Golden Compass

Please be aware that this movie is not what it seems. Golden Compass is not a Narnia type movie. Fundi and I both watched the previews and thought that we would like to see this movie. We added it to our NetFlix list. Then, as I have been reading more and more with Usborne, and at church on Sunday, I realized that this is for real. This is a movie about kids who are trying to kill God. Now, I am not going to make up your mind for you, but anyone who plans to watch this movie should be aware of the strong atheist tones and the fact that the author who wrote the books this movie is based on was upset about how "watered-down" the film is compared to the books. I find this all so highly disturbing for any number of reasons. This is the time of year when Christianity is celebrated highly. This is also the time of year when (more than usual) parents drop their kids off at movies and do the Christmas shopping while the kids catch a show. Also, the advertising for this film is terribly misleading. We watched a polar bear running around with a woman who looked like a queen riding it. I feel that the advertising is misleading because a person sees one thing and gets another. They see a sci-fi, kid-friendly, animated movie that is set in a snowy climate (not unlike our own at this time of year) and think that it will me something like Narnia--only to get to the show and find that the movie is not anything of the sort. (Disclaimer: I will not be seeing this movie, so these are all observations based on advertising and here-say.) Now, there is something to be said about controversy and movies. People like to hear about controversy and the publicity that comes out of it is really just free advertising for the movie. I am hoping that we can send these people a message. It is not acceptable, this time of year or any other, for our children to be mislead into thinking that a movie is about one thing and it turns out to be about something entirely different. It is also not popular to go to movies such as this. More disturbing than any of this is the lack of knowledge by parents of what their kids are actually watching and reading. Let's stick it to them and let them know that we DO care about what our kids watch and read and that this particular material is NOT acceptable. Thank you.

Letters from Iwo Jima

Last night Fundi and I watched Letters from Iwo Jima. Actually, we watched it one hour at a time for two nights in a row, but that is only because we needed to get to bed so that we could tend to the kids thru the night and in the morning without being too tired. Letters is a sad movie and a happy movie. It actually is quite upsetting seeing all of those people lose their lives and take their lives. This movie is shot from the Japanese perspective (Flags of Our Fathers is the corresponding movie shot from the American perspective). Focusing on a young man who is married to a beautiful woman and they are expecting their first child. As the story goes on, you become attached to this young man and hope for his sake that he makes it thru the battle alive. I will not tell you the ending, but I do feel the need to discuss war and the loss of life in general.
I have always disagreed with war in general. I feel that in today's society we should be able to discuss what we need to sort out in a civilized manner. Obviously not all of the people we have conflicts with are as civilized as us and therefore, we must stoop to their level in order to get the job done... or something like that. Life to me is so precious and to see so many lives taken in such a short time really is disturbing. Every one of those people is connected to another human being who will end up having to stay here on this earth after that person is gone. Every one of those men and women is someones mother, father, son, daughter, cousin, niece, nephew, grandson, granddaughter, etc. and seeing such bravery in those people who are fighting in a war is so amazing. I know that I could never have that bravery. I was wanting to surrender for the guy through the whole movie. I also think about this now as a mother. Any mother (or father) who can allow her son or daughter to go to war is an amazing and brave woman. I couldn't imagine... and I hope that I never have to.
Furthermore, in Japanese culture, it is more honorable to commit suicide than to surrender. You watch these men pull the pins on grenades and hold it to their chest as it explodes and kills them. How could anyone believe that it is better to end one's life than to admit that you are wrong and surrender? Are people that afraid to admit that they are wrong?
All in all, I guess I am just a big coward and as much as I love the country that I live in, I don't think that I would ever be able to die for it or let my children die for it voluntarily.
On that note I would like to thank all of those people who are willing to do just that. You are a stronger person than I.