Eternity

From here to Eternity was a nigh celluloid that reflected umpteen aspects of the cultural milieu of the 1940s. Although the moving picture was viewed by many as single giant soap opera, in relation to the respect affairs of sergeant-at-law Warden and clubby Prewitt, the love affairs, besides providing romanticist cliches, illustrated disillusionment of the 1940s American ideals. The film itself was ground breaking, dealing with subjects neer before touched by Hollywood. The 800 page book was extensively toned run through by screenwriter Daniel Taradash later awarded with Oscar for his effort, more everywhere the picture of the phalanx was so negative that the ground forces refused to co-operate in making the film, the introductory such incident. The fire of the Japan at the end of the word-painting also illustrated the true shock of the rural area; ill prepared to fight a war.

        One of the principal(prenominal) themes from the movie From Here to Eternity was the disillusionment with the 1940s version of the American dream, especially for women. Women ideally were still suppose to be mothers first gear and foremost. The idea of working women was absurd, especially in light of the incident that it was with child(p) enough for men to hold steady jobs. In 1939, 67% of women approved a bill that would prohibit a woman from working in a business if her maintain made more that $1,600 a year. (Gregory, 190) For the wife of an army officer, one of the higher echelons of society, feel- while should stomach lived up to the highest standards. unless this is non so, we find step to the fore that the Captain himself, is responsible for the death of their tiddler and her sterility when he came home inebriate the night Karen Holmes went into labor. The movie has dealt with a very taboo issue and indeed highlighted a shift in mixer values. In contrast to Karen Holmes, Alma a.k.a. Lorene, flora in a club for the gentlemen of the island. When Prewitt proposes to her she claims at first that she work a in a club and is a mere(prenominal) step up from the alley and would not correct a decent wife. Prewitt then pushes arguing that he himself is dependable a private and even worse social position. At this layer Almas true feelings come out, she wants to make a lot of money then move back to Seattle and build a provide for her and her mother. Then she claims that she will live a proper life with a proper husband etc., most importantly she describes her life as safe. Alma represents the insecurities of the times the dog eat dog humour of a lingering depression. A society that still went though a terrifying decade of depression would understandably move into the next with lingering fears. Especially for single women of low social ordinate and income (i.e. she wants to build a home for her mother) who are urgently trying to live a safe life, even if that capacity entail giving up true love. Alma, however, does not carry a safe life over Prewitt, instead she begs him to bide and be with her, and it is he who abandons her. He however shows unflinching subjection to the army, which Alma claims, simply killed your best friend and buried your display case in the mud. This turn of events is reflective of army culture, the unconditional, unflinching, unrewarding loyalty of the commons pass.

        Another theme in, From Here to Eternity, is the highlighted incompetency of the army. Army depravity is rampant, from constant drunkenness, unskilled officers, serial adultery, justice systems etc. The portrayal of US Army in this film is tight-fittingly anti- army yet historically accurate. Because of the widespread isolationist sentiments and notion of estate being safe from invasion, US Army in the first years of WW2, unlike the Navy and Marines, was neglected and small. Made predominantly out of soldiers who had enlisted barely to escape poverty and never judge to earn their living in actual fighting, and were inexperienced and under-equipped in comparison with other great military powers of the time. When stationed in equatorial tourist paradise the US military succumbed to hedonism from the lack of hook and purpose. A reporter in the Post reported that near 50 percent of the men he interviewed had threatened to discontinue if not released at the end o their years obligation. (Gregory, 39) Much of the dissatisfaction came from the incompetence of poor officers. In Captain Dana Holmes, is the perfect stereotype of the incompetent officer. Not only is he responsible for the death of his only child but also is adulterous and neglectful of his wife. He even neglects his soldiers (his eventual downfall), caring and unfairly favoring only those on his prized boxing team, which he views as his ticket to promotion. Sergeant Milton Warden, the man who basically runs the company says, That man would drown in his own spit if I didnt swab out his throat. In the real army of pre war 1940s, many officers from the National support and the Reserve Officers Corps had scarcely any more pedagogy than the troops they were supposed to command. Moreover, they abused the tradition and honor of their rank to the fullest; there are hundreds of accounts of officers lounging around all day in officer clubs while they have aides serving as butlers, maids, chauffeurs, and even baby-sitters. The non-comms, which Sergeant Warden represented, indeed had a right to be fed up. Though Warden never says it outright, there is a taking into custody that he is cracking under the weight of the corruption. Therefore, he turns to the outside, particularly the Captains wife for release and excitement. He is risking 20 years of prison house for the crime of adultery yet he is supposedly in love with her. Perhaps Wardens discontent was not only perpetuated by corruption of Captain Holmes but also by the inflow of the bran-new civilian soldier. In the 1940s, the army draft was re-instated. go soldiers, barely 10% of them with a high school degree, formerly ran the army. Then with the influx of the educated civilians, came rampant disrespect of the loggerheaded and ignorant non-comms. The division between career soldiers and civilian soldiers was very real and often destructive. In, From Here to Eternity, the soldier was shown as a hard drinking and womanizing simpleton. Many of the soldiers in the movie seemed to have a hard time having a good time even if they were on an island paradise. Boredom and depression can be anywhere and no character better captured this better than Private Angelo Maggio when he wailed, Whats the matter with you? Cant a man get drunk? Cant a man do nothin? Cant he put his contaminating hands in his lousy pockets on the lousy street? A man has to be hounded all his life. Well, Im tired. I aint no criminal. I aint no coward. Boredom in fact was in all probability the chief problem of the army.



Not only did the soldier face the tedious day-to-day drilling, he also had a famine of off duty time and satisfying activities when he was free. The devil things that kept the $30 dollars a month soldier laughing(prenominal) were beer and girls. Many communities esp. Hawaii had regulated and well managed brothels and whorehouses. In the original book from which the movie was based on, the character Lorene was a rail at working in a whorehouse. (Antulov, 3) The rampant corruption and the general lack of happiness were true reflections of the armys condition.

        Even though the movie had an undertone of sadness through out it, there where part and segments, which inspired patriotism. Sergeant Warden was the ideal NCO of the movie. The only man in the company who had any combat experience. We got the impression throughout the movie that he was dissatisfied. In fact, his hounding later the Captains wife showed that perhaps he had given up on the army as well. Yet when it comes down to the choice of Karen or the army he chooses the army. When explaining to her his reason his wording is awkward, I didnt put it in. I filled it out but I didnt sign it. I took it out of my desk a dozen times but couldnt sign it. Karen however understands what he is really implying. The Sergeant has just chosen the army over her because he is already married, married to the army. The Sergeant has just made himself a hero symbolic of the self-sacrifice and laurels of serving the country as a soldier. He also lifts up the millions of men who will soon have to make the same choice he did. To reject all things and execute apart of a surrogate family, the army, for a new horrific and grueling war. For Prewitt, the decision is easy, when he hears of the attack there is no hesitation not even after his love Alma promises to splice him. When she ask why he would be so barbaric as to risk imprisonment and even death for an entry that treated him so cruelly. His answer is simply, hes a soldier. Not just physically but mentally, to the core. When he is killed, Warden comments on Prewitt to and officer on the scene, He loved the army more than any soldier I ever knew. Prewitt also reflects the ideal soldier, a hard head, a man who will never give up. separate moments in the movie that sparked patriotism was the shot of Warden shooting down a Japanese plane from the roof. Such a incident in real life was probably next to nothing. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a wake up call and a shock, not only literally to the troops but also to the nation who never expected nor wanted war. The isolationist sentiment always was that if war wasnt sought after then war would come.

        All in all From Here to Eternity was a good movie that captured many important themes such as army corruption, social status of women, army ideals, and patriotism in honor of those who served. It was also a good movie in that while incorporating these themes in broke new ground and went against the idea that the 1940s were perfect, a united front against the enemy. The 40s in America had her fair share of problems yet it was these problems that made the mastery all that much more significant.

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