In today’s day and age where people have grown more and more
sceptical of their nation’s military and government (rightfully so, in most
regards), the question of how they justify their actions has grown in
poignancy. This is especially true in the world of entertainment, where the
times when propaganda pieces about the 'Red Menace' are long since behind us.
There’s a reason why action films involving soldiers rescuing hostages in
foreign jungle settings aren’t nearly as prevalent, and it’s not just because
they mostly suck the big one: Violence with lack of justification, when it
comes to government-sanctioned officers, isn’t nearly as accepted as it once
mystifyingly was. One look at the works of Kathryn Bigelow and Clint Eastwood
will see this mindset in full force, where actions are constantly brought into
question and that lingering question hangs over everyone’s heads. Today, it’s
time to dip into that pool once again.
