Exercise based on the film "Courage Under Fire"
Dear Students,
Wish you a very Happy Dussehra and Durgapuja.
While most of you would be busy with the celebrations of the festivals, I would advice you to devote some time to think through the following issues while we screen the film "Courage Under Fire" today.
During the viewing of the film, try and see the following issues in the film:
- Honesty and redemption
- Taking responsibility
- Leadership
- Suicide
- Casualties from friendly fire
- The role of women in combat
- The effect of stress on the married life of army officers.
Take up any two issues and discuss them on the blog. The points for which you can take up in the next class for discussion.
You can also see the film from another angle, which is that if you were to make this film about India, which war would you choose and why?
Happy viewing.
Ashish Pande
war 1971 india pak.....
ReplyDeleteVery good Atikant :) You are the first one to respond.
DeleteWhich aspect of the Indo Pak war of 1971 would you like to explore?
Also, do you think that we can add the fictional detail of a woman soldier?
Looking forward to your inputs and comments.
thanks sir
ReplyDeletei don't know that Border is based on real story or not but if that is true than, struggle of that night which shown in the film Border is almost similar to the struggle the woman captain in the film Courage under Fire.
On the last point
ReplyDeleteMarried life is always a challenge an army officer’s life. He or she has no time for his or her family. As in the film the woman captain is a divorcee. She faced divorce after one and half year of her married life. She has no time for her daughter also. A real life incident of the first woman officer in Indian Airforce Anjali Gupta, she hanged herself because she was sexually harassed by her senior officers and because of this she was facing problem in her real married life.
suicide
ReplyDeletein the film two type of type of personalities first is col Nat and secound is Sargent Monfriez
both shoot their fellows by mistake but Col Nat handle the situation well and by using his brain he succeed in shooting other tanks. But Monfreiz showed his other side and left his Captain in the fire.
Both have guilty of killing their fellows. But Col accepts this and look forward to his duty but Monfreiz failed. He tried to ruin the image of his Captain also. But in the end as Hemingwayway says he did his last brave attempt and kill himself. I think he should accept the fact and move forward to his life and even left the army and do something different like boxing
On sixth point
ReplyDeleteToday women play a great role in shaping up of the society.Their role as an individual in society is no longer restricted.They are participating in every field and with substantial contribution to each.Today they also constitute 16 percent of the army.Female soldiers have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan earning many valour awards including The Silver Stars which is the nation's third highest award for valour.It was a different time when there was some concern about an expanded role of women or their role in combat in future.But they have played an invaluable role in Iraq and Afghanistan army to push for an exception to that rule.In the movie Courage Under Fire too most of men in Captain Walden's command are more respectful of her and her career choice. In the movie she is to be the first woman to receive (posthumously) the Medal of Honour for valour in combat.And at the end of the movie through Serling's report we come to know that the choice was not wrong.
Sir, this movie had honesty and redemption as a major theme. Denzel Washington's character lieutenant colonel Nat Serling, had mistakenly killed his friend Boylar in a friendly fire in the Iraqi desert war of 91. Although the powers-that-be succeeded in hushing things up in Washington and projected the casualty as a martyr, a war-hero, the conscience of colonel Serling couldn't let things rest as easily. When he came back to the US, he became a ghost of his former self, and was always haunted with the nightmarish horrors of those few moments of confusion, when he had given the order that resulted in his friend's death. He'd even moved out on his family, and was a subject of excessive drinking. In such circumstances, the only thing holding him together - his saving grace - was that inquiry that he'd been entrusted with. Through various scenes in the movie we get to see how doggedly he hunts the "whole, cold, hard truth" and is even willing to put his career on the line, in order to do the investigation right. To me, this was because, it was his only chance of redemption, the only way he could move on again, in life.
ReplyDelete"In order to honor a soldier like Karen Walden we have to tell the truth, General, about what happened over there...until we do that we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country." Redemption happens at the end, when he makes a clean breast of what truly happened in Al Bathra, to Boylar's parents. After months, he finally returns to his family, to his home - a man who had been able to forgive himself. He was a soldier because he believed in some principles. Through the tribulations of his investigation he did not give up on them, and retained his dignity by being honest - to himself and to his duty.
About the 4th point, i.e - suicide, I completely coincide with Atikant's comment. I think he's absolutely correct when he says that we see two essentially different types of characters in the film. For one, answering to himself, was way tougher than answering to his bosses, Gen Sterling is not one to flinch from the truth. And for Monfriez, saving his own neck was more dear, he's happy to paint a fictitious account to his bosses and the need for truth only goes so far.
ReplyDeleteWhen the secrets come out, subsequently, it is impossible for him to accept his changed reality and the only solution left for him is to kill himself - because he can't face the truth and it's consequences. On the contrary we look at Sterling, and find a man who will settle for nothing less than the whole truth and even defies his bosses to shape the course of the investigation. He does not suicide, because he can face the truth and move on with his life...
Leadership
ReplyDeleteThe movie Courage Under Fire introduces the audience with very strong characters.But the most appreciable among them is Colonel Nathaniel Serling and Captain Karen Emma Walden.They show all the traits of a good army personnel.Walden is a single mother with an eight year old daughter who has chosen not to leave military once divorced.In the movie she was the one who came up with the idea of improvised incendiary.Even after being seriously injured she regained control of her crewmen and the next morning stayed behind to cover the evacuation, firing the M16. Awarding her with the Medal of Honor affirmed her strong leadership role and ability.On the other hand Serling after getting involved in a friendly fire incident and being shuffled off to a desk job takes the responsibility for his actions and becoming the leader he was capable of being.He fearfully tells the Boylar's the truth about the manner of their son's death and they forgive his role. Also, in the last moments of the film it is shown that Walden had transported Boylar's body away from the battlefield.Thus, the movie presents characters with good leadership.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletesir
ReplyDeletei am Arun kumar as neel sharma.
i would like to comment on 'The effect of stress on the married life of army officers'
I personally feel that life of an army personnel is always a very stressful life. One should be abide by each and every rule, one has to follow lots of rules and regulations in the name of discipline. So, the social life of them cease to zero. one has no time to look after his family. While training the trainees, they are taught that whatever be the circumstances, your service to motherland stands first among all priorities. So,looking after one's own family is considered a secondary thing for them. Hence resulting in gaps.
During the whole span of movie Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) bears a lot of stress because of the incident of past incident. The psychoanalysis of his character reflects that it is the stress only which leads him to become an excessive drinker. I personally feel that he was somewhat hyper about that past incident. It’s true that friendly fire and casualties feels very bad. but i’ll blame the process through which they are trained he feels guilty for captain Boyler but when it comes to leaving his own kids he does it as the mission of seeking truth has overpowered him. It’s not his fault it’s the fault of the system. They train a person in such a way that he will be vulnerable to any issue related to country. And he’ll give preference to his country over his own family, and the whole family has to bear it.
DeleteReferring to the third and fourth points, i.e. leadership and taking responsibility. In the film Courage Under Fire, these two aspects have been depicted throughout. The two able army officers, Nathaniel Serling and Karen Emma Walden are shown to possess the qualities of leadership and responsibility. During the Gulf War, when Warrant officer A.Rady is severely injured in the enemy attack, Captain Walden takes full responsibility to keep him safe and constantly enquires about his condition. When Sergeant Monfriez and Seargent Altameyer insist on leaving the battleground to save their own lives and leave the injured officer,Rady behind, Walden says that had there been any other officer in Rady’s place, she would not have risked any of their lives, since being the Captain it was her duty to take responsibility of her fellow officers. Hence, here she proves herself to be a responsible leader.She also proves her leadership qualities during the war,since she is the one to come up with the idea of improvised incendiary as already mentioned by Swati in her comment.According to Walden’s medic, Specialist Illario,she grew calmer with pressure,which is a commendable quality in a leader.
ReplyDeleteColonel Nathaniel Serling also doesn’t step back from taking responsibility. Even when the department covers up about his role as the person responsible for the death of Captain Boylar,who was also his friend in a friendly fire incident, he struggles to come to terms with the fact that he was the one responsible and wants to confess to Boylar’s parents about his role,which he finally does and is forgiven by them.He also takes the responsibility to reveal the real reason for Captain Walden’s death and even after losing his post for his endeavours, he strives hard to bring the reality into light which he succeeds in doing.
'Courage Under Fire' like the name suggests, portrays a few people who display unwavering courage and determination even amidst situations that test one's limits. Col. Nat Serling was the one responsible for the friendly fire that killed his own friend,Lt.Boylar. The details of the incident was covered up ;but Col. Nat is constantly disturbed by the incident.Col. Nat always has an urge to tell Boylar's parents about the real cause of their son's death and hold himself responsible for it.
ReplyDeleteLater, Nat was given an assignment to determine whether Cap.Karen Walden deserves to receive the Medal Of Honour for valour in combat. For Col. Nat, it was not just another assignment, it was a chance to regain his lost faith in himself.That's why he strongly resisted to submit the report which he found incomplete and inaccurate.He wanted to give an authentic account of Cap.Walden's actions.Finally, his determination pays; he gets to know the true account of Cap.Walden's story.
Thus in the film Cap.Walden and Col.Nat appear as two people with admirable amount of courage.They are people who refuse to give up even if the circumstances are too bad.They are willing to go to any extend to full fill their duties and to support those who depend on them.Cap.Walden, even after being injured badly refuses to surrender.She even tried to cover her crewmen at the time of evacuation.And Col.Nat showed the dignity to accept his own mistakes and to redeem it.
The movie “Courage Under Fire” provides us with lessons many lessons in leadership and overcoming moral and ethical crises.
ReplyDeleteSet in 1991 during the first Iraq war this film is the fictional story of the first woman to receive a Medal of Honor for heroism in combat. A subplot concerns the destruction of a U.S. Army tank by friendly fire and its effect on the man responsible. The movie explores the role of women in combat, casualties from friendly fire, alcohol abuse in the military, honesty, taking responsibility, redemption, leadership, suicide, and the effect of the macho doctrine of "I can handle it without help" on the marriages of military personnel.
The colonel, named Serling and played by Denzel Washington, is determined to do his job honestly and well, even though his own life is falling apart. During a night tank battle in the Gulf War, he was indirectly responsible for taking out an American tank with friendly fire. An Army investigation excused him, but now his sleep is fragmented by nightmares, he's drinking too much, and he has moved out on his wife and children. The investigation is about the only thing holding him together.
``Courage Under Fire'' is Hollywood's first film about the Gulf War, and one of the rare films to deal with women in combat. But it is not simply a war film; there are also personal issues involved, and the story does a good job of dealing with the relationship between Serling and his wife (Regina Taylor), who tells him she will wait for him--but not forever.
"Courage Under Fire" explores the role of woman in combat, taking responsibility,leadership and suicide. Here i am discussing about 'taking responsibility'.Through its superb acting, successful plot, structure, and filming perfection, the movie becomes a powerful and brilliant examination of the consequences of guilt and responsibility, and the meaning of absolute truth. Courage Under Fire was the first Gulf War movie to hit American theaters. It is a movie that steers clear of the typical type set of the war film genre.
ReplyDeleteThe real subject of the film is not a specific war, but the military ethos and its effect on many individuals. The movie begins as many war films have, on the battlefield. Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) finds himself in an impossible situation, under heavy attack at night in the middle of the Iraqi desert. He is being assaulted by the Iraqis and in an instant loses his long time friend to the horror of friendly fire. He has ordered his crew to fire on another American tank under his command. Serling is decorated for his bravery ;yet, deep inside, he really knows that it is all a sham. He is drowned in his medals and awards and handed a desk job in the Pentagon, all to keep him quiet. Serling becomes intensely burdened by his guilt. He has become an alcoholic, his marriage is falling apart, and the government, which
is covering up the incident, has not offered a means to assuage his battered conscience. Serling's very first assignment is to determine whether or not a female officer, Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) is a deserving posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor.
edward Zwick does such a great job of making the Government look pathetic by showing some of its underlying intentions in this war. This is what brings us away from the normality of most war films and
places this movie into its own little subcategory. The movie was meant to be different and it succeeded in that endeavor.
Commenting on the fifth point, i.e. Casualities from a Friendly Fire.
ReplyDeleteCasualities from a friendly fire is often an inescapable result of a combat. In the film, Courage Under Fire, we see Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling is associated with one such incident and is unable to forgive himself for this action and is constantly succumbed by guilt, but he does not hide his mistake and finally confesses to the victim and his friend, Boylar’s parents about his mistake and is forgiven by them.
The movie 'Courage under fire' is an exceptional movie. It was the first Gulf War movie to hit American theaters. However, it steers clear of the typical type set of the war film genre as the real subject of the film is not a specific war, but the military ethos and its effect on many individuals.It provides us with many lessons in leadership and overcoming moral and ethical crises.The storyline reinforces the concepts of Honesty and Redemption .Col. Nathaniel Serling mistakenly kills his comrade and friend Cap.Boylar in a friendly fire incident at Al Bathra, during the course of the gulf war. Though the details of the mishap are covered up and Boylar's parents are lied to of his son dying a brave death fighting for his country but this incident has a profound impact on the Colonel and he is full of remorse and guilt.He is haunted continuously by the details of the tragic event, he is at unrest .Though he wants to convey the truth to Boylar's parents by sending them a letter but is unable to do so out of guilt and shame. In these moments of his internal battle, he is given the responsibility of investigating the actions of a one Cap. Karen Walden , who is being considered for a congressional medal of honour. During the investigation he finds that a crew member of Cap. walden, Monfriez suffers from a identical type of conflict as his. Monfriez stands against Cap.Walden in the battlefield refusing to obey her commands and later fearing srict actions deliberately lies to rescue team of her death and leaves her behind to die. Later in the movie we see that he hides the truth and instead of owing to his mistakes and seeking redemption he choses to die and commits suicide. Col.Serling is able to learn from the soldier and wants to seek his own redemption.He attempts to set things right by finding out the truth of the investigation.He wants to render respect and honour to Cap.Walden and to do this he suggests to tell people the cold,hard truth behind her death.In the last scenes of the movie we see that he confesses the truth to Boylar's parents who forgive him only after which he is relieved of the burden . Thus the movie is a perfect example of honesty being the key to one's redemption.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHonesty and Redemption
ReplyDeleteThe backdrop of the film is the Gulf war and its aftermath. Colonel Serling and Walden have never met yet they are connected to each other. The film shows the totally different side of the war, which I have never seen on the silver screen before. Serling is extremely guilt ridden due to the death of his dear friend and fellow officer who died due to mistaken identity. The film’s description of the post war trauma can be very well understood. He has an ardent love for army which is his priority rather than his family. He is ordered to find the 'truth' whether Waldon was a true hero or not. However, for the Government Officials, the investigation is merely a formality because there is a political pressure in order to take an opportunity to award a woman for the first time in American history. As the story moves, Serling finds some discrepancies in the testimonies of the witnesses. This indulges him more into the matter. The burden of his guilt is so powerful that he forgets to take out some time for his family. His attempt to bring out the truth and creates an unrest among the higher authorities. But despite the warning he brings out the truth behind the inconsistencies in the statements of the witnesses. Serling is an honest man but hesitates to tell the truth of Boylar's death to his [Boylars'] parents. Eventually he tells the truth to them and ends his separation from his family. He finds peace after confessing irrespective of it being a failure or sin and accepting the consequences.
The other major issues explored in the movie are the acts of Leadership and taking responsibilty. Leadership's values and principles espouse three main merits in a leader Duty , Respect and Integrity. In the film , the characters of Col.Nathaniel Serling and Cap. Karen Emma Walden display such characteristics under different circumstances . Perhaps one of the main principles that can be observed in the film is the choice of the two key characters to choose the difficult right over the easy wrong . Rather than leave their crash site in the middle of night , where darkness would have provided them good cover and a good chance to escape safely, Captain Karen Walden did otherwise for the sake of her injured co-pilot . She took into consideration the safety of all the members of her team and tried to save what could be saved .This shows her as a responsible leader who believes it is her duty to take care of her fellow members, whose life depends on her. When Monfriez tried to stage a mutiny to push the team to escape , Capt . Walden asserted herself demonstrating her prowess as a capable leader , who earlier in the day effectively put to use all their available resources to assemble a make-shift fort to keep them safe and make good use of their ammunition until rescue arrives .She is quick- witted and capable of taking the right decisions in moments of crisis without hesitation.It was she who had come with the idea of using improvised incendiary to destroy the enemy's tank .Furthermore we find that she is brave and courageous ,not afraid to die for his country or fellow-men .Consequently,she not only refuses to escape under cover of darkness but also covers for her comrades at the time of their rescue by staying behind. In her letter to her parents she says that- "I only hope that i'v made you proud..that i did my job..and I didn't let down my country down..my crew,my fellow soldiers." She exhibits all traits of an eminent leader.
ReplyDeleteCol. Nathaniel Serling also demonstrates true leadership qualities as we see that even after the disturbing incident of losing his friend in the battlefield, he regains his composure and orders to turn on the lights of the tanks to prevent any further acccidents.
Though he is shifted to a desk job he takes up the responsibility of investigating Cap.Walden's worthiness for the medal and devotes himself fully to the task. He risks his everything in doing this. He withdraws from his family ,friends and commanders and drowns himself in alcohol at the same time fighting his own internal battle.
Casualties from friendly fire
ReplyDeleteThe film Courage under fire explores the role of women in combat, casualties from friendly fire, honesty, taking responsibility, redemption, leadership, suicide, and the effect of the macho attitude of the protagonist that “I can handle everything myself".
Friendly fire is an inadvertent firing which leads to the death of one’s own friendly forces during the war against the enemies. This is the bitter truth of war.During the war, the pressure of survival is so intense that a soldier sometimes mistakes his friend as a foe. Boylar was killed accidently due to one wrong decision of his friend Col. Serling. The film shows the effect of one wrong decision that shook up not only Boylar’s family but also turned Serling’s life upside down. Due to lack of courage, it took some time for him to spill out the truth about their son’s death to Boylar’s parents. But unlike Monfriez, who commits suicide, Serling learns to live with the truth which cannot be altered. This is possible when he meets another soldier who has undergone the same trauma of not being able to save a fellow colleague i.e. Ilario.
The focus of the movie is on whether Karen Walden, is worthy of the Medal of Honor. In the starting of the movie her character is thrown into confusion because of testimonies. The theme of the movie, I think, is that of truth. When Nat finds the truth, he is able to face his past mistakes and overcome them. From Nat’s part of the movie, we see several leadership traits. Responsibility, first for one’s actions, secondly for one’s family. Utter conviction to stand with the truth, and to place one’s security in the knowledge of that truth, rather than the easier way of man’s opinion. Lastly, and probably of greatest importance, is humility. Nat admits all his wrongs, and gets up, setting about to do his level best to make them all right, and atone for his actions. Considering all these traits, we see it would be wise for one to apply them to their own life. And through the portrayal of them in this film, we can even categorize them according to importance that some traits are required as a building block on which others will stand
ReplyDeleteTaking responsibilities
ReplyDelete‘Courage Under Fire’ was the first Gulf War movie to hit the theaters of America. The setting in which the movie starts, is of a battlefield. Col. Nathaniel Serling was an M1 Abrams tank battalion commander who, during the nighttime confusion of Iraqi tanks infiltrating his unit's lines, gave the order to fire, destroying one of his own tanks and killing his friend Captain Boylar. A desk job is allotted to him now and a lot of medals to keep him quite. But as a responsible officer and a human with kind heart he can’t forget the accident happened in the past and his memory haunts him everywhere and he ends up parting from his own family and becomes alcoholic. He gets the chance to come out of this nightmare by investigating the case of posthumous honour the Medal of Honor for valor in combat. He says once "In order to honor a soldier like Karen Walden we have to tell the truth, General, about what happened over there...until we do that we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country." he gives his best. Even when col. Serling is misguided with the wrong version of story by Lou Diamond Phillips but he comes out with the real version of the story and even goes to Karen’s home with the letter handed to him by Matt Damon because he feels that it is very necessary to be handed to her parents. He also goes to Captain Boylar’s house for confession.