::Watched iwo jima. Yesterday. haha. Can I just say it was a really pervertic and macabre movie? The combat scenes were not exactly emotional or gruesome but the way the soldiers died sure were! There was this guy who was manning a machine gun who got kaboomed by a grenade. His arm was half-blown off! And guess what! What was left of the arm kept twitching and sputtering blood everywhere! lol. Anyone else feel this is exaggerated? Maybe someone can give me a mathematical solution to why normal human blood pressure can not make this possible.
O! and who can forget the Japanese suicide scenes! Besides the irony that they find honour in suiciding while the battle is not yet over, what was unforgettable was how they actually suicided! They took out a grenade each(apparently they rather use it on themselves than the swarms of US soldiers), knocked it on their head and held it against their chest. Strangely even though they were crowded inside a cave, it took as many grenades as there were soldiers for them all to die! Some grenade...
Overall the movie was enjoyable. Haha.. the hysterics from the person sitting next to me apart, the movie was interesting for reminding us the horrors of war and patriotism. It also painted the Japanese WW2 soldiers who are often depicted as pervertic, obdurate, and blindly patriotic in a more humane way. The contradictions and internal turmoil that they faced were typical of most soldiers. The propaganda the soldiers as well as the public were subjected to were cynical and immoral in hindsight, yet it is precisely propaganda that sustains moral and ultimately wars. IwoJima also prompts us to think about the meaning of life. The olympic gold medallist, as well as the us-educated general perished. Like that cute baker, they all left their loved ones to defend a barren island in a losing battle. The sacrifice they made were ultimately for nothing.
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On another note. [it's zhen jin bu pa huo LIAN btw.. =x] I believe one should never be afraid to test one's beliefs and if one finds them wrong, accept and change them. On the other hand, if one is still convinced after such a test then one's belief will be strengthened and only then can it become a conviction. For without a rigourous test of one's beliefs there appears to be little reason for such strong faith. Perhaps that is why I am usually unafraid to explore new ideas or listen to the other side of the story. I am open to admitting my mistakes and of course confident enough not to be ashamed of making mistakes. Some people are afraid of going for health checks.. some refuse to listen to what people say.. they cling on to their opinion as if their life depends on it. Not a very sensible or reasonable thing to do is it?
Are you afraid someone might pull a trick on you? blindfold you or cloud your judgement?
KI as a subject is inherently neutral..
It does not try to deceive or confuse. It wishes only for you to examine your thinking process, your beliefs and instead of blind faith or puppy love, to believe and love with good reason.
Like they say, there is no right without wrong. One can have no experience of truth without experiencing falsehood. One can not distinguish love without first experiencing infatuation. Without facing, understanding and perhaps eventually defeating your opposition, how can you support your convictions?
In any case, KI does not ask for a decision on any of one's beliefs. It only asks for you to think critically. Period.::

.:firestarter blogged on 7:37 AM:.
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