Lauren Kolsum, week 2
The overall patriotic theme of Sahara is so strong, it's often humorous at times. Although it quite obviously shouts "Rah-rah USA" every chance it could get, there is a lot more to the film then just that. The nature of the enemy and the United Nations: our allies in arms were the most touched upon categories out of the six. Our rugged American crew runs into a group of British allies right off the bat and with the Americans being their best shot at survival, they decide to join them. Power is given to the Americans when the British sergent gives his leadership up to Joe Gunn, rah-rah USA. The British allies are protrayed as humorous and light hearted, they make the audience fall in love with them. America's allies should very well be liked as they help us win in battle.
The enemy is bashed in every possible way to protray them as evil and inhumane. The only individual separated from the Nazi group is the racist parachuter and he does not win the German side any points of dignity, especially when he attepts to run away and squeal to the Germans. While our side is heroic, tactful, and honest The Nazi's are seen as angry, backstabbing fools. Joe Gunn and Frenchie attempt to reason with the other side with no luck and Frenchie gets shot in the back. A cheap shot by the German side. The Nazis in the film show how democracy wins over their ways of dictatorship when Osmond and Gunn are the last standing on the American side and they win. However they managed to unarm seemingly hundreds of German soldiers and take all of them hostage is beyond me but they won. They won the American way of life, the democracy, the freedom, the liberty all of that from two men. God bless America indeed.
The black man in Sahara was protrayed as an honest hardworking soldier just as the others but there were a few differences. His beginning line was " I thought I captured me a tank," not very intelligent words, his english is also slightly broken. He is given a few more orders then the others but he is treated no less then a reliable friend and becomes an asset to the groups defenses. He is seen as a true hero when he brings down the runaway Nazi bringing himself down in the process. Women have no presence in the film because at the time women stayed home and helped out in every way they could there. They had no place on the battle ground, it was a man's job to fight.
There were some human obsessions as well as depravities evoked by the war seen in the film. One very obvious and continuous obsession/depravity was water, it's what made the Americans win in the end. All the soldiers, it didn't matter which side, were slowly dying without it. Some were even whispering it in their sleep. Family and women were another obsession evoked by the war. Our soldiers would frequently whip out photos of girlfriends, wives, and precious families they had to get back to. I think I recall one of the men's last word was that of his loved one right before he died. It is truly a heartfelt and deeply dramatic American war film.