Review of Born on the Fourth of July (1989) by Anderson — 20 Sep 2008

I wonder if 'patriotic' is an appropriate word to describe 'Born on the Fourth of July'. Given the title alone it would seem so, and those iconic opening scenes of a fifties post-war street, flags waving vigorously and family units huddled together really encompass the American meaning of the word. They aren't mawkish, and the protagonists justifications in applying for the U.S Marine Corps on the verge of the Vietnam War aren't immature or squeamish; here is a kid who is truly devoted to serving his country, not for personal honour or glory, but because he genuinely believes it is the right thing to do; it is what should be done, and by all lads his age.

'Born on the Fourth of July' is the true-life story of war veteran Ron Kovic, who did once believe in such sentiments. It may seem predictable today, even a cliché, but it would be completely unexpected to him that those war experiences would change him; change what type of person he is, change him physically, mentally, emotionally and sexually. He was unprepared for such changes, and director Oliver Stone brings together a drama that truly embodies this ideal, with the inclusion of how Kovic would eventually adjust to them in the anti-war riots that follow back home.

This is a superb piece of cinema on so many levels; empathetic without indulging into romanticism; realistic and, at times, brutally shocking; and quite literally mentally straining, because you realise how unimaginable and incomprehensible such experiences are to those who haven't felt such terror, hurt or anguish. Pain in the face of apparent victory, or guilt over the accidental, unnecessary loss of another.

Remembering the film is pre-'Saving Private Ryan' I wondered if Spielberg was influenced by the Vietnam section, which is rather grotesquely violent for 1989, and realised how innovative the film truly is. It's impact hasn't been forgotten, and it's influence still stands strong.

John Williams rousing score stands as a masterpiece alone among the great technical achievements of the film, including cinematography laced with an authentic edge and the director seamlessly weaving the film's different eras without making the narrative choppy or inconsistent. Tom Cruise also proves he is more than worth actor status than his 'celebrity' label would offer, delivering a riveting, and emotional performance as Kovic.

'Born on the Fourth of July' is an expertly crafted chronicle of one man's life, and how he strove to do right first in one way, and then by other means. The picture stands the test of time, and that is what makes this a masterpiece in film; stirring, haunting, and emotionally poignant. Stone's best director Oscar was truly deserved. It's all too easy to rally aside Kovic by the film's end, and the picture depicts how so very few will truly understand how he and so many others suffered, for a misled cause.