Right Words

Some more good films I’ve been able to fit in lately:

Legionnaire (1998). The plot of this film is quite similar to that of March or Die (1977), but I enjoyed the pair. Both films capture the dubious backgrounds of the legionnaires, the rigor of their training, and the perils of their campaigns against the north Africans. And the film endings are quite similar, though I won’t divulge the particulars in case you’ve seen one or the other. If that is the case, you’ll likely find the other film complementary.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Chinese film that combines martial arts with two love stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it except for the fantastical jumping abilities of the three main characters, though I believe that this this genre of Chinese fiction (“Wuxia”) includes elements of fantasy. Not as violent as some other martial arts films, so it received a PG-13 rating.

Living (2022). Touching British film about a terminally ill clerk and how he spends his last days. Quite moving, in my opinion, with superb acting by Bill Nighy and the supporting cast. It’s based on an older Japanese film by acclaimed film maker Akira Kurosawa.

Number 24 (2024). One of the most riveting WWII films I’ve ever seen, and it’s based on a true story. I had no idea that there was a Norwegian Resistance as well as a French one, and probably others in the countries overrun by the Nazis (the Warsaw Ghetto uprising just came to mind). The story is told by a member of the Norwegian Resistance later in life to a group of students who ask him some penetrating and uncomfortable questions about the ethics of war. If you like World War II films or war films in general, don’t miss this one, though it’s only available on Netflix to my knowledge.