re: A Few Good Men

quote:

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"Don't call me son. I'm an lawyer, and an officer in the US Navy. And you're under arrest, you ___ __ _ _____".

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See, this line always bothers me. It keeps it from being in my all time top 10. Its just too cheesy and lame. Only weak line in the movie IMO.

The best part about the movie was this tugging from a place "deep down you don't talk about at parties" (such a great fricking line) wanting the protection he provides, and the tragedy and sadness felt because of Santiago's death, even though it "probably saved lives".

I felt the whole movie really did a great job of straddling the line between respect for Jessup and contempt and fear of what a man with his power is capable of.

This line of self righteous indignation blows up the catch 22 that the film worked so hard to construct. It tells you that there was no good in Jessup, and the kid in his "faggoty white uniform" is the knight in shining armor.

I would have much preferred a more subdued ending, with Jessup's warning that "all you did was weaken a country today" allowed to echo throughout the courtroom and stick with the viewer to maintain that question of "was this the right thing to do?"

Caffey still could have had his moment of victory when Dawson saluted him (which I didn't mind as a symbolic guesture of respect).

Still great and one of my all time favorites, but I just think the gray space occupied by 90% of the film was much more interesting than the black and white of the conclusion.