Film Bites

Senator Irving(Cruise) has a bold new plan for the War on Terror. His plan will turn the tides of war and bring the United States a win against the axis of evil. Now all he needs is the public’s support. Building on reporter Janine Roth’s(Streep) previous endorsement of him and his policies, Senator Irving calls her in for an exclusive. He hopes that with her story, he will be viewed as the savior of the war on terror and the executor who started the end of the war.

At the same time, three time-zones over, Political Science Professor Malley(Redford) holds another meeting with one of his most promising students, Todd Hayes(Garfield). Todd is a typical college student; sliding through college getting decent grades, chasing girls and trying not to get in too much trouble. But Professor Malley sees much more in Todd. He tries to reason with Todd, make him realize his potential and the intellectual gifts he stands to toss away.

Twelve and a half hours around the world, Marines Finch(Luke) and Rodriguez(Peña) are embattled against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Former prodigal students of Professor Malley, Finch and Rodriguez enlisted in the Marines as a way to serve their country and further their futures. Little did they know, they unwittingly became the pawns in Senator Irving’s bid for publicity.

Lions for Lambs is an important commentary on the current political, military and diplomatic situation in the United States and the world. The film was fairly balanced in it’s presentation of both sides of the debate in the War on Terror. The right, with the hard-line of win at all costs. And the left with a feeling of helplessness and hindsight.

It also addresses the role of the media in shaping the consciousness of the public. The idea that the public believes what they see on TV and read in newspapers, and if that news is biased or manipulated, public perception is skewed. The transformation of news outlets from journalistic, integrity-bound centers for public awareness, to ad revenue and ratings bound rumor-mills is striking and clear.

Also touched on is the apathy of current youth and their inclination towards irresponsibility. A perfect example occurred at the end of the film, where one of Todd’s frat brothers was watching the news, where major coverage was devoted to the recent divorce proceedings of two media starlets. All the while, news of Senator Irving’s Afghan policy scrolled in the ticker-tape at the bottom of the screen.

As a left-leaning politically conscious citizen, while watching the movie, I believed it didn’t address the issues with an ‘in-your-face’ attitude. But looking back, I can understand why these sensitive issues were presented with a silver-lining. Leave the hard-hitting political criticism for Michael Moore, and let Redford direct a social commentary that touches all bases equally.