Disassembling the Bomber Crew

As it happens, two of the most interesting World War II films made recently take the opposite tack, highlighting the social divisions among US soldiers. The first, Saints and Soldiers (2004), is about a handful of GIs caught behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge. The second, Miracle at St. Anna (2008), follows a band of GIs in a similar fix, during the Allied invasion of Italy.
In the first film, the difference between the soldiers is religious: one who is very devout contends with and then befriends one who is not. In the second, the difference has to do with race: the soldiers are all African-American, and the story revolves around their very different ways of coping with the challenge of fighting a racist enemy while being commanded by a racist white officer.

November 22, 2009 4:16 PM
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