I cannot believe how many movies-based-on-real-life I've been to of late.
The first of them was "Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero". I had expected something light, as it was animated and the 'star' was a dog with a goofy smile.
I was incorrect about it being lightweight fare.
Rin Tin Tin got nothing on this dog.
Although both dogs were popular in the World War I era, they led very different lives.
Rin Tin Tin had been found as a recently-born pup in a war-torn kennel in France. Rescued by an aviator, he was eventually used in war-era movies out in California. Thanks to his acting and brave image, German Shepherds became popular as pets in the USA.
Sergeant Stubby, on the other hand, was a stray "Heinz 57" mutt in Connecticut. Taking a liking to a young recruit, the "Yankee" Division accepted the dog's presence and he followed them onto a ship and over to France. There, he served on the battlefields until the war's end, 18 months later on November 11, 1918. Notable for finding wounded soldiers, chasing and biting Germans, and warning of gas attacks, Stubby truly was a war hero... not just a star of war movies.
My next history lesson was last Friday. Again, the movie proved to not be the lightweight fluff I had expected. "The Death of Stalin" was actually a fairly accurate account of Khrushchev's rise to power, made more palatable as a political satire based on a French graphic novel.
Interesting, but I had not expected the hard Russian truths of the 1950's on my Friday night out with my g'friends. It could have been subtitled "Jeffrey Tambor plays himself, again" - although he was supposed to be representing Georgy Malenkov.
That would have added a bit more levity!
My most recent foray into history was tonight, courtesy of PFS at the 'Bean.
Well, I say 'most recent' with regard to viewing order, of course. 1971's "How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman" took place more than four hundred years ago!
If it had an appendage to its title, I would recommend "A lesson on why the French should leave fighting on foreign soil to folks who know how to do it".
(See "Go Tell The Spartans" for an excellent such lesson.)
Set in 1594 in Brazil, there are two warring tribes and two countries trying to parlay that to their advantage. The Tupinambás Indians are friends of the French and their enemies are the Tupiniquins, friends of the Portuguese. A Frenchman - who had been captured by the Portuguese and forced to fight on their behalf - is then captured by the Tupinambas, whose chief (Cunhambebe) believes him to be Portuguese (since the French were their allies). They intend to keep him as a slave (i.e., captive) for "8 moons" until they eat him (as revenge against the Portuguese for killing the Chief's brother) and proceed to make him comfortable, even giving him a wife (Seboipepe).
The film went out of its way to make the native South American lifestyles as authentic as possible. Of course, that means everyone was naked - oops, I mean, 'nude' - the entire film. No sexual scenes ever were shown and none of the guys ever had hard-ons, so it was almost like hanging out (pun intended!) at a nudist camp - as I have done in the past.
Quite refreshing, really, to have such innocent showings of bare flesh.
Then again, was not the early 1970's the time of naturism?
(smile)
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