Charlie Wilson's War

Yesterday afternoon 16th January, I went to the cinema for the first time in two months. The choice was Charlie Wilson's War because the subject was of interest, the US covert operation in Afghanistan and the man who arranged the required funding was by all accounts one of the creatives.

Charles, Charlie Nesbitt Wilson was born Trinity Texas in 1933. While a student at Dam Houston State University he was appointed to the United State Naval Academy serving for four years attaining the rank of lieutenant and joined the pentagon as part of an intelligence unit which evaluated soviet nuclear forces. His political interest commenced at 13 years when his pet dog was killed by his next door neighbour who put crushed glass in the animals food after he had got into the neighbours yard. The neighbour was he leading member of the town council and Wilson, holding a driving permit drove 96 African American voters to the poll with the consequence hat the neighbour was defeated by 16 votes. He did not become politically active until joining the John F Kennedy Presidential Campaign as a volunteer, In 1961 he was elected to as Texas State representative for his home district.

Wilson served on the Texas legislature for 12 years supporting several liberal causes such the regulation of the utilities, Medicaid, tax exemptions for the elderly, Equal Rights, minimum wages and pro choice re abortion. In 1972 he was elected to the US House of representatives and was subsequently re-elected 11 times, resigning in 1996.

Wilson became notorious for his private life best described as hedonistic and which he was always open about. He was something of a political maverick and adventurer deciding to support the corrupt dictator Somoza in Nicaragua and at one point attempted to organise 1000 force of ex CIA operatives to fight on behalf of the dictator but this broke down when the funds for the enterprise could not be raised and the dictator sexually assaulted his girl friend at the time. In 1980 Wilson was appointed to the small committee responsible for authorizing black "covert" CIA operations and touched by what was happened in Afghanistan after the Soviet intervention he was responsible for a doubling of the CIA budget from 5 to 10 million dollars to support the Mujahedeen. He then persuaded the committee chairman and other members to dramatically increase funding, especially for anti helicopter and ant tank weaponry which had been caused widespread casualties among the civilian population. He retired from Congress in 1999 although he continued to represent the interests of the Pakistan government having previously been a paid lobbyist on behalf of Israeli weapons manufacturers who it is alleged provided the soviet look alike weapons bought with US dollar for the Afghan forces who eventually forced the Russians to withdraw. He received a heart transplant last year and the film staring Tom Hanks is based on a biography published in 2003.

There are those who argue that the ten years unsuccessful fighting of the CIA backed Mujahedeen in Afghanistan directly led to the break up of the Soviet union and the film concludes with Wilson attempt to get his colleagues to support the reconstruction of the country which he feared would revert to the tribal war lords and criminal drug traffickers which is what happened.

From my research and the film it is possible to reach two conclusions with some confidence. The evidence is that Mr Wilson was individually responsible for the funding and provision of weapons to the Afghan people which led to the withdrawal of the Russians and that his work with the assistance of another individualist CIA member was recognised within the secret services and military. Secondly he was a hedonistic character, a man of the moment and therefore looking ahead at the potential implications of his actions was not one of his strengths. However the legacy of the USA intervention merits further consideration especially as it British young men who are now giving their lives in order to bring about the kind of stability which the USA failed by the continuing funding of the Mujahedeen enabling them to acquire the latest weapon.

It is fortunate that the internet search revealed an important in depth article by Paul Wolf written in 2003. The reality at that time is that Afghanistan has now experience over two decades of warfare with the majority of the population still illiterate, no telephone service and few paved roads, half the capital still in ruins and millions of land mines un accounted for. Vast areas of the country remain under the control of drug trafficking war lords now armed by American financed modern weapons. Those working in the drugs trade were then earning 100 times the salary of the police, the military and the university professors, although public salaries were frequently being defaulted.

One side note from the article is that it confirms the presentation in the film that Mr Wilson staffed his office with beautiful young women, who were known as Charlie's Angels. And that his home which rivalled Hugh Hefner for its hedonism.

One aspect which interested me is that he was and presumably still is an insomniac spending part of most nights reading, researching and thinking about issues which concerned him. Especially the writings of Winston Churchill a hero together with the one spitfire pilot over London at the time of the battle of Britain whose painting he hung over his bed since childhood.. There is no doubt from this article that throughout the Arab world Wilson is regarded as the man who enabled the Afghans to defeat the Communist infidels by providing the weapons. However once this battle was over and the west concentrated on the changing of Europe the hundreds of thousands of well armed afghan were left to revert to their tribal rivalries and criminal interests. This point needs to be underlined As relationships between Russia and the West changed it was a future Russian foreign Minister who warned that both countries needed to concentrate on stabilizing Afghanistan to prevent radical Islamic elements from taking power and it was to Wilson that this message was given. It is not clear from the article how the message was received and how effective he was in ensuring that the administration listened and then took appropriate action.

It is alleged that most of the Iraq weapons acquired after the first gulf war found their way to the Mujahedeen. It could be argued that no one could have predicted that the break up of the soviet union and the arming of the Mujahedeen would become the catalyst for awakening the dormant dreams and visions of fundamentalist Islam or that individuals who had fought for USA interests would then turn on the country. One consequence is that an estimated 30000 young Muslims came from all over the world to Afghanistan to be radicalised and trained for the jihad. The assumption was made by the CIA that once the money was cut off the new zeal would burn itself out, especially if internal conflicts and rivalries consumed their energies and their lives.

The film was enjoyable and at times very funny and some prior knowledge helped but through I had the sense that the way to hell is paved with good intentions and that while there are times in war and rapid change when one type of leadership is required.

However another is necessary to ensure the peace. Unfortunately this did not come from the USA or the West, instead one of the Saudi princes, and head of the country's intelligence arranged for a twenty three year old to set up operations, visiting the country in 1980, established a base in Pakistan from which with family funds, the Saudi government and other wealthy backers he carved out tunnel cave complexes to provide an infrastructure for the Mujahedeen. He departed in 1990 disillusioned at the warring factions returned to work in the family business in Saudi Arabia. He continued to take an interest in the welfare of the Arab fighters who and joined the Mujahedeen formed an organisation to give the support, estimated at 350000, which was called, the base, Al Qaeda. Instead of just providing veteran benefits it became the Means for commencing a global jihad.

In fairness it was also in 1990 that strong elements in Russia and the USA became concerned about the uncontrollable monster they had been created in Afghanistan and attempts were made to establish peace plan which the major powers, Iran, Pakistan and the Afghanistan government agreed but it was too late as the plan was rejected by the fundamentalist parties of the Mujahedeen. While the world concentrated on the break up of the soviet union Afghanistan reverted to medieval chaos with the economy based on providing 70% the world's heroin requirement.

It was around 1974 that the Taliban developed as a reaction and quickly became the dominant force fuelled by thousands of volunteers filtered by the religious schools in Pakistan and at one point their forces totalled twenty thousand against government forces of twelve and by 1998 they controlled sufficient of the country including its capital and imposed the system which banned television and music, required women to remain illiterate and stay at home looking after the rest of their families and a system of justice in which ears, hands or heads chopped off depending on the crime and with stoning for adultery. By 2001 the Taliban controlled 90% of Afghanistan.

Omar bin laden having returned to Saudi Arabia in 1990 moved to the Sudan in 1992 opposed to the decision of the his government to agree to the US involvement to free Kuwait from Iraq. There rather than in Afghanistan he built up his organisation for global Jihad and his inspired acts of violent outrage commenced resulting in the Saudi's recognising the potential damage to their own position and standing, revoked his citizenship. He was also asked to leave the Sudan he therefore returned to Afghanistan and to the cave complexes he had established. When the CIA identified Bin Laden behind the attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 they launched 72 cruise missiles on his known bases. The failure of this attack resulted in in laden joining forces with the Taliban our of mutual self interest. The Taliban needed Bin Laden's international connections while Bin Laden was able to make use of the religious schools in Pakistan for new recruits. Then in September 2001 two events r=rmaatically affected the future of Afghanistan. With the assistance of Bin laden the main opposition leader to the Taliban in Afghanistan was mortally wounded on September 10th and the following day the attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trades Centre and the Pentagon set in motion their downfall. Although as events were to prove after the article written in 2003, the majority retreated to the hills and to Pakistan where they waited for their opportunity to practice what they preached as did Bin Laden.

It is possible to argue that without the removal of the Russians from Afghanistan, the nature of their dictatorship of the towns would have prevented the Taliban from gaining control and providing refuge for Bun Laden to operate. It is also possible to argue that the causes of subsequently events had their roots in the west approach to the Arab world, the way the state of Israel was created, the western attitude towards heroin and other drug use which as was covered when reviewing Tai Pan has been a traditional means for developing trade. It also helps to put into perspective the claim that with the help of one CIA operative Charlie Wilson was able to raise the funds and secure the weapons to force the Russians to Afghanistan. It struck me that given that the Afghanistan operation was covert and the largest of its kind in US history, it is difficult to believe that one individual could have such power independent of the national administration. It is convenient for this to appear to have been so and the evidence made available suggests that it was so.

I have mentioned before that during my year at Birmingham University I med a young academic from Afghanistan sharing a lunch table one Sunday and that he gave me his card for further contact which never came to pass. I have always wondered what happened to him, as the fate of the people in his country became known.

Keegan euphoria on Tyneside continued, hyped up by the media and painting a one sided picture of the local response which attracted a counter reaction on the evening radio phone in. The televised game against Bolton on Saturday should help to sustain the initial momentum and the press conference tomorrow afternoon could provide an indication as to the composition of his managerial team.

I was a little upset more than alarmed as this morning I appeared to be developing another cold after what had been an early night and early getting up, to bed by 11 pm and rising between 3 and 4 am. I had a hot cereal around 5 am and two slices of cheese on toast around 8 with kippers for lunch at midday with a banana and some grapes, and water. I then went to bed around 1.30pm sleeping through until after 4.30.. I watched the Big Brother House programmes before 9 followed by the next Lost and this evening the new series of American Idol, the new series of Trial and Retribution, Question Time and the political programme This Week. I did not feel very hungry this evening so had the two salmon fish cakes and more water and grapes. It is bed time at 1.20 am and the cold did not break. I have not made progress on the Work, housework or the in tray.

Tai-Pan

To day I discovered the play list of David of Madrid a comparatively new friend with some eighty titles although only about half play and where I thought I knew many of the titles but not the performers who are a revelation. (Mr Jones- Mike Jones, You Belong Me to Jason Wade, Billie Jean-Chris Connell, Mad World-Gary Jules known, Roscoe- Midlake, That's what lonely is for -David Wilcox, Bella Luna-Mraz and I'm Yours, You Got a Friend a live performance with Celine Dionne, Shania Twain, Gloria Estafan, Carole Kir. Needles and Pins Ramones an odd inclusions given the others selected so far, Kinda Hard-Eric Hinan, Kery Largo-Bertie Higgns, Sophia-Nerina Pallot. Hate me- Blue October. More tomorrow. I had decided to go through the list of friends to check out the changes having noted that one of the top 24 had disappeared Rejection.

I managed to get to the bank, the first step in getting my finances sorted for 2008, my old branch Fullwell which has been radically redesigned after the occasion when there was an attempted hold up just after I left although there were indications of the individual being spotted while I was there, which led to one of those what would I have done had I arrived when it happened. The reason for making the trip was that I managed to get the car started and it needed a little run to ensure the battery was charged up a little. Then went to Morrison's for Grapes, bananas, tomatoes milk, salmon fishcakes 4 for 1. Manx kippers and a bass having misread the sign for the fish which looked interesting, I have the carton of bass where I need to work out how to separate without defrosting and some lamb chops which I fancied. This evening however I did not have fish but a cheese omelette. For lunch, not feeling like soup, I had some thin slices of German smoked ham with the fat cit off with lettuce rolls for lunch, followed by a banana and custard, Grapes after the evening meal. Got oat cereal for breakfast, Half a glass of red wine with half a dozen olives evening treat.
Brian Sewell provided the Big Brother House with the food for a gourmet meal this evening and some timely chat about how to behave in polite society and then had the expected conversation with Amy about the nature of contemporary art. Given that she had time to prepare for such a question, I was disappointed.

The decision to abandon the London trip is the right one after yesterday's efforts to bring my work up to date the inclination is to fritter away the time. Last night was mainly stupefaction with vague memories of having watch the Big brother House and deciding to watch again the film of the James Clavel novel Tai-Pan which I have not read. The film is a fictional attempt to explain the back ground to the rise of Hong Kong when British merchant adventurers imported opium into China as means of paying for tea, silk and porcelain rather than silver as he Chinese then had no need for British manufactured goods. When the Chinese government took exception Britain (and France) showed their true moral nature of its Victorian era politics by going to war and to enforce the ability to turn the Chinese people into drug addicts and commenced a course of events which led to British establishment of Hong Kong and a trading, commercial and crime capital for the Far East and to the establishment of Communism. Admittedly there are other viewpoints.

The film is a fictional account of how after being evicted from China after refusing to abandon the opium trade, merchants persuaded the British Parliament and the French to go to war with the establishment of Hong Kong and its natural harbour as British controlled trading base, and the rivalry between two unscrupulous heads of trading enterprises to be recognised as the merchant, social and political leader. The film [paints one father and son rival as the baddies although the film's hero is the greater hypocrite buying and selling his Chinese concubine which are hidden away from the polite society of the money and land grabbing other exploiters of the indigenous population. The most enjoyable aspect was a sub plot in which the sexually and physically abused daughter of a missionary (father and brother implicated) apparently rescued by the hero Tai Pan becomes a high class whore to a Chinese mafia boss who helps out the Tai Pan will a loan of 1.2 million in silver bars to thwart a move from the opposition to oust him from his position. She then attempts to become the wife of the Island's commanding officer although her brother attempts to blocks this and I cannot remember how this was resolved if it was. There is also the usual sub Romeo and Juliet plot although his so marries his daughter and becomes Tai-Pan when his father dies in the arms of his latest Chinese mistress in a storm. We are meant to pleased by this development when in fact the rightful heir was the elder so on an earlier mistress who was sold off to become a third wife when he decided he wanted a younger model. As you can see it was a thoroughly enjoyable film and cheered me up no end.

Intrigue

The reason for the post was to try and get a return of two more DVD's from my mail order internet package for the London trip where I am more likely to go than as not. But will continue to leave the decision until tomorrow. I watched the "extras" DVD on the second series of Lost in two sessions. It was not as good as that with the first which covered how the series came into being, the auditions and selection of the main characters and their perceptions. The second DVD, Music and Lyrics was a romantic comedy which obtained good reviews at the time although I would not have viewed in theatre when I had the monthly pass unless there had been nothing else to interest during the period of performance. The film features Hugh Grant who if you set to one side his good looks and tabloid involvement with Elizabeth Hurley and others. He is brilliant comic actor who can make script seem funny through his delivery and that combination of danger with vulnerability. Drew Barrymore also has good looks and charm but also convince as an actress and there is a good chemistry between the two which makes the story more convincing that otherwise could have been the situation. Grant plays the former less well known singer of a band where the lead went off to individual solo success, making full use of Grant ability to compose good tunes. However he is not a lyricist and although he continues to perform at nostalgia functions, including theme parks, he has become small time. His big opportunity comes when the teen star of the day, a cross between Madonna, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, brilliantly played by first time actress in a Hollywood role, Haley Bennett liked his work when she was a seven year old and gives him the opportunity to compete for a duet number on her new album. Barrymore arrives at the flat as a stand in plant nurturer, that is someone who visit's the homes of those too busy to look after their own house plants, as a lyricist struggles to find a theme and phrases to get his blocked creativity going. Drew steps in and the rest is pure Hollywood but credible to a degree and highly enjoyable.

A different kind of film was Intrigue regarded a minor 1988 cold war spy film in which its star Scott Glenn goes behind the Iron Curtain to search for his former mentor who has defected, only to discover that he wishes to return home to die. The plot twist is conventional in that the Russians want to keep him and the Americans want him dead but not for the obvious reasons. The main interest for me was the journey from the Soviet into Yugoslavia and onto Venice which had a credibility as did the story overall. Had the main character been played by a Richard Burton, Gene Hackman or Robert Duvall then the film might have had greater recognition.

My appetite has returned so the test of determination about losing weight has begun. So far I am rating myself 8 out of 10 for effort. Given the usual kick start effects the aim is to get below 16 stone by mid February, under below 15.7 before the end of Summer. I had one more can of Pepsi Coke, three than the two being allowed a week. But the alcohol restriction was maintained and no snacks although I am having an afternoon tea which has been one slice of toast and 50 grams of smoked salmon. I had shell on prawns yesterday. I nearly had a pint of lager with the evening Tex Mex but had forgotten to take out o store to the fridge, so hat was a bonus.

After hesitant start I achieved 50 games without loss or draw at second level chess. I have decided on playing to enjoy games rather than the 101 target as part of my New Year approach to life

The Life of David Gale, Evil in the Sun, The Mirror Cracked

Yesterday I saw an astonishing film The Life of David Gale. So much of it was familiar that I must have viewed it before but not engaged with attention, or perhaps I did and the subject was so challenging that I buried memory through the subsequent layers of experience. Perhaps that is how I cope with painful experience, avoiding similar sets of circumstances and covering with layers of good or different experience?

About two years ago now I watched the Forced Entertainment Company perform two plays with the first the reproduction in theatre of the Sophie Calle's Performance artwork Exquisite Pain and the second a history of the world, the World in Pictures, in which at the end Chorus reminds that while a moment we experience, such as a theatrical performance appear significant to us and to others, it quickly becomes lost as fresh experience upon fresh experience is lived. In any event I had missed what I suspect is the unintended point of this film which was justifiably slammed by the majority of critics. The amazing aspect is that far from convincing anyone who supports capital punishment into an abolitionist, it not only reinforces the case but could turn some cautious liberals into believers.

The story, without giving too much away, is about a former college Professor who passionately supports the abolition of the death penalty in the state of Texas, whose marriage breaks up, possibly because of his drink problem, possibly because he started the ring of unfaithfulness that leads to his wife having an affair which becomes permanent. There is one scene presented early on in the film which holds the key to unravelling the complex plot. The Professor engages in a televised debate on the subject of capital punishment with the Governor of Texas and appears to be winning the argument until rounded by the Governor to produce one case of the 137 executed individuals where there was a miscarriage of justice. Shortly after this the Professor is arrested and charged with rape of a recently expelled student with who he has sex as her requested leaving present. The case is dropped but the Professor is unable to secure a new appointment, sinks into alcoholism and loses all direct contact with his son who is living abroad with his mother. Throughout this time his only friend is the full time worker for the Texas branch of the anti capital punishment organisation, and their relationship remains platonic until he learns that she has an incurable disease and they become lovers.

He is then convicted of her horrific murder and spends six years on death row and only two weeks before his execution he persuades a journalist to try and prove his innocence for the sake of the memory of him by his son. She had been to prison for contempt after refusing to reveal information.

Unfortunately if the film is intended to rebut the contention of the Texas Governor that all those executed were guilty and the debate should be about the sentencing policy and the grounds for commuting to life imprisonment, if fails badly, all it achieves is confirm my long held view that those at the extremes of politics have more in common than those in the middle. Fortunately this is a view increasingly shared by the majority of people in the British Islands, but is does create problems for the democracy when all the major parties share the same values and beliefs and the issue becomes one of effect management, and this is a problem for politicians at local level let alone at the centre in a system where the managers are supposed to be neutral and were until two decades ago there were career men and a few career women in the senior positions. This situation has commenced to change with the introduction of performance contracts and performance pay I the public services and where a proportion of the work is privately managed, by fear of the loss of contracts because of failure to meet targets and standards. The independent and private organisation enables senior managers to be hired and fire and paid at commercial levels, and it take accountability for individual cases away from politicians, a development which even the most reactionary of politician can see merit, unless of course they gained and maintained their political power by being able to intervene in individuals cases irrespective of the individual merits.

Yesterday was a day of who dun it plots with lots of possible answer, misleading sub plots and eventual solutions which explained the casual links between clues which had been planted in the story an which the clever should be ale to work out long before the official explanation. The afternoon started with Evil under the Sun, the 1941 Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot mystery, set in Cornwall made into an all star cast film in 1982 with Peter Ustinov in the role of the detective, and James Mason, Maggie Smith. Jane Birkin, Denis Quilley, and Diana Rigg, to name some. In this film version several people had the motives but everyone has what seems to be a watertight alibi. The film moved the setting from Cornwall to an Adriatic holiday resort for the rich and famous, although filmed in Majorca. My aunt Harriet adored David Suchet and would just about manage to sit through one of his TV series productions which are still shown on one satellite channel after another to this day, and for many a day to come, In 2001 the story was made into the 53 episode of the 8th season so she may have seen both this edition and the film on television. Last year there was a point and lick computer game published. A key aspect of the solution which is not revealed during the films, (I have not read the book) is that Poirot remembers the similarity of the case with another recent unsolved murder insurance investigation. The extent to which people commit murder, or fake their deaths for the life insurances was something I assumed was more fictional than real life until the recent return to life of a man who disappeared off the coast in this region several years ago and media reports about his wife living in Panama and her return to face the music in this country shortly afterwards.

Immediately following Evil under the Sun was a Miss Marple film, The Mirror Cracked which begins with an early Agatha Christy mystery being shown in the village hall and breaking down as the solution is about to be revealed. Poirot and Miss Marple are Agatha Christie formula mysteries written over half a century ago, and exhibited a skill with was sadly deficient in the Life of David Gale, but not in one of my recent favourite drama series Foyle's War which commenced its six short series last nights. There were four two hour episodes in the first three series and then just two for the next two with three planned for this.. The short length of seasons is match by the quality of each mystery set in a carefully reconstructed wartime South Coast England, the exceptional character acting of Michael Kitchen and his interaction with his Sergeant, and his female driver, the traditional English Rose, matured through war work and with a clergyman as her uncle. There were several fine moments in an good mystery where we were led to believe three individuals could be the cause of the death of a young secret government establishment worker who had misgivings about providing up to date maps for bombing raids on Germany for the allies.

The thou shall not kill argument was taken up with a small ecumenical conference held in the area about the continuation of the war until a complete German surrender, the implications of the mass bombing raids and the role of the churches in achieving reconciliation. The brilliant aspect of this episode was the juxtaposition of the two extremes, the clergyman threatened with prosecution if her said anything which the Police Inspector would be able to use against him, and the wife of the Police Inspector, after he had been shot, who explained that her view of the only good German was a dead German after they had lost both their sons and only children earlier in the War. At the time it would have been exceptional if those fighting or bereaved thought otherwise, or were able to understand that the average German parent felt the same way in relation to the losses at the fronts and from the bombing. There was also a magnificent closing sequence, which spilt the mystery element when the local Minister was unmasked as a spy who has been planted a refugee in 1927 and worked towards a south coast parish in order to send home intelligence about troop activity, only to have the good fortune to find that several parishioners worked at a secret government establishment and that one was willing to talk about his work through the Catholic confessional. When Foyle attempts to adopt moral and Christian superiority over the activity of the man who admits that he was not ordained a priest, killed the young man who could have unmasked him and then accidentally shot the Police Inspector instead of the Police Sergeant who had also been asking worrying question, the man makes the point that he was only being a good patriot and serving his country during a time of war, and when it was unwise to claim that God would be on the side any of the participants.

My only reservation was the those who prepared and sent him over to England would to have made the mistake of providing a background of serving for five years in a part of a town which did not have a catholic church, or apparently any church, or that eh would have been allocated a parish by the Catholic hierarchy without checking his background. The Catholic church remains meticulous in the record keeping of its sons and daughters of Christ and the German nation has always been thorough and comprehensive in its administration hence the justified boast about the trains running on time and pioneering development of the motorway. They would not have made such a simple mistake which suggests a story line not sufficiently researched or thought through on this key issue. But the rest was excellent, including the way some of the others involved in a defrauding scam siphoning off funds and giving backhanders were to be dealt with, the equivalent of sending one to the Russian front. In war time there is always a cheaper and more useful way of using criminals than to lock them up.

Sword of Xanten

Feeling grotty this afternoon and not in he mood to recommence work of any kind I watched the Sword of Xanten based on the German epic poem the Nibelungenlied which is also the basis for Wagner's the Ring Operas. This is the story of human being who do not listen to the truth or warnings based on he knowledge and experience of others, of the way money can corrupt the most honourable of individuals and to be aware that those who are sometimes the closest to you will resort to subterfuge to protect and further their interests, or just because they like to get their own way. Not having understood the story until first seeing the film within the last couple of years I had tended to be weary of the operas, associated, as they were with Hitler, and his view of life. Now I am surprised because the story in the film should have led him and those who supported his views, life that they were destined to fail and to prematurely perish if they attempt to go against the wisdom of the Gods and the history of human kind until then. The problem as demonstrated in the film is while individuals will stand out and accomplish much many ordinary folk perish before they get their come uppance. This was also true in Die Hard II in which Bruce Willis, and black friend brought into help, saved the gold reserves of the Federal Bank, many lives in potential underground bomb tragedy, and a school of young children. However a lot of ordinary security guards and other officials got shot up as did a minor army of trained soldier fortune hunters who were all also Germanic. Now of course the baddie has become the Muslim with attitude, controlled by major game players who are as wealthy, powerful, unscrupulous and ruthless as they have been throughout history.

The Pride and Glory, Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing, Summer Wishes and Winter Dreams

The other DVD, the final of the 240 odd rented over the past two and a half years and was called the Pride and the Glory. This proved to another film of the well covered police going wrong in the N Y PD although this time the battle was fought within the system with the son of a much respected former cop under pressure to protect the career minded brother in law whose wife has cancer and turns a long blind eye to members of his team who move from taking protection and bribe money to dealing in drugs, committing murder and tipping off the drug dealers which leads to four police being slaughtered The film tries to make a grey entertainment out people who and are bad, weak and sometimes evil. The film is overlong and difficult to follow and is not rescued by some good acting especially and the most rotten of gang played by Colin Farrell of Ballykissangel fame. The experience was depressing.

It is just as well that I had still the memory of a wonderful film starring Joanne Woodward called Summer Wishes Winter Dreams. Joanne is a middle aged housewife with two children who have left home and has a sense of impending doom, a sense of failure and that her life is over. She has lunch once a week with her mother, an event which has become a duty and when her mother dies from a heart attack while watching together a film by Ingmar Bergman she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She inherits part of the family farm which she does not want to sell having a bitter argument with her sister and brother in law who want to make sue of the capital it could provide. Her husband understand the turmoil and emotional state she in and persuades her to accompany him on a trip to London when she gets into further difficult. He tries to express his love but the gulf between them has become wide. It is only when she accompanies him to Belgium to visit the reminders of the Second World War and the scene where he killed three German soldiers.

He explains that after this experience he vowed not to waste a moment of his life. I know that feeling so well although it remains a challenge to maintaining such an outlook year upon year and decade upon decade. She understands his experience and reaction and puts into perspective her own experience. She decides to sell the farm and also to accept that her gay son who is living in Paris and happy is unable to see them, although he maintain regular communication with their daughter. It is not surprising to learn that Joanne was nominated for a best actress Oscar for this 1973 performance or that she was given the Bafta.

Another unknown film to me which also included a brilliant performance from a female actress is Love Pain and the Whole Damn Thing. This was also a 1970‘s film (1973) and featured Maggie Smith taking a tour of Spain on her own and encountering a shy young Asthmatic also a loner who is sent on a biking holiday by his father. The film brilliant explores the developing relationship between the two and after a moment of passion the young man takes the initiative and hires a small touring caravan where after an small accident they find themselves taken up with by the local Duke of a Castle who takes a shine to Maggie which focuses the young man on what he wants from the relationship. At this point Maggie reveals she has an incurable illness and the film ends as the two go off to make the most of whatever time they can have together. When I saw that the young man is played by Timothy Bottoms it will be appreciated that the film is scripted as a comedy, but is redeemed by the performance of Maggie Smith.

Wall-E

In the evening I watched a DVD of Wall-E the 2008 computer animated science fiction film about a robot left on earth to help clear up the junk left behind as humans have set off in a giant space cruisers in the hope that the earth becomes habitable again one day.

The entire population become satisfied with their life on the cruisers not realising that the plan of to clean up earth had filed and that they are destined to spend their future on board and do so for generation after generation for 700 years until the 22nd millennium is approaching. Wall E as the last robot is able to regenerate himself with spare parts he collects through his work as well as creating an Aladdin’s cave of reminders of past human life including a solar powered TV playing video’s of musicals. From which he learns about the relationships between human being and hankers for not being alone.

Periodically a space cruiser lands back on or near earth and sends out a probe to test for sign s that human life can be sustained and in this instance the probe is essentially a feminine creation and when Wall E rescues her from a dust storm into the truck he uses as shelter and store and shows her the plant he has found. She Stores this to take back but the impact deactivated her which distresses Wall-E, When the probe ship returns to collect her Wall clings to the vessel which returns to the Flagship liner. Wall E gets upset when he thinks she is being hurt rather than repaired and he also rescue the plant when it is take by the robot computer which directs everything had reminds of Hal in 1001 who is programme to act in a way eventually destructive to the humans in preventing them from returning to earth. His defence is however well intentioned because they having become obese from and endless and continuous life of being moves around automatically without walking and an artificial food diet which had weakened their bone structure. Fortunately their captain has grit, of the character kind not that which has overrun earth and together with Wall E and Eve, Eva the Robot is defeated and the plant is used to stimulate everyone into abandoning their life style and beginning the process of adapting to earth with a breathable atmosphere in which they can grow plants and farm.

It is therefore a film designed add tot he education of young people about the need for a healthy life style and to protect the natural resources of the planet. However I think it is a difficult film for young people to understand and enjoy. It a sound effects masterpiece as well as visual studio creation.