Courage Under Fire *** (1996, Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips) – Classic Movie Review 1779

Director Edward Zwick’s 1996 war movie stars Meg Ryan who is working outside her usual romcom comfort zone and isn’t really credible as an action woman.

This flashback-told Gulf War drama is seen through the eyes of a tormented US Army investigating  officer, Lt Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington), who probes chopper commander pilot Captain Karen Walden (Ryan)’s disputed posthumous claims to the Medal of Honor. Serling receives varying accounts of the story of an attack in which Walden is killed, dying just before her helicopter crew is rescued after it crashes in Desert Storm.

Serling is struggling with his own demons from Desert Storm, despondent over a deadly mistake he made when he accidentally killed a buddy in a friendly fire incident in the confusion of battle.

Matt Damon catches the eye as Ilario, a heroin-addicted war veteran, a role for which he lost 40lb, making himself ill.

Screenwriter Patrick Sheane Duncan’s serious-minded drama, a cross between an action movie, a thriller and something more intelligent and thoughtful as a debate on war ethics, has it moments of great power – particularly the action sequences. But overall it is shaky, slow-moving and often unconvincing.

The result is more depressing than uplifting, though it remains interesting.

Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Bronson Pinchot, Seth Gilliam, Scott Glenn, Regina Taylor, Sean Astin, Zelijko Ivanek, Tim Guinee, Kathleen Widdoes and Diane Baker also star.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1779

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