A Cliche By Any Other Name

After a long while, my dad and I went out to the movies together. We had a couple of choices out there but he pushed for the movie "Flyboys" since it is a subject that I am fascinated with and the fact that it is an adventure movie enticed me even more. The movie is a loose adaptation of the story of the American Volunteer Squadron of the first World War, the Lafayette Escadrille. These boys joined up with France since they wanted to do something to aid in the war effort. And though it may seem incredulous, a lot of what is depicted in the movie is true. Granted a lot of the characters in the movie are amalgamations of numerous people, but in our ADD society, you have to keep the number of characters to a minimum. But while walking out of the movie, I was struck by the thought about some of the cliches that were in this as well as many other war movies that have come out, and that will come out in the years to come. Here are some of them in no particular order:

The Big Brawl: This is the one fight in which the ragtag group of hellions finally realizes that they are all on the same side and that they are fighting for the same cause. Call it a strange form of male bonding but nothing seems to form comradeship like a good round of fisticuffs.

Letters: Soldiers or people in war movies who write letters are usually the ones who are either seriously wounded or killed. It's a good thing to keep in touch with the family but when acting in a war movie and you see that your character is very much of a writer, you'd better start keeping one eye on your back at all times.

The Religious One: There's always that one member of any squadron, squad, or unit that is deeply religious. They will typically quote passages from the Bible or any other religious text and will generally be seen as the most mature of the bunch. Even in the thick of battle, the Religious One will go with the knowledge that the Lord is on his side.

The Rebel: The rebel is usually the one that the audience is meant to like or side with. The rebel is typically the one who has either been forced into the situation of fighting or is so good at what he or she does that they don't need to stand on authority. Sometimes entire units within the system fall into this category and they are the ones who either are teamed with straight-laced units who enjoy discipline. Mayhem invariably ensues.

The DI: The dreaded DI or drill instructor is the one who always gets stuck with the most pathetic of trainees to ever stand before him. He will constantly encourage them to go back home to their mamas and to stop wasting time. He will push his trainees to the very brink and then they will come to understand just why he does it. While the DI is usually found in training, their personality types often continue beyond these times into the field with commanding officers or sergeants.

The Big Talker: The big talker is the one who is always shown to be the best in training; the first one to be picked as a leader and overall assumed to be the best of the trainees. And the big talker is almost always the one who freezes up in combat or in the face of the enemy. It usually leads to the small scrawny nerd to come up with the plan and lead his squadmates to victory.

The Gentle Giant: The gentle giant is the largest guy in the group who is actually very compassionate. The giant will leap into any fight to save his friends but speaks with a gentle tone that belies his enormous strength. These guys are the backbone of any unit and at the onset of the big brawl, the giant is the first one to step in to aid his friends.

The Grizzled Veteran: The grizzled veteran is the one who has seen it all and done it all and has seen too many of his friends die. He distances himself from the others and remains a loner. He will typically end up befriending one person in the new group who will then get him to open up and become human again just before he loses his life in combat.

These are just some of the many cliches in war movies. But in spite of it all, it just wouldn't be a war movie without it. And in the end, the importance of these movies is to honor the men and women who wear the uniforms of their country and choose to defend their homes and their loved ones by putting their lives on the line. That too may be a cliched statement, but the courage and dedication they show in the face of danger and adversity is one we could stand to see more of.