Analyzing Rhetoric of the movie Casualties of War - Essay Example

Introduction History is recorded according to the viewpoint of the so that the details that they choose to share, and their interpretation of patterns, provide an insight into the writer’s perspective of an event. Writing in itself is a form of analysis, or thinking (Rosenwasser & Stephen, 2005). A particular event may be recorded differently across writers, as they pay attention to different details. The difference in details leads directly to how a writer chooses to interpret events and responses. By way sampling a variety of interpretations of an event, a reader is better able to question the conclusions each writer draws from the observations that they deem important. As a process, the range of readings will foster a questioning mind for the reader, an awareness of details, and the realization that the question of “why” must be asked of conclusions drawn by each writer. It is only by this method that an event, such as a historical incidence, can cultivate an evolving thesis, or an accumulation of evidence to support claims of both the writers and the reader. This paper aims to critically review the rhetoric of the movie Casualties of War (1989), especially with regard to the rhetoric of two other texts, Vietnam voices; Perspectives on the War Years, 1941-1982 (1984) and The Fog of War: 11 Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003). Firstly, Casualties of War will be critiqued in relation to details drew the reader’s Notice and informed them of the writer’s Method, and way of linking Evidence and Claims. Secondly, two other texts shall be critically reviewed in a similar fashion. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesize the main points of the texts, and show support for how the reading across texts of a historical event can better inform a reader as to how the stories a person tells are developed through various forms of rhetoric. Perspective Taking (Noticing: Learning to Observe) The movie Casualties of War does not overly provide an abundance of detail about the Vietnam War of 1962-1972. Overall, it is a movie that “tells” rather than “shows” the reader (i.e., person accessing the text) about what was experienced, as evident in the high use of evaluative adjectives and adverbs in the script (i.e., text). The movie seeks to share with the audience the ambiguous nature of war, and to highlight that those who may be portrayed by media and governments as the “heroes” or “saviors,” could in fact be guilty of unethical and undemocratic behaviors that they accuse others of practicing. As such, the movie was more about war itself, and the realities that often go unreported, than about the Vietnam War itself. From this viewpoint, the movie casts the Vietnam War as a dangerous place for marines, as well as a dangerous situation for the Vietnamese for who the marines are supposedly fighting for. It was a time where North American men could consider themselves truly free as they exist together in the field of war, at least if they lived. Casualties of War portrays the event as a ‘war of consciousness,’ thorough the eyes of one marine who bucks the chain of command. That the film is based on the true story of Private Daniel Lang aids in it achieving a high degree of realism and validity. Further, the film presents the war as dehumanizing to both victims and the perpetrators, and as being comprised of “sub-wars,” within squads, and within the individual marines themselves. Ultimately the movie delivers a version of Vietnam not often tackled by Hollywood studios, that being sexual savagery of USA marines and the ignoring of moral values and democratic responses to crisis situations. Patterns of repetition and contrast (Method) throughout the film were “individual responsibility” and “respecting the chain of command”, two binary oppositions with regards to the military and war in general. For example, when Leguizamo at first refuses, and then takes part in the abduction and rape of a Vietnamese woman. These re-occurring themes served to emphasize the key points of the story-teller, and provide the meaning or backbone of the story (Rosenwasser & Stephen, 2005). However, as a story which is more focused on telling than showing, Casualties talks about issues than actually discussing and dealing with them directly. Although, the film lacks concrete details, its purpose to promote anti-war sentiments succeeds. The implicit Interpretation of this movie may be that atrocities such as this occur in all wars, regardless of the social values of the host nations involved, and that such incidents need to be acknowledged so that social discourse and pressure can begin to counteract such acts of terror. Unfortunately, the ending to the film was trite, and does not encourage the reader to believe that righteousness/morality will see justice served. Vietnam Voices: Perspectives on the War Years, 1941-1982 An alternative viewpoint of the Vietnam War is presented in the cross-section of texts of John Clark Pratt’s 1984 book, Vietnam Voices: Perspectives on the War Years, 1941-1982. The selection of texts included in this document includes literature, music, poetry and graffiti, to present a multi-dimensional perspective of the Vietnam War across the cultural backgrounds of those involved (e.g., the Vietnamese of North and South, the French and the North Americans). The wide time frame allows the Pratt’s document to develop a background of Vietnam before, during and after the war. The texts within provide an abundance of concrete details that actively engage the reader in visualization and rich imagination of the experiences of the writers (Rosenwasser & Stephen, 2005). Overall, the texts clever use of detailing shows the story, rather than just tells it. The Vietnamese War is presented not as an absolute phenomenon, but as an event whose meaning is constructed through the perspectives and cultural filters of those who either directly or indirectly experienced it. It also shows the war as a time when humor and beauty could be experienced. There is also the feeling of “you had to be there” to truly appreciate the viewpoints of some. For example, some of the marine graffiti photos come across as being harsh or blunt, whilst the disturbing jokes reflects the realities of the war, they also provide an insight as to how the North American GIs coped with the stressors of the situation. Importantly, Pratt’s book highlights the cultural impact of the involvement of the USA in the Vietnam War. Pratt’s counterpoint of texts (Method) collates a visual and written melody that juxtaposes opposite viewpoints and experiences. His counterpoint is reinforced by the time scale and by the inclusion of a myriad of cultures, social roles and the text mediums (e.g. use of photos, poetry, official documents, diaries). This Method serves to provide the reader with a multitude of perspectives through which to filter each writer’s interpretation (Rosenwasser & Stephen, 2005). As such, the book is an opportunity for the reader to actively think about contrasting experiences and interpretations of a single event. In regards to Interpretation of Pratt’s book, the reader is encouraged to accept alternate viewpoints of the war, and to develop an understanding of the diverse and complex circumstances involved. Further, the book fosters a move away from prejudice for any of the cultural groups involved, and acts to spur the reader to be aware that no event in history is absolute, rather that the meaning of events are actively constructed through the filter of culture and personal experiences. The Fog of War: 11 Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara The life of the United States Secretary of Defense, Robert Strange McNamara (1961-1968) is presented in this film using archival footage and an interview with the man during his mid-80s. The film provides a rich and concrete text of details that draws the reader into active imagination of the experiences and motivations of McNamara. However, the film does not focus solely on the Vietnam War, and the “11 lessons” that are detailed throughout the documentary are generalizations of his lessons developed in his book In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam (1996). As such, it is difficult to Notice the exact meaning of the war to McNamara when using only this film as a reference. With regards to the lack of specifics of the Vietnam War, the documentary provides McNamaras insights into what wars teach us from a moral and ethical stance, and the inherent ambiguities of all wars. Overall, the Method of the film presented a pattern of disturbing events and responses that take place during war that were contrasted with valuable lessons for future conflict engagements. For example, Lesson One is to empathize with the enemy, Lesson Five is to maximize efficiency, and Lesson eleven is that one cannot change human nature. In this respect, the documentary portrays the war in Vietnam as analogous to other wars in terms of being able to teach those involved how to act more honorably, and to accept human beings lack of omniscience. The purpose of the story-telling of this documentary serves to engage the reader in actively questioning the actions of those who participate in wars at a national level. One Interpretation is that as a species, human beings fail to understand that international relations reflect other aspects of life in that such a problem will exist to which there is no immediate solution. As such, people must learn to accept that some things in life will remain imperfect, or untidy, such as war. Further, that the judgments and conclusions made about who is a friend and who is a foe indicate the lack of knowledge most people have of the history, culture, political backgrounds and individual personalities of those to who they refer these terms to. It is a film that is a wake-up call to critically analyze outcomes of decisions and actions in a reflective way, to inform future actions. Conclusion In summary, the Vietnam War is a historical event that can be told and interpreted in a variety of ways due to the differences in perspectives of those involved both directly and indirectly. The process of analyzing different historical texts related to the same event exposes the reader to different viewpoint, and can foster critical thought about the material being presented, by virtue of the contrasts that exist across and within the texts. Noticing details, such as the use of evaluative adjectives and adverbs, can inform the reader as to weather the information they are reading is a subjective or objective view. A text which shows the story, rather then tells the story provides a less subjective viewpoint of events and experiences. However, the choices of materials to include and exclude are a subjective practice in themselves, and this must be kept in mind regardless of the level of concrete detail. Across the texts presented in this paper it is evident that a variety of viewpoints exist as to the Interpretation of the Vietnam War. Further, that for a reader to accurately draw conclusions about a historical event a range of materials should be consulted to prompt critical thought, and to expose the reader to different perspectives. References De Palma (2002). Casualties of War. [Film]. Dolby Films. Morris, E. (2003). The Fog of War: 11 Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. [Documentary] Sony Pictures. Pratt, J. C. (1984). Vietnam Voices: Perspectives on the War Years, 1941-1982. New York: Viking. Rosenwasser, D., & Stephen, J. (2005). Writing Analytically, 3rd edition. New York: Thompson Wadsworth. Read More