Lions for lambs

this assignment is submitted for EDU646-current issues in education (movie critique)

Prepared by Hairul Anuar Bin Sobikin
Submitted to Pn Sharifah Muzlia Binti Syed Mustafa
Feb 2010


"OPEN FOR COMMENT AND CRITIQUE-TQ"

Introduction

Lions for lambs is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan , directed by prolific Robert Redford and starring by charismatic actors Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. Robert Redford also plays as Professor Stephen Malley, a Vietnam veterans, radical activist and a well known academician. Tom Cruise act as Senator Jasper Irving, an ambitious congressman who is trying to sell a new plan of action for the war on terror to a reporter Janine Roth starred by Meryl Streep. Andrew Garfield act as Todd Hayes, a potentially gifted college student who is no longer goal-directed as he once was. Micheal Pena and Derek Luke play as Ernest and Arian, both are Prof Malley’s former promising student who stranded in Snowy Mountain in Afghanistan.

This 92 minutes film is divided into three segments in the different geographical setting but in the same time frame and all are linked together. The first segment is an interview between Janine Roth and Senator Jasper Irving in the White House. The second segment is a dialogue between Professor Stephen Malley with his potentially gifted student, Todd Hayes in the college. The third segment take place in Afghanistan where Ernest and Arian stranded during an army operation and fighting for their life. All of these segments are in the same time setting, interconnected and each segment tried to tell different point of view in the same theme “if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for nothing”.
The senator and the reporter.

Senator Jasper Irving is selling his plan to stop the war in Afghanistan to a veteran reporter Janine Roth. He spoon fed the reporter with the exclusive scoop and let Roth to play her role in spreading the truth. The role of Senator Jasper Irving is simply like George W. Bush who gives the same tired answer over and over and he always labels anyone who disagrees with him as unpatriotic or as terrorist. The decision planned by the senator is based only by his optimist strategy “from the air cond room”. The interviews conducted by Janine Roth reveal the truth and hidden political agenda in the US policies. The “war of terror” is only the mask for the hidden “war for the oil” in Afghanistan. There were many “unpublished” truths behind the war propagated by the US. He rose up the role of media to stop the war together with his new promising strategy. For him, media plays the most important role to terminate the war same as the ways media sell and ignite the war at the beginning. He rose up the dishonorable media reporting the issues. The hidden value from this character is: “the senator is always right, and always doing what they felt was needed to be done”.

The problems on the media today are presented by the role of Janine Roth in reporting the exclusive scoop she gets from the Senator. In this film, it reveals on how the media are being hypocrite and contradict themselves by going along with what the government says without questioning and then criticizing them. This movie also tells the truth about the news goal now is to get rating and money and not to tell the truth. Roth is trapped between his principal to tell the truth or to remain her status quo in the ANX Channel. She had financial problem, to take care his mother and possibly become unemployable in her middle-aged if leave her current job. In the other words, she is trapped by the demands of her status quo or should she have to sacrifice and take on considerable risk to stray; “to do what she fell is correct”.
The professor and the student

Professor Stephen Malley is a Vietnam Veteran and had been actively involved as a political radical activist. Now, he is a respected academician in well known college. In this 60 minutes meeting, Prof Malley is mentoring his potentially student, Todd Hayes who seems to have given up and no longer goal-directed as he once was. He tries to motivate the intelligent liberal minded but apathetic student. Prof Malleys explain almost 50 years of political and social change in America to ponder during the hour spends. He sees the Hayes’s potential and trying to open him up like a can of sardines using the great questions: “What I’m going to do with life while I’m here on earth and what I can do to make changes”.

Todd Hayes, a typical students disillusioned with politics and the government , distrusts politiciann and does not care at all about the war or current events. This character portrayed most of the college student especially in Malaysia. However, deep down the heart, he does care. Prof Malley effort to get him back into the right track seems to be successful. Hayes realized that he need to stand up and exercise his democratic right and to contribute something to the societies.
Struggling for life in Afghanistan.

The two students from an impoverished neighborhood make the risky choice between going to an elite graduate school, taking on more debt and pursuing a high paying career to pay it down or enlisting in the military to fight in the Middle East so that upon their return, their experience will allow their voices to be heard. The government also will pay for their graduate education. Then they can pursue a career that will allow them to make different.

The young educated Ernest and Arian, both are Prof Malley’s former students who get inspired by their inspirational professor to answer the great question “what I can do to make change in the world?”. Although Prof Malley did not agree with their decision, he can do nothing to stop both young soldiers.
The new strategy implemented by Senator gives major impact to the life of the two young soldiers. Through the conversation during trapped in the mountain was show that “if we do not do anything to stop the violence in the world, hardworking intelligent people won’t be around”

ABC Comments

Academic issues

The professor is concern with his student. It shows the professionalism of the academician and he aware for his responsibility to motivate their students to plays their role in the society. The professor also opens with his student. He use psychological way to solve the problem and this is a great way to solve the student’s problems. The professor also being transparent on the marks he given to the students. All of these acts remind us about the power of discussion to solve any problems.

Bright,brave and brilliant.

Senator, professor, student, the reporter and the soldier, most of them got the bright, brave and brilliant trait in their personalities. These three traits seems to be the important and main reason for them in conducting their role. The senator is bright formulating the strategy to end the war, brave in trying the new strategy, and choose the brilliant step to spoon feed the veteran reputable reporter.The reporter is bright in seeing the opportunity of the exclusive scoop, brave to standing in her principal, and brilliant because she can control the interview to get the needed answer, not only the given answer. The soldier is extremely brave, bright in making decision, and both are brilliant Prof Malley’s student.
Charismatic Senator
The senator is seem to be an opportunistic and prolific senator. The ideas and the vision is clear and he committed with his decision. Through the real scenario, the senator act really represents the Republican government especially during George W. Bush era. The issues raised by the senator are also a reality and presented through the film in the great way.

iscipline and time management

This movie shows the discipline of all the actor in all setting to stick on their time : just one hour to complete the scene. The professor provide one hour to mentoring his student before other students appointment, the senator rush after one hour interview to get fund for his political campaign, and the military base only got limited time to save the two young soldier. This movie shows the value of one hour that can change anything: even the life of others.

ucation issues

In this movie, it really shows the role of the professor who is really taken care of their students. Education in Malaysia should have the Prof Malley’s sense of caring. Prof Malley also open in discussing his opinion and receiving his students point of views. I realize that by discussing, most of the problem in education nowadays can be solved.

friendship

Both young soldier, Ernest and Arian is from the same neighborhood, study in the same college, and being in the same platoon, and the true friendship essence is when both stay together for their last breath in the battle field. There is no black and white racist issues, because friendship know no colour.
Conclusion

Redford expertly shows the audiences how difficult, but important , doing the right thing is and reminds the audience that by deciding to do nothing , we are actually making the decision to let the other side call all the shoot.
Refferences

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0891527/