Americanization Of Emily

Year: 1964

Grade: B-

Country: USA

Director: Hiller

Review

same writer as network and has some similarities, though it isn’t as good. the core of the film’s importance stems from the anti-war stance it takes. james garner’s character is a self-described coward who hates war and thinks that those who glorify it, or those who die in the the name of it, are the reason for it continuing. he has a point. if we didn’t glorify those who serve in the military or sacrifice themselves in times of war, perhaps we wouldn’t go to war so often. it’s a similar idea that is raised in all quiet on the western front or the poem “dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (it is sweet and becoming to die for one’s country. of course the flip side to that is that sometimes it really is a great sacrifice and we should laud those who are willing to fight the necessary fight.

overall a decent film, but the romance angle didn’t do much for me.