MovieChat Forums > The War (1994) Discussion > I thought the tractor explosion was too ...

I thought the tractor explosion was too over the top!

posted 17 years ago by BadWebDiver
11 replies | jump to latest

I generally thought this was a very likeable, if a little too earnest drama story.

But when the tractor exploded, I thought the film lost a lot of credibility. I've seen kids fighting, lived in a few rough neighbourhoods, and I'd have to say that unless you're living on LA street or possibly in Ireland or something, kids very rarely actually blow stuff up. It's very unlikely kids are going to have the means or know-how to do that.

Yeah, I know it's meant to be symbolic of the Vieatnam War and so on, and fits with the themes of the story. But I still think that bit was too far-fetched. It turned the story from a very credible one to something too ridiculous to believe.

(I suppose someone is now gonna write and say how theyblew stuff up all the time as a kid! Huh?)

Education is what's left when you forget what you were taught.

[–] passionate_pinball 17 years ago

I wont say I blew stuff up, but I will say that it seems a little particular to pick out that one little scene in the movie to criticize.

[–] BadWebDiver 17 years ago

Showing the way tried be realistic yet allegorical at the same time, and it really didn't work.

Education is what's left when you forget what you were taught.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sun78 17 years ago

I don't think the kids meant to blow it up. They were having a fight with fireworks and one landed in the tractor. I don't quite remember that scene, but I do seem to remember that they didn't blow it up on purpose. Or did they??

[–] calishreveguy 17 years ago

I just watched the movie and it was by accident. The was it was played out seemed it could happencould happen. Now the whole incident in the water tower, thats a different story.

TMNT forever!

[–] Patrick487 17 years ago

I think it was good.

ILEW

[–] PenTheater 15 years ago

I thought that too, the whole "war" scene was over the top, but then you have to remember the person is narrating the story, so it becomes "what they saw and imagined from that day" therefor gets a little embelishment.
That way I can get through it.

[–] osopestoso 14 years ago

It was accidental.

[–] Culliganator 14 years ago

Fireworks can ignite gasoline, cigarettes cannot. It was more believable to me than most Hollywood explosions.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] OldFriendOfTheChristys 10 years ago

But when the tractor exploded, I thought the film lost a lot of credibility. I've seen kids fighting, lived in a few rough neighbourhoods, and I'd have to say that unless you're living on LA street or possibly in Ireland or something, kids very rarely actually blow stuff up. It's very unlikely kids are going to have the means or know-how to do that.

I actually find much of the “war” implausible, which really hurts the film.