Reviews

Many people hated this film, they didn't see a point in it, they didn't understand why it ends the way it does. They got frustrated, gave it bad reviews, wrote it off. When I don't understand something, I generally watch it again... and again until I do understand it.

This is a fantastic film, let me explain why.

The music is great. Perfectly fits the time period and setting, I dunno how much they had to pay in royalties for the songs in this film, but I love em'.

The camera work is fantastic. There's a scene where the camera gives you charlie's viewpoint, stumbling, wobbling across the bar, lights flashing, people dancing, music blaring, then zooms out to his smiling happy face. Yeah, I know, its not the beginning to Citizen Kane, but its a great scene none-the-less, my favorite in the film. Then there's the filming of the street festival and the overall way which New York is captured so perfectly. It feels like you are really in the city, the movie has that gritty feeling to it.

The dialogue is perfect, many of it is ad libbed by Deniro and Keitel. This is the beginning of ad libbed dialogue for deniro, "You talking' to me"? There's a scene where Keitel confronts Deniro outside the bar to ask him about his debt, the exchange is perfect, it could never have been written and its executed beautifully.

The acting is also fantastic throughout.

So, great acting, great filmwork and great dialogue all come together to create a wonderfully realistic film.

Now, the end of the movie, maybe you didn't understand it, so I'll explain the film. I'll try not to spoil the ending.

OK, so Charlie does some bad things, he works for the mob after all, and he wants to repent for his sins, so, after going to church and then later seeing jonny boy in a bar he thinks that God has asked him to repent for his sins on the streets, by helping out Jonny Boy. He doesn't believe that saying a few hail mary's or confessing washes away one's sins. So enter the walking train wreck that is Jonny Boy.

Now, what type of person is Jonny Boy? He has no sense of responsibility, he does not answer to anyone, he does not obey any rules, he never does what is expected of him.

Hmm, so what type of person is Charlie? There are several scenes in the film that let you know what type of person charlie is. The statement Charlie loves everybody and everybody loves Charlie almost sums it up. Charlie wants to please everyone. But his life is full of conflict. You can't be in the mob and be religious, it just doesn't work that way. You can't hang out with guys who are racist and date an African American. These are just a few examples, but suffice to stay that Charlie wants everyone to like him, the local mob boss, his friends, his God, but he also wants to be happy and do the things he wants to do. There is conflict in all of this. Some of the other people that charlie wants to please, eg., God and the mob boss, have conflicting agendas. Some of the people that charlie wants to please conflict with what he personally wants to do with his life, eg. he is embarrassed to be dating the epileptic because he thinks it shows weakness to his friends, but he loves her and she makes him happy.

You cannot please everyone. The irony of this film, and this is a little spoiler, is that while charlie is trying to save jonny boy, he should take a few lessons from him. Jonny Boy does whatever he wants without thinking about who he might upset, or disappoint. Charlie is the complete opposite. Yeah, Jonny Boy is destructive and his life is falling apart, but the point is that the two of them represent two opposite extremes. This is why the end of the film is tragic, its the lesson that you can't make everyone happy, that life is full of conflict. How we deal with conflicts in our lives, the decisions we make, they sum up who we are as human beings, they shape our lives.

So there are many reasons why this film is great. I watch it every once in awhile and it really is one of my favorite films.

I loved this movie. Its compared to black hawk down a lot due to the geographic similarities, but blackhawk down is a true story and this is not. Could it be a true story? Highly unlikely. I doubt the military would send navy seals to rescue one american doctor. Maybe if they made the doctor the daughter of a high official, but she seems like an ordinary woman who wouldn't attract the attention of the governements most elite special forces unit. That said, I think the actions of Willis' character are believable. He's never failed a mission and always does them without feeling. He lets himself care one time, because of the atrocities he sees, and of course because you can't have a 30 minute movie, and decides to go back and save more of the refugees. I'm sure he loses his position as a result of it and he's probably given some desk duty, but we don't see that part. So once the plot gets going I think its very believable. The firefights seem very realistic, with the exception of the "move forward predictably in a straight line and shoot straight ahead" actions of the soldiers. Look at heat for example, the big scene in the end is so well done because the robbers are skilled, they fire random burst in all directions to keep everyone pinned down. These are known engagements tactics not employed in the movie that I'm sure special forces are trained to use.

The acting is VERY good. There are many no name african american actors in this movie who are quite simply amazing and the director is smart enough to let them take center stage at the right moments. They do overdue the america cares propaganda message a little too much, but I think its more about Willis' character caring than anything else, since his commander could care less about the refugees. You have to show the refugees and atrocities to show what willis is seeing and to support his decision to go back and save them. I also like the realism of the command structure. Whether or not the team agrees with Willis they go along without a word unless he requests their advice. Any other movie would have some stereotypical soldier who disagrees with everything willis does. I also like the fact that the typical love story I was expecting is avoided.

There are some great action scenes throughout this movie, the sound is phenomenal and a good dolby digital setup will really shine with this movie. Bullets wizz all around you, explosions shake the room, birds chirp behind you, etc. Its a very exciting movie, and emotinally draining. Its everything an action movie should be.

Blackhawk down is more realistic because its true and because it does not overdue the progranda. Its a movie about soldiers. I think Tears of the sun is a movie made to show the atrocities that occurred in african and the difference the U.S. could make if they would intervene more. It has the same message found in No Man's Land. By choosing neutrality and inaction you are in fact choosing to help the side of the aggressor. You cannot remain neutral, this is what willis' character realizes and why he acts the way he does. The actions of the spy in the middle of the movie hint to this, when he says "I didn't kill anyone", the LT says "yes you did".