I'm on my way to Ukraine again and will be blogging this trip.
I hope you'll find my posts interesting and please feel free to comment. I will be moderating comments, however, and only comments that adhere to the rules of common courtesy will be published.
On my way to Ukraine I'm stopping a few days in Toronto. The flight on Air Canada was uneventful ... delayed (not surprisingly) out of both Nanaimo and Vancouver. Despite being stuck in a middle seat again, on a full flight, it was a comfortable enough ride. The seats had little headrests on either side, so I was even able to nod off for a bit without killing my neck too much!
For some reason I decided to check out the in-flight movies. I seldom do that, preferring to read my Kindle or nap.
But on the this trip I scrolled through the movies and chose American Sniper.
I'm not sure why. Or if it was a good idea.
My initial thought is well, I'm going to a country that's at war. I suppose I should get into that headspace. It certainly got me that.
The movie lives up to all the accolades, and more.
It was gripping. My heart pounded. I gasped out loud. And at the end, I cried.
And I cried. Sobbed like my heart had broken.
It drove home the reality of life for ordinary people, like me, where I am heading (Kyiv, Lviv, and Dnipropetrivsk) and what is happening there to living, breathing, loving people.
It made me FEEL the insanity, the horror and the despair of war ... more strongly than I ever did before.
And it made me despise, more deeply than before, the depraved notion of "the glory of war" ... which I heard uttered (to my abject horror) many years ago by an officer at a military banquet.
This movie is brilliant, not least of all for the way it depicts and draws you in to the horrible reality of war, making you feel as deeply as it respects your intelligence. And, perhaps, challenges it.
IMHO, this move deserved every Academy Award it was nominated for. A travesty that it only got one (for Best Sound Editing).
Highly recommended.
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2 comments:
Hi, my dear incommunicado! Renew you blog - good idea. It will stay forever in www as good memory for you and others!
Thanks, Victor! Hope you're doing the same with yours. :) It's been a pleasure sharing your stories on Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio, and looking forward to doing more soon!
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