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From: bobtl%toolbox.wv.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Recent films concerning the military
Message-ID: <11857@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 1 Dec 89 04:20:08 GMT
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From: bobtl%toolbox.wv.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET

This may not be appropriate, but I am interested in the psychology of
"warriors" (members of the armed services) and how the American public
views them.  I think popular films are an expression of this.

A local TV station showed two films on subsequent nights, "Top Gun"
and "Private Benjamin".  I was struck by the way the two services are
treated differently.  So I started thinking about other films.
How about "Stripes" and "An Officer and a Gentleman".  Same thing.

I have to go back to some of the John Wayne flicks before I find where
a functional member of an Army unit is portrayed as a hero (Green Berets).
Now I'm not a real film buff, so I probably have missed something.
If so, I would like to hear about it.

One overriding theme in the recent movies I can think of is individualism.
If so, that has a tremendous impact on leaders of American soldiers,
of all services.  I see a lot of simularities between the jobs of 
a naval aviator and a tank commander - even if the tank commander doesn't get 
a movie made about him.:-)


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