I love watching movies. Immersing myself in the stories, I forget all the troubles, and loneliness in the real life. I always feel my mundane life is enriched so much by movies. I am able to experience agony, despair, love, hope, and joy of various people in different times and from different worlds. For two hours in the darkness, I simply live their lives.
Luckily I have my favorite movie theater around the neighborhood, where a movie costs less than 2 dollars. Every time I go there, I almost want to wear a wince: what a steal! In deed, what else can you do with 2 dollars these days?
A Few Good Men is one of my all-time favorites. The film was recognized twice by the AFI 100 Years … series . In 2005, Nicholson's reading of the line "You can't handle the truth!" was voted the twenty-ninth greatest American movie quote of all time.
The confrontation between Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Colonel Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) in the court was a pivotal moment in the film. There we witness the explosion of Jack Nicholson’s breath-taking brilliance as a greatest leading actor in the Hollywood history. In front of him, Tom Cruise seems like an awkward rookie who happens to land his first role in a major movie (No offense, Cruise, I still like you for your over-achievements on behalf of us all the not-so-tall guys). In a coarse, assertive voice, Jack Nicholson presents us a prideful U.S. Marine officer, who regards himself bigger than law. During less than one and half minutes, he unleashes his anger, frustration, and contempt against the law and conscience which the court stands for. In the 200 hundreds of words, we feel the beauty of phonetic beauty of English – the stress, intonation, and even pause. I enjoy reciting his lines. I always regard it as a great way to learn English. Here are my reenactment, and the excerpt from the play :
JESSEP
You want answers?
KAFFEE
I think I'm entitled to them.
JESSEP
You want answers?!
KAFFEE
I want the truth.
JESSEP
You can't handle the truth!
And nobody moves.
JESSEP
(continuing)
Son, we live in a world that has walls.
And those walls have to be guarded by men
with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You,
Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater
responsibility than you can possibly
fathom. You weep for Santiago and you
curse the marines. You have that luxury.
You have the luxury of not knowing what I
know: That Santiago's death, while tragic,
probably saved lives. And my existence,
while grotesque and incomprehensible to
you, saves lives.
(beat)
You don't want the truth. Because deep
down, in places you don't talk about at
parties, you want me on that wall. You me
there
(boasting)
We use words like honor, code,
loyalty...we use these words as the
backbone to a life spent defending
something. You use 'em as a punchline.
(beat)
I have neither the time nor the
inclination to explain myself to a man who
rises and sleeps under the blanket of the
very freedom I provide, then questions the
manner in which I provide it. I'd prefer
you just said thank you and went on your
way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a
weapon and stand a post. Either way, I
don't give a damn what you think you're
entitled to.
KAFFEE
(quietly)
Did you order the code red?
JESSEP
(beat)
I did the job you sent me to do.
KAFFEE
Did you order the code red?
JESSEP
(pause)
You're goddamn right I did.
Moreover, I love this movie also because it is another story where justice prevails. In my mind, I strongly believe, during my life time, I will witness Chinese government officials, and military brasses to be put on the stand. We the people will question their roles in the massacre of innocent students, and civilians 21 years ago. I expect they will bark back with the line borrowed from Colonel Jessep -- “You can’t handle the truth”. Without surprise, they will also give themselves the credits of years of stability and prosperity. We the people will not buy into these assertions because if an individual’s life is not respected, if a government can justify killing of innocent people in the name of greater good, we can be the next victims. Regarding the seeming economic progress, we the people want to disclose the cultural, ethical, ecological, and human cost the nation has paid…
Years ago, in English class in China, my young college teacher lit candles, and taught us the song We Shall Overcome. The unspeakable sorrow on her face struck me. As the age of 17, I could only feel the agony actually made her face glow with a touch of elegance. Many years later, I came to grasp the pain in her mind…
Yes. With a few good men, we shall overcome.
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