Review of Born on the Fourth of July (1989) by Willem W — 28 Nov 2007

For my money, this is Oliver Stone's best film. A searing portait of Ron Kovic, a hapless kid from upstate New York who buys into the 'Rah Rah America' rhetoric during the Vietnam War, signs up, and gets his spine blown out.

Returning home a broken man, he realizes that his entire belief system is based on propaganda, and after a time of self-destructive drug abuse, he re-invents himself as an angry anti-war protester. Stone's work with his cinematographer and editor covers a dazzling array of visual styles.

Stone uses cinema to communicate not only drama, but experience. Some critics accuse him of a kitchen sink approach, but he's a skilled filmmaker who knows which combination of lenses, lighting, editing, etc are best to convey a specific feeling.

He's also aided here by a career-high performance from Tom Cruise, who takes a lot of knocks, but is a solid and committed actor. One dream scene, where Kovic imagines being able to walk again in a crowded Veteran's hospital is absolutely haunting.

How Driving Miss Daisy beat this out for Best Picture is anyone's guess. I wonder if Mr. Stone feels a bit like Cassandra these days -- after this and JFK one would hope that America was innoculated against lying governments and fear-mongering propaganda.

.. I wonder if this accounts for his sluggish output lately? I wish he'd come back.