Tigerland DVD

managed to (finally) catch Tigerland on DVD and personally, i think tis the best film about the vietnam war that it ain't really about it.

mucho-kudos to (a very surprising) director; Joel Schumacher, who collaborated with cinematographer Matthew Libatique (Pi, and Requiem for a Dream) for a pseudo-docu-feel of the movie, as captured on 16MM film and shot in 28 days ... and the result is effin' awesome and emotive. [read about making the film here] and after a while, you'd actually forget that they're on handheld, and drawn into the story and men you will be (IMHO) and you'd "feel" along with the fine acting, most notably Clifton Collins Jr as the insecure Miter. and of coz there's the main-man; Collin Farrell as Roland Bozz, who plays "a fool fighting the system". and with a texan drawl and rebel attitude, Bozz is Tigerland. (or the heart of it) personally, this is one of Colin's better screen outings, as compared to his subsequent lacklustre performances in recent memory ... dude, wtf happened? /// READ MORE HERE

feeling very much like an "indie flick" (and it was! decided by "budget" anyways) , Tigerland is a deceptively simple story/plot that belies the feelings of the soldiers in training to enter Vietnam and Tigerland is the "final training frontier" that the recruits haveta survive [read more of the story here]. tis at the heart of it all, a story of friendship and responsibilities to your "fellow man" (as weak as that may seem, tho i'd like to dream).


or maybe i feel for it strongly, as i do national-service, where us boys/men in singapore are "required by law" to serveout between 2-to-2 and a 1/2 years of "army training", altho truth be told; without the imminent and "looming" threat of war/conflict ... and the treatment and attitude us recruits were/are subjected to, as similar to what i saw on-screen in the DVD, (of coz dumbed-down ever so slightly) = to build "character" and "discipline"? ... and i wonder how effective this treatment might have been, to different folks, with differing mental capacities and tolerance levels ... but i guess in the end, tis the "mass" that matters more, rather than the "minor upsets" ~ "acceptable looses" be damned? ... coz in the end, it ain't about "fools fighting the system", for why can't the system "assimulate" the folks instead of oppressing them? "positive conditioning" rather than "by the power of the law" ... IMHO, of coz ... and of coz im not making much sense here, am i? *heh* *i effin' HATE the army. 'nuff said*
personal opinions aside, do check out the trailer for a taste of what the movie is about and if ya can get your hands on it? *go fer it* = regret it you will not.

(review circa 28.12.05)

Comments

Popular Posts