Men Of Honour (DVD)

...TITLE: Men of Honor >>>>>
<<<<< RATING: ****1/2 >>>>>
<<<<< CAST: Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis, Hal Holbrook, Michael Rapaport, Powers Boothe, David Keith, Holt McCallany, Joshua Leonard, Dennis Troutman, Joshua Feinman, Theo Nicholas Pagones, Ryan Honey, David Conrad, Chris Warren, Jr. >>>>>
<<<<< DIRECTOR: ...
... The strong supporting cast guiding MEN OF HONOR has to start with Charlize Theron, who gives one of her best and most delightful performances as Gwen, Sunday’s wife. I remember when she made her eyebrow-raising debut in 1996 in 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY, as James Spader’s manipulative and stunningly sexy girlfriend. She has slowly but surely transformed herself into one of Hollywood’s great leading ladies, and her turn as Gwen in MEN OF HONOR is no exception; ... more

<<<<< TITLE: Men of Honor >>>>>
<<<<< RATING: ****1/2 >>>>>
<<<<< CAST: Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis, Hal Holbrook, Michael Rapaport, Powers Boothe, David Keith, Holt McCallany, Joshua Leonard, Dennis Troutman, Joshua Feinman, Theo Nicholas Pagones, Ryan Honey, David Conrad, Chris Warren, Jr. >>>>>
<<<<< DIRECTOR: George Tillman, Jr. >>>>>
<<<<< STUDIO: 20th Century Fox >>>>>
<<<<< RUNNING TIME: 128 MIN. >>>>>
<<<<< RATED: 15 (UK), R (US) >>>>>

<<<<< Some People Are Heroes Because They Don’t Give Up >>>>>

I’ve been in the United States Navy for six years now. I’ve never found myself in a war, however I have taken cruises all over the world. I’ve been to many countries and experienced different cultures and made friends everywhere I’ve went. However, I’ve always encountered racism everywhere I’ve been, even on my own ship, which was the U.S.S. Fort McHenry (LSD-43) out of Sasebo, Japan. Two dumb seamen decided to get in a fight after one made a racist threat; the whole situation was ridiculous, to say the least, but they deserved their punishment, particularly the one that made the racist slur. Granted, it may never go away, but racism is still part of reality to this very day, almost 150 years ago after the slaves obtained freedom.

However, the U.S. had turned a tide, and while slavery was gone, it had formed a new type of prejudice: segregation. Carl Brashear joined the Navy in the late 1940s, and that is exactly what he encountered; remember, this is before the case that went to the Supreme Court called Brown vs. Board of Education which would eliminate segregation. Having served with pride with six years, it’s great to see a movie that not only says what being a member of the Armed Forces is all about, but also telling the powerful story of a man who wouldn’t submit to the racist pressures that were thrown upon him, while also would not give up to obtain the dream of being the first African American Master Diver.

<<<<< Honor, Courage, and Commitment >>>>>

MEN OF HONOR opens up in Kentucky, 1943 as we meet a young Carl working on his family’s plantation. One day he has a conversation with his father while they are working hard, and Carl explains to him that he refuses to go to school until the work on the plantation is done. So, Carl grew up with little education, only caring about his family and keeping up with the land. When he becomes a young adult, he enlists in the United States Navy and becomes a cook on a ship. For those of you that don’t know, this is what usually happens when you first join: most people work for the deck department and do nothing but wash dishes; it’s only when you gain more experience and put more years in, that you become a respectable figure. That is what Carl becomes, needless to say, but it is a rough and bumpy road to get there.

Because of his impressive swimming skills, he requests for the Commanding Officer to go to U.S. Navy Diving School; the CO knows exactly that it isn’t going to work, though he endorses his request anyway. It is also during this time that we meet Master Chief Leslie ‘Billy’ Sunday, who resents officer authority and only thinks about himself and his fellow divers. Soon, Master Chief Sunday soon causes a riot in a hospital, and goes to the same Diving School as an instructor for the new recruits, Carl being one of them. The story then takes off when we arrive in New Jersey, where Carl Brashear starts the rigorous training in becoming a Navy Diver, under Master Chief Sunday’s tough guidance and dealing with both racist classmates and a CO that despises colored people.

While Carl is able to turn his back on his racist shipmates, he discovers a new problem when he can’t take the written tests very well, because of his severe lack of education. With nowhere to turn, he goes to the library to try to get some help and meets the lovely Jo, who later on becomes his wife. Determined to study hard, he manages to pass the crucial test that will determine if he will be able to continue his training at the school, which is actually one of the most difficult you could ever pass, considering that being a diver is the most dangerous career you can have in the Navy. There is so much more to the story though I don’t want to ruin it for first time viewers; the film flows so smoothly telling the following years of Carl’s fight to become a Master Diver, to a crowd-pleasing finale which is rather old-fashioned, but still packs an emotional punch.

<<<<< Two Oscar Winners Make The Film More Than Watchable >>>>>

Robert De Niro has always been one of the most praised and riveting actors in the business, though his performance here, as Master Chief Billy Sunday is something special. Speaking in a thick Southern drawl, and being a doggedly stubborn human being in more ways than one, De Niro embraces his character with dedication and turns in another Oscar-caliber performance. I’ll be honest with you, he is not my favorite actor in the world, though he seems to surprise more and more with each and every film he does. He won a well-deserved Oscar for 1980’s RAGING BULL as boxer Jake La Matta, though he almost rivals that with his portrayal here as Sunday, even though the character was entirely fictional for dramatic purposes. Still, he reminded me so much of other instructors/trainers that I’ve encountered through my Navy career, which makes his character realistic, which is really all that matters.

I remember the night very well where Cuba Gooding, Jr. won Best Supporting Actor for JERRY MAGUIRE, and he was probably the most enthusiastic person to get on the stage to win that award. He is a terrific, well-trained actor, who unfortunately finds himself in failures every now and then (SNOW DOGS, anyone?), but he may give his most inspired and powerful performance of his career as Carl Brashear. It’s obvious that he met and spoke with the real-life Brashear several times before taking on the challenge of this role. He is not only sincere and likeable, but he also makes his character, dare I say it, honorable. The climactic courtroom sequence is where we see Gooding at his very best, and truly makes his performance as Carl more than memorable, even after all the end credits have gone by.

The strong supporting cast guiding MEN OF HONOR has to start with Charlize Theron, who gives one of her best and most delightful performances as Gwen, Sunday’s wife. I remember when she made her eyebrow-raising debut in 1996 in 2 DAYS IN THE VALLEY, as James Spader’s manipulative and stunningly sexy girlfriend. She has slowly but surely transformed herself into one of Hollywood’s great leading ladies, and her turn as Gwen in MEN OF HONOR is no exception; I particularly love her reaction when De Niro starts talking about the origin of his pipe, as well as later on when she tries to reason with her husband when he ends up at a mental hospital. There is also a striking turn by unknown David Conrad, as the Navy Captain who hates Billy Sunday after disrespecting him and threatens to end Carl’s career for reasons I will not reveal. Joshua Leonard (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) also shows up as a 2nd Class Petty Officer, and try to spot the real-life Carl Brashear in an unaccredited bit as a Night Club patron.

<<<<< From Soul Food to Expendables >>>>>

To this day, director George Tillman, Jr. hasn’t disappointed me, even though he has only directed four films, with the last one going to be released in early 2005. He got great praise and notice for his big budget 1997 debut with his family drama SOUL FOOD, about an aging grandmother who is diagnosed with diabetes, threatening to tear the family apart, particularly when it halts Sunday feasts where they all come together. He went on to produce both of the Barbershop films with Ice Cube, and his new project is called REVELATION. His compassion and respect for this film---and its lead character---is wonderfully conveyed, and he makes MEN OF HONOR truly an entertaining, moving experience, particularly with the help of two outstanding actors onboard.

Carl Brashear’s life story was adapted and brought to the screen by Scott Marshall Smith, who also wrote another Robert De Niro film, THE SCORE. Under the working title NAVY DIVER, Smith made his writing debut with this film, which took him four years to write and perfect. Even though he took the usual liberties with Hollywood biographies (some of his writing is admittedly corny), he fashions his debut overall with a can-do of American spirit, and even writes some memorable lines for the cast. Smith is currently working on another, similarly themed project called THE EXPENDABLES, about some prisoners who go underwater to recover gold from a sunken German U-Boat. I’m probably going to go see it, even though it sounds like a cross between THE DIRTY DOZEN and U-571. Despite the flaws with his MEN OF HONOR, I salute him for bringing Carl’s inspiring story to the screen.

<<<<< Accurate Portrayal of the U.S. Navy >>>>>

Like the recent ANTWONE FISHER, the story generates an honest depiction of Navy attitudes and values, unlike other films that use it as an excuse for actors to show off and be unrealistic (like TOP GUN). Being in the Navy myself, I’ve seen very few films that can top the realism that is projected in MEN OF HONOR. Even though my favorite Navy movie of all time will be THE LAST DETAIL, in which Jack Nicholson played a 1st Class Petty Officer, this film comes as a very close second and really is one of the only genuine films where the Navy is not only shown as the respectable, honorable military branch that we always see them as, but also as foul-mouthed, hard-working men who love to get drunk and act like animals. In other words, it shows both sides of the coin, which is very daring for a film to do. Take it from me, I know what I’m talking about, lol.

<<<<< Flying Down From The October Sky to Underwater >>>>>

I wanted to devote a special section of this review to what may be my favorite element of MEN OF HONOR, which is the music score. I have to confess that I love film scores, particularly when they drive the story and compliment the characters and their motives. All the great composers, such as Bernard Herrmann (PSYCHO), John Williams (SUPERMAN), and Jerry Goldsmith (THE OMEN), I really do respect and admire because they have brought to our ears so many famous and classic scores. However, there are also composers that aren’t well known, and who have created some truly moving and unforgettable scores; Mark Isham is one of them.

Growing up as an expert trumpet player, Isham began his career working with such famous bands as The Rolling Stones. He won a Grammy for Best Jazz Album in 1999 for Miles Remembered: The Silent Way Project. This was the same year that I heard his first film score, which was for OCTOBER SKY, the biography on Homer Hickham, Jr. However, I was surprised to discover that he has done film scores for over 20 years, starting in 1983 for the Walt Disney film NEVER CRY WOLF. Since then, he has done so many scores that I’ve loved, including ones for A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, FLY AWAY HOME, and, most recently, LIFE AS A HOUSE. His soaring score for MEN OF HONOR is one of his finest, as he incorporates patriotism and a military theme into the notes he plays, while not making it overbearing and syrupy.

<<<<< I Order You To Watch To This Movie >>>>>

No, I’m just kidding, lol. Seriously, though, I can’t imagine anyone hating this film. It’s based on a true story, its inspired storytelling, with two actors showing a mountain of strength in their performances, as well as a soaring score that will move you to the very end. However, my personal respect in this movie lies in the fact that it portrays the U.S. Navy in a naturalistic, realistic, and honest way, particularly in the shattering courtroom climax. Like Carl Brashear says, I wouldn’t be in the Navy working my hardest and being a respectful sailor without the Navy’s greatest tradition Honor, which is one of the three Navy core values, the others being Courage and Commitment. I salute Carl Brashear and MEN OF HONOR. Thank you for reading and I look forward to all your comments!!! Chris xxxxx

<<<<< Honorable Quotes >>>>>

1) “It’s time for weekend liberty, and remember: One night stands may be over by morning, but syphilis lasts a lifetime!!!” --- Robert De Niro

2) “I may be some dirt, dumb nigger from Podunk, but at least I’m making something of myself. You are the same hateful, little man that you started out as…without diving your nothing! --- Cuba Gooding, Jr.

3) “Sergeant, you better step aside or I’m going to bust you right in the jaw!” --- Robert De Niro

4) “Forgive me, Sir, but to me the Navy is not a business. We have many traditions, and in my career I have experienced most of them, some good, some bad. However, I wouldn’t be here today if not for the greatest tradition of all: Honor, Sir!!!” ---- Cuba Gooding, Jr.

5) “The man I married never quit anything a day in his life!” --- Aunjanue Ellis

6) “The Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If it’s sunk he brings its up. If it’s in the wave, he moves it. If he is lucky, he will die 200 feet below the waves, for that is the closest that he will ever get to being a hero!!!” --- Robert De Niro
 

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