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Saints
and Soldiers
Year:
2003
Rating:
PG-13
Overall
Evaluation: 9.5
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Significance
Suppositions
Story
Style
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10.0 / 10
10.0 / 10
9.0 / 10
10.0 / 10
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criteria.
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Style
Rated PG-13 for
war violence and related images (). There is almost no foul language
at all and it is completely void of sex, sexual innuendo, or perversion
of any kind. No gratuitous gore either. Very clean, yet oddly believable,
for a war movie.
Story
This is a "based
on a true story" account of four soldiers who join together
after escaping the Malmedy Massacre during the Battle of the Bulge
in WWII. They find themselves behind enemy lines,and are basically
trying to decide how to get to safety when they find a downed British
pilot who has important information for the allies regarding the
offensive. So now, instead of simply surviving or sneaking back
to allied command they chase the germans in an attempt to beat them
to the front. It is a compilation of true stories, I have read that
even the meeting of the American missionary-turned-soldier and the
quasi-traitorous German soldier was taken from a real event.
Suppositions
The basic story is believable
and the interaction between the characters very intriguing. Nothing
objectionable world view wise. It exemplifies the kind of virtues
that were common before the sexual revolution generation ruined
America.
Significance
There are several
interesting dialogues in the movie - especially between the hero
and one of the other soldiers on the subject of God. In one scene
a very telling conversation ensues regarding two similar situations
that had radically different effects on each of the men's faith
(or lack thereof). It clearly illustrates the fact that fallen man
sees more and more evidence for atheism by interpreting events in
light of that starting point. The
film's themes include the existence of God amidst suffering and
evil, the nature of man in war (who is the real enemy?). This is
all well done and not over the top.
As a side note I was surprised
(but not much) to discover that this film was made by Mormons. I
did not pick up on it at all and this, by the way, is how Christian
films should affect people. It delivered a quality message
without appealing only to other Christians. My "cult radar"
did not go off for the following reasons:
1. No particular
Mormon doctrine is mentioned.
2. The hero carries what appears to be a Bible - not a "Book
of Mormon".
3. The hero's nickname is "Deacon" not "Elder"
(the Mormon term for a missionary).
4. The hero said he was a missionary but most Christian denominations
use that title so it's not obvious he meant a Mormon missionary.
5. The title is also not as dead a give away as one might think
for the same reasons as 4.
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