Tears of the Sun - March 2003

Recommended

I thought it would be odd seeing a military-themed movie while the US is involved in a war, but current reality and "Tears of the Sun" are so far removed from each other, I thought nothing of Iraq. I did, however, think a lot about Viet Nam.

"Tears of the Sun" takes place during a civil war in Nigeria, and is about a group of Rangers sent in to retrieve US citizens. One of the citizens is a doctor who won’t leave without her patients and indigenous staff, so, rather than fly out one person, the Rangers trek through the jungle with 40 people in tow. Jungle warfare, even with modern communications and weapons, is not easy, and war is never pretty. In "Tears of the Sun," doing the right thing is a good way to get people killed.

I give high marks to Bruce Willis. Like him or not, Willis is a Movie Star, and his performance as a stoic and conflicted Ranger commander is very moving.