'A story of innocence lost and courage found' – by Lea S.
(A review of the film 'Born on the Fourth of July', written by Ron Kovic, directed by Oliver Stone)
The autobiography of Ron Kovic, released in 1989, tells the story of a young patriotic man, who goes to Vietnam during the Vietnam War to fight for his country and who later finds out that war is wrong.
Ron Kovic is a typical young American man. He was born on the 4th of July and as a child, he likes to watch the military parade on Independence Day, he is involved in sports and he loves America. After school, he decides to go to the army and soon he is sent to Vietnam. But there he discovers the unthought truth of war. He accidently kills Vietnamese civilians, women, old people and children. Still shocked by this experience, he mistakes one of his friends for a Vietnamese soldier and kills him. Shortly after this accident, he gets badly wounded. He survives, but he is paralysed down from his chest and wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.
When he is back at home, many things have changed. Some of his old friends had joined the anti-war movement and Ron realises that he has been betrayed by the American government. He gets depressive and resigned and finally he goes to Mexico, where he finds out that he has to accept what he is.
When her arrives at home for the second time, Ron gets more and more involved in the anti-war movement. His major intention is to tell everyone that he and the other Vietnam Veterans had been betrayed and that war is wrong. Finally he writes a book about his life and he becomes very famous.
In the beginning of the film, you might think that this will be a boring patriotic pro-war film. Actually, this film is against war from the beginning. Many parts of Ron Kovic's life a re shown in a realistic and ironic way. There are many situations where you might laugh, but why, when there is no reason, because the actual topic is so serious? And that's what overwhelms the audience.
In my opinion, this is one of Tom Cruises greatest roles. He plays one man, Ron Kovic, but at the same time he plays the young boy who wants to fight for his country and who believes in America, the frightened soldier, the desperate invalid, the hero, the resigned alcoholic and the speaker of a group of Vietnam Veterans who are against war.
