Hacksaw Ridge (PART 1)

 

Hacksaw Ridge (PART 1)

 


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Subject:

Wow! What a lovely summer day!

You must be sunbathing with joy!

Ha ha ha ha ha...


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From: barclay1720@aol.com
Date: Thur., July 27, 2017 12:04 PM
To: diane705@yahoo.ca

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Hello Diane,

Eventually, we've got gorgeous summer days.

Are you sunbathing?

Or jogging along the seawall?


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On Canada Day, I strolled along the seawall and read some books while sitting on one of the benches.

Guess what?

Without knowing it, I was sunburnt.

Fortunately, it wasn't so bad.
However, flakes of brownish skin are now falling from my arms and legs---just like dead cherry flowers.

Well,... no summer is perfect for everybody as nobody is perfect.

By the way, I read a newspaper article of METRO on July 24.


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■【Enlarge】

■【Actual Page】

 

The headline shouts: Former bishops guilty of polygamy.

Winston Blackmore was making no apologies Monday after he and another former bishop of an isolated religious community in BC were found guilty of practising polygamy.

Blackmore, 60, was married to Jane Blackmore and then married 24 additional womne as part of so-called "celestrial" marriages involving residents in the tiny community of Bountiful.

Amazing!
He was once married to 25 women!

Well, no bishop is perfect as nobody is perfect.

By the way, I've just written an article, which is somewhat related to the above incident.

Please read the folloing:


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■"Romance @ Madison"

 

I'm pretty sure that you watched a movie called "The Bridges Of Madison County."

This movie is a 1995 American romantic drama based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert James Waller.
The story in the diaries reveals the impact the affair had on the lives of a farm woman named Francesca and a National Geographic photographer---Robert played by Clint Eastwood.

The affair took place while her husband and children were at the state fair in Illinois.
She almost ran away with him to travel the world with him.

After a wrenching period of decision-making, however, she decided to stay at the last minute after considering the bigger picture that includes the consequences leaving would have on the lives of her teenage children and husband, who was a good, loving man.

After all the photographer finds meaning and his true calling as an artist.

It also has deep consequences on the lives of her son and daughter, who are both experiencing marital problems.
Their mother’s story helped them to find a sense of direction in their lives.

It is an old-fashioned love story with some meanings in terms of the present day context.
Superb are the performances of Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

Francesca had a dream, but she couldn't realize it while being busy with daily chores.
Then she met Robert and suddenly she felt like realizing her dream.

Well, those 25 women who married to Winston Blackmore might have thought the same way.
However, Francesca changed her mind at the last moment and didn't divorce her husband while those 25 women foolishly married the same bishop.

Times seem to have been changed.

In any case, I hope you enjoy this glorious summer day.
Have a great afternoon and a glorious evening!


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Your smiling Bohemian, Kato
with a lot of love as always

 

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Subject:

Sorry to hear you got sunburned.

From: diane705@yahoo.ca
Date: Thur., Jul 27, 2017 at 12:30 PM
To: barclay1720@aol.com

Hi Kato,

Sorry to hear you got sunburned but glad to hear you're enjoying this glorious weather.

We went up the Whistler on Tuesday to do some gentle hiking and do the Peak to Peak experience from Whistler to Blackcomb.


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It was awesome and I was afraid I'd end up quite burnt.
Fortunately not, so that's the good news.
Such a magnificent part of our Province; mind-blowing, really.

I did read a bit of the Winston Blackmore story.
Image the logistics of 25 wives.
Holy cow!
The man should get a medal ... maybe be named a saint. Just kidding!

But at least the wives seem to be well taken care of and the children seem to be as well.

When you look at all the single mothers we have and the experiences their children have to endure, there may be something to be said for an extended, fairly functional family.

Of course, there are many angles here, but personally I'm adopting a live-and-let-live-attitude.
It will be interesting to see how long this man will serve in jail.


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Off this afternoon to see Dunkirk at the Ridge.
Thanks for your notes as usual, kiddo.

See you soon, hopefully,


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Love, Diane ~

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Diane, did you see the movie?


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Yes, of course I did.

How did you like it?

I love it. 　You see, Christopher Nolan, the director of the movie, is a master of reinvention.

What do you mean by that?

Well, after rethinking the whodunit with "Memento" made in 2000, he rewrote the rules for the cop thriller with another 2002 neo-noir psychological drama---"Insomnia."

 


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Then came "Batman Begins" in 2002, followed by its two sequels---"The Darl Knight" in 2008 and "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012, both of which injected new life into the moribund caped crusader on the big screen.

 


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I see... so what did Director Nolan create in the above "Dunkirk"?



You see, Kato, the movie is about the real-life events in Dunkirk, France, during the Second World War.

Yes, I know that.

Director Nolan decided to reimagine a battle epic as a suspense thriller.

Oh, yeah?

Nolan really wanted the film to be driven primarily by suspense, which is one of the most pure cinematic film forms.

I see.

Nolan creates three distinct storylines---on land, on sea and in the air---to evoke a tale about "communal heroism."

What do yuo mean by that?

You see, Kato, 400,000 British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops were surrounded by the Nazis on the beaches of Dunkirk in late May and early June of 1940. 　With safety on British shores just 26 miles away across the English Channel, the rescue had to be completed by non-military ships that sailed out from the southern coast of England to bring the stranded men home.

But what do you mean by non-military ships?

Well... A makeshift flotilla of hundreds of fishing boats, plesure crafts and lifeboats are called into service to aid in the evacuation.


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I see... Gee, Diane, you're talking like a film critic. 　I didn't know, you're such a movie buff.



Oh yes, to tell you the truth, I've watched a great deal of movies so far, but not as many as you have.

Diane, do you know what? 　Although some events are loosely based on true history, the characters and storyline are fiction.

How do you know?

I read the director's comments.

I see... By the way, Kato, have you lately watched a war movie?

I'm glad that you ask me. 　As usual, I've seen a number of movies these days, including war movies.

 



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■"Actual List"

 



This is the list of movies I've recently viewed at the Vancouver Public library... Look at the red-rectangled title in the above list!



I see... So you watched "Hacksaw Ridge" on August 15, huh?

That's right.

 


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■"Actual Page"



Twenty-one people are waiting to watch the above DVD, huh?



Yes, you're telling me.


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After you watched, you jotted down the following comment, huh?

Directed by Mel Gibson and originally released as a motion picture in 2016, this 139-minute WWII docudrama depicts a story of Desmond Doss, an American pacifist combat medic who was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, refusing to carry or use a firearm or weapons of any kind.

Doss' unit was assigned to the 77th Infantry Division and deployed to the Pacific theater.

During the Battle of Okinawa, Doss' unit was informed that they were to relieve the 96th Infantry Division, which was tasked with ascending and securing the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge”).


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The battle at Hacksaw Ridge turned out to be one of the deadly battlegrounds during WWII.

Doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Okinawa.

It is one of the best anti-war dramas I've ever watched.

Kato, do you really mean that the above movie is one of the best anti-war films?



You bet on that.

Kato, tell me about it.

Hacksaw Ridge


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As a young boy, Desmond Doss nearly kills his younger brother Hal.
This experience and his Seventh-day Adventist upbringing reinforce Desmond's belief in the commandment "Thou shalt not kill".

Years later, Desmond takes an injured man to the hospital and meets a nurse, Dorothy Schutte.


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The two begin a relationship and Desmond tells Dorothy of his interest in medical work.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Doss is motivated to enlist in the Army and intends to serve as a combat medic.
His father Tom, a troubled World War I veteran, is deeply upset by the decision.
Before leaving for Fort Jackson, Desmond asks for Dorothy's hand in marriage and she accepts.

Desmond is placed under the command of Sergeant Howell.
He excels physically but becomes an outcast among his fellow soldiers for refusing to handle a rifle and train on Saturdays.

Howell and Captain Glover attempt to discharge Desmond for psychiatric reasons but are overruled, as Desmond's religious beliefs do not constitute mental illness.

They subsequently torment Desmond by putting him through grueling labor, intending to get Desmond to leave of his own accord.
Despite being beaten one night by his fellow soldiers, he refuses to identify his attackers and continues training.

Desmond's unit completes basic training and is released on leave, during which Desmond intends to marry Dorothy, but his refusal to carry a firearm leads to an arrest for insubordination.
Captain Glover and Dorothy visit Desmond in jail and try to convince him to plead guilty so that he can be released without charge but Desmond refuses to compromise his beliefs.


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At his trial, Desmond pleads not guilty, but before he is sentenced, his father barges into the tribunal with a letter from a former commanding officer stating that his son's pacifism is protected by an Act of Congress.
The charges against Desmond are dropped, and he and Dorothy are married.

Desmond's unit is assigned to the 77th Infantry Division and deployed to the Pacific theater.
During the Battle of Okinawa, Desmond's unit is informed that they are to relieve the 96th Infantry Division, which was tasked with ascending and securing the Maeda Escarpment ("Hacksaw Ridge”).

In the initial fight, both sides sustain heavy losses, and Desmond successfully saves several soldiers, including those with severe injuries.
The Americans camp for the night, which Desmond spends in a foxhole with Smitty, a squadmate who was the first to call Desmond a coward.
Desmond reveals that his aversion to holding a firearm stems from nearly shooting his drunken father, who threatened his mother with a gun.
Smitty apologizes for doubting his courage and the two make amends.

The next morning, the Japanese launch a massive counterattack and drive the Americans off the escarpment.
Smitty is killed, while Howell and several of Desmond's squad mates are left injured on the battlefield.
Desmond hears the cries of the dying soldiers and decides to run back into the carnage.
He starts carrying wounded soldiers to the cliff's edge and belaying them down by rope, each time praying to save one more.

The arrival of dozens of wounded once presumed dead comes as a shock to the rest of the unit below.
When day breaks, Desmond rescues Howell and the two finally escape Hacksaw under enemy fire.


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Captain Glover tells Desmond that the men have been inspired by his miraculous efforts, and that they will not launch the next attack without him.
Despite the next day being the Sabbath day, he joins his fellow soldiers after finishing his prayers.
With reinforcements, they turn the tide of battle.

During an ambush set by Japanese soldiers feigning surrender, Desmond manages to save Glover and others by knocking away enemy grenades.
Desmond is eventually wounded by a grenade blast, but the battle is won.

Desmond descends the cliff, clutching the Bible Dorothy gave him.

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SOURCE:"Hacksaw Ridge"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wow!... quite fascinating and heart-warming.



Unlike "Dunkirk," the characters and storyline are based on the real events.

Is that right?

You bet... If you see the movie, your stomach will be quite upset because you see scores of gory, bloody and horrendous fighting scenes, but it's worth watching it to the end. 　I'm pretty sure you'll become a different person after viewing it.


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No kidding!

In any case, there are 21 persons waiting to see this movie. 　So you should reserve the DVD as soon as possible.

Yes, I'll do it right away.



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(To be continued)