The sheer drama of this film has a powerful effect on the senses. In such a setting, it seems only normal to cry out against the horrors of war, to shed tears and to feel the deep sorrow and tragedy of lives lost or maimed. But to label this just as a great anti-war film and let it go at that seems too simplistic. To see it merely for its cry for pacifism de facto seems to dismiss a need for social consciousness and responsibility in a world that includes violent aggression, oppression and persecution. And to view it as a depiction of the horrors of war only, seems to ignore an overarching message.
Isn't that message that this one human life was and is so valuable? Isn't it that every single person is of such huge and tremendous worth? From the scenes of the mere trunk of a human being covered by sheets on the bed, to the flashbacks of his memories, to his thoughts and mental pleas in the present, the film cries out to one's heart of the humanness of Joey Bonham. And of the value and importance of his life. Not only to himself, but also to all others he touched in his life. Even to us viewers of the film. In our own humanity, we can't simply discard him.
Doesn't this realization of the value of a person and real worth of every single being – no matter his size, capabilities, development, or other physical or mental characteristics – doesn't this recognition call out for our human response? But as the film showed, the apparent decent and human care and treatment given Joey on the surface, was devoid of the real human commitment to caring love. Only in one person did we see a truly selfless care and love -- in, the nurse toward the end of the film. Only she did not dismiss Joey as useless, of no value, helpless and hopeless. Or as a vegetable to be cared for until he died. In her first tears, she realized the tremendous devaluation of this one person. She let herself feel the deep agony of the patient. She dared to reach out to him and responded to his head movements.
And, just look at Joey's response! Sheer joy in just being recognized. Tremendous happiness at being able to communicate with the "outside world." A spark of hope that all was not lost. It may seem macabre that Joey would want to be put in a circus display to be a living human freak that people could see and enjoy. Did that not spring from his joy at recognition and zeal for having meaning and worth yet in his life? Didn't it come from a rekindled sense of being of worth and value to others? Think of his joy at the thought of being outside, in the light – more "alive" in the world with some meaning and value to his life – rather than being holed up out of site and out of the minds of everyone. Lost and forgotten to the world.
While the film comes to a quick close after this, unresolved in the outcome and his fate, Joey's spark of hope cried out more to me of the tragedy of life in war and many socio-political facets of life today. That is that every life is of such great value, and no life is of no value. And when society realizes that and begins to live that way, we may indeed have an end to war once and for all. And to terrorism and the killing of innocent human beings in any and all means and places.
Isn't that message that this one human life was and is so valuable? Isn't it that every single person is of such huge and tremendous worth? From the scenes of the mere trunk of a human being covered by sheets on the bed, to the flashbacks of his memories, to his thoughts and mental pleas in the present, the film cries out to one's heart of the humanness of Joey Bonham. And of the value and importance of his life. Not only to himself, but also to all others he touched in his life. Even to us viewers of the film. In our own humanity, we can't simply discard him.
Doesn't this realization of the value of a person and real worth of every single being – no matter his size, capabilities, development, or other physical or mental characteristics – doesn't this recognition call out for our human response? But as the film showed, the apparent decent and human care and treatment given Joey on the surface, was devoid of the real human commitment to caring love. Only in one person did we see a truly selfless care and love -- in, the nurse toward the end of the film. Only she did not dismiss Joey as useless, of no value, helpless and hopeless. Or as a vegetable to be cared for until he died. In her first tears, she realized the tremendous devaluation of this one person. She let herself feel the deep agony of the patient. She dared to reach out to him and responded to his head movements.
And, just look at Joey's response! Sheer joy in just being recognized. Tremendous happiness at being able to communicate with the "outside world." A spark of hope that all was not lost. It may seem macabre that Joey would want to be put in a circus display to be a living human freak that people could see and enjoy. Did that not spring from his joy at recognition and zeal for having meaning and worth yet in his life? Didn't it come from a rekindled sense of being of worth and value to others? Think of his joy at the thought of being outside, in the light – more "alive" in the world with some meaning and value to his life – rather than being holed up out of site and out of the minds of everyone. Lost and forgotten to the world.
While the film comes to a quick close after this, unresolved in the outcome and his fate, Joey's spark of hope cried out more to me of the tragedy of life in war and many socio-political facets of life today. That is that every life is of such great value, and no life is of no value. And when society realizes that and begins to live that way, we may indeed have an end to war once and for all. And to terrorism and the killing of innocent human beings in any and all means and places.