For
many Americans, Memorial Day is a day off of work and an excuse to break out
the barbeque; Memorial Day is also the unofficial kick off to the summer movie
season. On this day when we are meant to
remember the ultimate sacrifice thousands of Americans have made, might I suggest
spending part of your day streaming one of these war and military themed films:
Dr. Strangelove (1964, Netflix)—If you’re looking for a
dark comedy, you should look no further than Stanley Kubrick’s classic Cold War
comedy. Peter Sellers and George C.
Scott put in some of the finest performances of their careers in this film
about an impending nuclear holocaust.
You will never feel the same way about Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again.”
The Invisible War (2012, Netflix)—This Oscar nominated
documentary deals with the military’s largely ignored sexual assault epidemic. The film highlights victims’ lack of physical
and mental healthcare services as well as the absence of a credible judicial
system to handle their cases. Soldiers
are not nameless, faceless individuals who are impervious to trauma; we need to
do a far better job of insuring that support infrastructures are in place for
assault victims. Truly, one of the best
ways we can honor our service people is to insure the safety, credibility, and
justness of their institutions.
Night and Fog (1955, Hulu Plus)—This short documentary
was one of the first to look back on the Holocaust, barely a decade after
Hitler’s death camps closed. As it is
vital that as a society we remember the important role that our armed forces
play not only within our own borders, but internationally. 100,000 American military personnel died
during World War II; we should honor their sacrifice and remember they helped
save the world.
How
are you planning to spend your Memorial Day?
What films do you hope to see?
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