On Wednesday, I dropped by our local Blockbuster Video to drop off our copy we rented of Alice in Wonderland and our Barney Movies (Thank God we turned those in) I had rented for my little ones. While in there, the manager told me she was getting ready to put the new releases out and some had just been returned. Curious and out of the loop since we do not get out much, I asked what she had. She had the movies Unthinkable and the Green Zone. Now I had heard from some cop buddies of ours these movies rocked when they saw it in the theaters and was worth the buy. She kept it aside, we finished our rental purchase and out the door we go. I never looked at the cases nor did I know anything about these movies other than what was on the Blockbuster window movie posters. We are Samuel L. Jackson fans and Matt Damon we can tolerate, so why the heck not?
This psychological thriller is no way shape form or fashion for those of you who have weak stomachs and is really really graphic. Politically charged, this movie was one I would never see again just due to my husband. Going back a little here so you can understand a little, we can't go into crowded places or really anywhere. Our marriage counselor we see suggested we spend more time together alone, which isn't easy since we never go anywhere and rather than taking my husband out, I thought "Date Nights" at home would be at least healthy for me. However, being manly macho man he is, this knocks out our rentals if it has anything remotely resembling love, romance, high heels and makeup. He isn't into girly chic flicks and well I can't blame him. I need some girly time though, and most definitely romance.
Unfortunately, romance hasn't been here in my home since he came back from Iraq and I live vicariously through actresses in movies. I also live through my friends who constantly remind me how their husbands suddenly wisk them away for a weekend or bring home roses for no reason. I live with three boys and my husband...even my fish and snail is male. I am up to my ears in blue, John Deere, matchbox cars, and the game of "Army Soldiers" as my four year old calls it. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey and military type shows is about it around here. If I didn't do something girly for myself every once in a while, I would swear I sprouted testicles and have the urge to scratch and rearrange!
Getting back now, I try to compromise but mostly give in, because I am that desperate for some normalcy and something that resembles a "Date Night" with my husband. Not sure if this is what most would compare it to, but its something and something is always better than nothing. Throughout the movie, it was military and FBI focused with just a touch of politics to make it an interesting plot. There were a few times I looked over at my husband and that usual "glaze" he has is gone. So I think to myself, "you must have picked a good movie there girl!". He was dead into it, paid full attention and well seemed a little too enthralled. The movie rocks along, gets graphic and disgusting, and then the end comes. This movie makes you really contemplate one's morals and choices.
Without ruining it because it is in the synopsis above, there is a part of this movie that involves the attempt of torturing children. Being the thinker I am, I had to chew on this movie, it's purpose and what kind of human beings are capable of doing this to others. My husband meanwhile is talking about the movie and the ending, which led into small talk. I told my husband I didn't like it, didn't feel that children should have been used in this plot and that children are innocent. The relaxed, movie enthralled and focused man left and emerged the nasty beast faster than you could say "Holy Shiznet"! He moved forward in his recliner, grabbing both arms tightly on his chair and snapped my head off! " There are NO innocent children over there." Yes, I argued. The children in this movie didn't do anything nor did they have a part in the plot. "They are expendable and not innocent" he stated, infuriated.
Expendable in war? Really? I don't know why I felt the need to argue with him and perhaps hindsight is now seeking in, but it set me off and most definitely set him off. I told him that all children are innocent, they are simply bi-products of their parents and how they are raised. I could tell he was really pissed and that empty cold stare glaring back at me, somewhat scared me. He looked at me with this mean menacing look and yelled "get online and look up how many children walk up to us with ^%$#^%$#@ bombs strapped to them and tell me they are innocent!" "It's kill them or have them kill us". Trying to then calm him down, I stated I understood that but was it their fault that their parents raised them this way and instilled beliefs? It wasn't the child who put the bomb on it was the parents. He said "In war, everyone is expendable. You must do what you have to do to protect others".
This is what concerns me. I know that I should never ask, and from what I do know about what happened in Iraq...I don't want to know anymore. However, what set him off? My comment or the movie? Had he experienced these children strapped with bombs? Seen the innocence lost and now no longer sees small children as anything other than the enemy? I think the part that scared me the most was that "look". If it had been looks to kill, they could have buried me twice. It was so cold, full of contempt for me and you could have probably looked at him for hours and never once saw anything that resembled my husband. What looked at me last night was simply a changed man with so much hatred and anger, that he really really unsettled me.
I told him I understood and yes, he was absolutely right. He was so far gone by that time, I simply just left it at that and went to bed alone. I spent two hours tossing and turning thinking about our conversation and wondered in my head....."what did he do over there?". I know I was in the wrong to even make the statements to begin with and I am no fool. I know what goes on there and from stories told by soldiers, the unspeakable horrors against our servicemen and women. Yet, somehow the statement "In war, everyone is expendable" just disturbed me on all levels. I don't know why, but it just did. Does this mean all of them, not just the bad guys? Perhaps its because I am biased living in my sheltered world and have never experienced war? Maybe it's because my heart is too big and I hurt inside when the thought of small children, armed and lethal, should never be a factor in war. Who does that to their own children? There will always be more questions, and never any answers...but have learned my lesson. Next time I think I will stick to a comedy even if it sucks, than rent anything like this again for someone with PTSD. We haven't watched the Green Zone, and do believe this will be a movie I won't watch or comment on with him in the very least........
Not Expendable,
Uncle Sam's Mistress
Your post took me back to a presentation I gave for the Sheriff's department at the end of April.
ReplyDeleteAt one point I was talking about flashbacks and how they can be triggered by something as innocent as the sound of children playing. In Baghdad kids always hung around wherever there were soldiers, asking questions trying to obtain information to take back to snipers “Hey GI Joe, what time you commin’ back? Hey Joe, what’s your name?”
They were viewed as the next generation of insurgents, just like the ones that had no problem at all using children as decoys for car bombs to help get them past checkpoints before detonating the vehicle. Or children left in cars in busy market places where vehicles are not normally supposed to park but they point at the kids in the back and say "I'll be right back" only to blow the effing car up, kids and all!
"Sacrificing" their children in Alah's name is so far outside the realm of our comprehension it's not real.
Oh yeah...I mean I knew about all this but of course not about the movie having this stuff in it. The only story I knew about a child, which I have a beautiful photo of, was "mullet boy" as my husband's platoon called him because of his mullet he wore. Hubby said this kid was the last child the village had, so if you saw him outside, nobody died that day. The village was not taking a chance on losing the only child they had left. That's it. Nothing more ever said until last night...I think the part that bothered me so much was not the kids, not the movie, just the fact that he looked like he absolutely could kill me. It was a mean, menacing, give you the heebie jeebie look. Not sure how else to explain it.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. When you look at a face of which you should know every wrinkle and blemish but suddenly see a stranger. Not only that, a stranger who could snuff your friggin lights out in the blink of an eye like a trained assassin. Shudder!
ReplyDeleteYES exactly! And when he scares me like that, I feel somewhat guilty afterward because I feel I should not ever be scared of him.....however, he isn't the same man either.
ReplyDeleteThis is all very interesting and all. But! The same things happened in Viet Nam. Kids with friggin bombs. And they were godless commies...
ReplyDeleteWar SUCKS. ALL ARE EXPENDABLE! SUCH IS THE NATURE OF WAR. It's not one army against another. It's one Nation against another.
And what you saw was his WAR face. And his anger was directed at your words and opinion. Not at you personally. Such is the nature of a warrior. Everyone who isn't like me is my enemy...
And unlike those pussies in the NFL, Our enemies really do mean us harm...
I'll lighten up now.
Be blessed young sisters.
Just found your blog and I am interested in reading more.
ReplyDeleteI know K....I guess it's hard for me to understand because what I have seen, is always on tv. Does that make sense? So I am very much in the dark as most spouses are. Attending the Vietnam Veteran's Homecoming here, I heard a LOT more than what was in the history books I read....Looking back on the conversation, I should have kept my trap shut. BUT on my blog, I want to be honest with how I feel. I meant no offense to you or my husband or any soldier for that matter...War is war, as you said "nation against nation"....and in no way do I oppose nor am I a peace sign toking protester. Haha! I just look at my kids and think "does he feel this way about them?" I guess that is the mama coming out in me! I know though, given the opportunity, they would harm us in a heartbeat and that part is what saddens me most.
ReplyDeleteStick around more Wife of A Wounded Soldier! I just found yours yesterday!! I had seen it across the internet, and bookmarked you. Wasn't sure if we were dealing with the same issues or not!! A very warm welcome to a fellow "Volunteer"
ReplyDelete