tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post7492670553118240680..comments2024-03-27T18:40:05.920+02:00Comments on TSorensen 1001 movie blog: Sergeant York (1941)TSorensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208153011927807857noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-58372349588269603422013-02-07T08:58:06.273+02:002013-02-07T08:58:06.273+02:00Yes and no. It is true I had different expectation...Yes and no. It is true I had different expectations to the film. The 70 minutes "introduction" I was not prepared for and frankly made me rather impatient.<br /><br />But I think those unmet expectations are secondary to the audacity of the film to manipulate its audience. It is painting a picture that the public is willing, even eager, to eat while essentially saying that the war to come is a good and right thing. One might agree or disagree with the purpose, but it remains propaganda.<br /><br />As I mentioned above the story itself is a good one and I really do not mind that Alvin is a religious fellow. Also the consentious objectioner being drafted is an interesting dilemma. It is the (very obvious) underlying flagwaving white washed agenda I find problematic. TSorensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208153011927807857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-15215787982956830142013-02-07T08:48:12.672+02:002013-02-07T08:48:12.672+02:00I entirely agree. The timing here is important. Th...I entirely agree. The timing here is important. This is not just a biography of an outstanding war hero. It is an attempt to mobilize the population for another war effort. I will not argue that this is not a good and noble purpose. My objection is how deliberately it is trying to manipulate its viewers.TSorensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208153011927807857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-32619996388306985282013-02-07T04:21:20.954+02:002013-02-07T04:21:20.954+02:00This film is a product of its time. Biographies w...This film is a product of its time. Biographies were always of the "gee whiz" variety in the 30s and 40s. Another Cooper one is Pride of the Yankees. The whole "warts and all" angle of biographies didn't become popular until decades later.<br /><br />You are also correct that doing a movie about a World War I hero was done because of the build up towards World War II.<br /><br />As for the rest, it seems like it was your expectations not being met that were the biggest issues you had with the film, not the film itself. (My expectations can also affect how I perceive a film.) It was a biography of the man, not just his service in World War I. The man was religious. I don't agree with his beliefs, but I didn't have a problem with them showing them in the movie because they were a real attribute of the real man.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-19697438579570810612013-02-06T18:52:11.913+02:002013-02-06T18:52:11.913+02:00You make some valid points. I don't necessari...You make some valid points. I don't necessarily agree with them all, but understand why you feel as you do. This film was released in 1941 for a reason. The USA knew it was going to eventually be dragged into WWII and I suspect films like these were friendly reminders of Mr. Jefferson's quote: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure." Kimberly J.M. Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09078951928157843937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-36618860384044990592013-02-06T16:35:41.301+02:002013-02-06T16:35:41.301+02:00That is comforting to me. I realized shortly into ...That is comforting to me. I realized shortly into my writing that many viewers would eat this picture raw and find my reservations, well, somewhere between blasphemic and treasonous. <br />I generally find it problematic when arts are made to serve political purposes, left or right, and although some might say that everything is political I still think that mass-seduction and mass-coersion is more problematic than most. If I were a war veteran of WWI seeing this film in 1941, coming back from France to absolutely nothing I would probably not be able to recognize the reception Alvin York got. TSorensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208153011927807857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2746502363551524682.post-75889899035103554982013-02-06T16:00:08.116+02:002013-02-06T16:00:08.116+02:00For what it's worth, as a born-and-bred Americ...For what it's worth, as a born-and-bred American, my objections to the film were identical to yours.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.com