The Things they Carry?
I don’t have anything to say about this film (or really anything else). I think about it a lot, though (and many other things). It makes me think of Blood Meridian, which I restarted the other night, and then from there, Heart of Darkness. Another path between Platoon and Conrad’s story is through Apocalypse Now. This one’s more blatant and interesting because the link looks like: Vietnam <-> Vietnam-Kurtz <-> Kurtz
Another fact is that there’s been at least one Sheen in both films.
How does one become like Sgt. Elias? So kind, so competent…?
How does one become anything?
The Things they Carry?
That’s a good one. Thank you!
I’m not sure what sort of chain I’d make from this. The Things They Carried reminds me of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe… but I haven’t read either of them so I am unaware of any details beyond the titles that might add some depth.
I guess it might create a loop if I add all the media I listed so far. Things Fall Apart is about African colonialism, and so is Heart of Darkness.
The Things They Carried actually has a quote about dismantling the lie of war, it describes how it is not pleasant, or glorious, or empowering, but obscene.
"If at any point hearing a war story, you feel uplifted or feel some sort of rectitude can be salvaged, then you've been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie."
Some may say, "You do not _become__ anything, the only thing that matters is how you are perceived..."
These people are shallow, two-faced lying jackals; but also probably wield more power than you - which means you cannot inform them of how _you_ perceive _them_
This is the way of the world.
However: anyone worth anything will recognize you by your actions, and be willing to accept the truth if your reputation precedes you.