the movie.

Though I had heard a few things about it (including that it was only mediocre and/or not very good) this movie was very interesting to me because it gave a different "perspective" on America and the Iraq war. As someone else pointed out "It asks questions that not only deserve to be asked, but heard" and " the film seeks to elevate the national discussion not only on the war in Iraq, but on the Americans at home who have chosen neither to participate nor to protest" That latter quote was the part that intrigued me the most and caused the greatest discussion in my family afterward.

The movie was well done in the sense that I felt it was not Democratic, left leaning, right leaning, conservative, liberal, pro this or pro that. It told some "things" that have and do effect us as a society and pokes it's finger into all our eyes. It leaves no one unscathed---we are all part of the problem and part of the solution of our political situation then, now and in the future.

In the movie the title "Lions for Lambs" is explained as brave soldiers (lions) being led by weak men (lambs). The quote supposedly came from a German soldier/commander during WWI explaining the bravery of the British soldiers even though their commanders were idiots and sent them as fodder for cannons. The title though is a misquote. The original quote is "Lions led by Donkeys". Robert Redford has been accused of not catching the misquote but I think it probably had to do with the connection of donkeys and democrats---so was changed to keep any form of direct "blame" from the film. As we all know---everyone would have been screaming about that, and that only, if it hadn't been changed. He probably felt it better to get knocked on the head for a slight misquote than the connection with a political party aspect.

Anyway---a good political movie, if that type of film is up your road at all. Try it out---you may like it and-- it will definitely leave you with something to think and talk about in your own home.