In Regards; Red Dawn

To be fair Red Dawn, for all your war-mongering, your Russo-phobia, your extreme-hyphen-violence, it was the end that bugged me the most. The film, I'll admit was great. Flaws of this caliber are to be admired. That is not some sardonic nod at the enormity of these flaws. The issues in this film are immense; the characters, tone, and plot are flawed. The ending is flawed, in which a monument to death is erected at some point in the future, where the American have no doubt, won. It seemed like the film was really more about intrusion and the seeds of guerrilla warfare, what we call sometimes today, "insurgency."

But oh, so sad. The main characters are martyrs for their cause, and logically so. In the face of the face of the enemy the two brother stride violently, and without need into death, always worshiping death as something to be admired, gained, valued. And yet, the ending line follows a familiar trope, "they gave their lives." Which they did do, but they didn't do it through death. The live-giving was the formation of the band of rebels, the undetermined years spent in rebellion, and the years before spent placing value in their friendships, town and country.

Here nationalism is not some dirty thing which is necessarily connected with country. It's community. The characters aren't motivated by the invasion of their country, they're motivated by the domination of their families, their friends, their town. In Regards; Red Dawn you're dangerous when taken beyond your characters, and yet it is to be encouraged.