MovieChat Forums > Stop-Loss (2008) Discussion > Best Scene

Best Scene

posted 14 years ago by mighty_frogman
9 replies | jump to latest

The best scene in the movie is when Sgt Shriver decks Ssg King, after Tommy's funeral. It was no longer about the army or the president or a clause in a contract. It was about this one soldier running out on his men, on his friends. There is no more truth in this movie than that one scene.

I'm a former US sailor who was sent to areas of the world I didn't always want to go. I never went AWOL or deserted. In a million years I would never run out on my guys. And that is what every cowardly deserter does. I'd have more respect for some of these people to just refuse to deploy and do their prison time.

As a man how do you trust this guy to ever have your back when he has proven he runs when times get hard. As a wife how do you trust this guy not to run out on you when times get tough with the kids? A deserter is the worst thing that a soldier can become. There is no honor in running away and avoiding the consequences of your actions. In my opinion deserting is no less shameful than leaving a wounded man on the battlefield. You ask any person whether it's solder/sailor/marine/airmen what the most important thing is to them, and they will say it's the people next to them.

This is a highly biased movie but I'm glad the directors kept this scene.

[–] aGuiltySoul 14 years ago

Yes, kudos to Kimberley Peirce for trying to keep this a balanced story. And I absolutely understand what you are saying. It's not just the armed services where you have to know that someone is going to watch your back. It's the epitome of comradarie in tough times anywhere.

But the question also has to be asked, how much is asking too much of such dedicated and loyal men and women, not from each other, but from the authorities and higher ups, particularly the fat cat politicians? How much does a select group of the population have to give so that no one else has to? I think this was an unadulturated look at what today's self concerned citizens need to see. Of course, it had miserable box office because no one wants to see. But that doesn't detract from the excellence of this film overall.

My favorite scene is Brandon, his mother, and Michelle at the Mexican border. When he gets out of the car and explains why he can't go on I never fail to be profoundly moved. When it comes down to it, he could not turn his back on everything and everyone he's sacrificed so mightily for.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] robertallenandersonjr 14 years ago

Thats probably my favorite scene in the movie as well. I love the acting in this movie and especially that scene. It almost brought a bit of tears to my eyes when he explained why he couldn't leave his Family and friends behind and go to Mexico. Amazing Movie in my opinion.

[–] cmcurrie2 14 years ago

Wereyou stop-lossed? That is the key issue here.

[–] MyersHome78 13 years ago

When times get tough with the kids? Being sent to areas of the world you don't wanna go to?

It seems clear you don't understand the movie. It seems like you think he decided to run away because he was scared, but no. He went to Iraq because he believed he was doing an honorable thing by fighting for his country, and then, like so many soldiers sent to Iraq, realized the reasons were *beep* and don't hold up. It's not about him not wanting to go back because HE doesn't want to go somewhere and that he's scared, it's about him not wanting to go back because he realizes the reason for the war was a lie and they KILL innocent people, families and children, and shoot everything on sight because they get a "killed or be killed mentality" like he explained in the movie. He doesn't want to go back because he doesn't believe in the "good" they were supposedly doing by going to war in Iraq anymore, doesn't want to kill any more innocent people and doesn't want to get his men killed for no reason. "I will not lead any more of my men into a slaughter" is what he said. You seem to think he;s scared of doing his duty, but what he's always wanted was to do his duty, only to realize that what the country is doing over there is wrong. It's not your duty as a soldier to kill a bunch of innocent people and get your men killed doing that with you. By the way, stop loss is only in times of war, and he explains that the president said the war was over. He wasn't running away, he was completely in his right. It should not have been possible for anyone to be stop-lossed if the commander in chief says the war is over. Would you consider it your duty as well if your superior asked you to throw innocent kids out of the boat? Because your superior said it, and you're a sailor, would you be the worst kind of sailor there is for refusing to obey? Would you be ashamed as a man to have dared to refuse killing innocent children just because it was an order? Even though the order isn't legal and goes against everything you stand for? Maybe now you understand his dilemma a little better...

DBE: 'I am.. Goku... I.. am Oozaru... To be at one with myself I must be two...'

[–] aGuiltySoul 13 years ago

I think you've not only explained a legitimate running thread of this movie, Myershome78, but also why some people seem to hate it so much. There's a mentality that once Americans, good hearted, young Americans, have suffered and died in a conflict or war that it is disloyal to them to point out the wrong headedness of that conflict or war. This film explores the opposite side of the coin, that to FAIL to speak out or act out is disloyalty to everything admirable about those men and women and what drove them into battle to fight for their country.

That is the unspoken theme of this story, but the story still remains a story told from the POV of the soldiers doing the fighting, particularly one young man who has already shown himself to be brave and loyal to his men, a true leader.

It's not a lecture on the rights or wrongs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's the story of that one good ol' boy and his sense of right and wrong at odds with government policy, and the journey it takes him on, both physically and emotionally.

As a film, it is very well done and well performed. And since it was made by people who passionately wanted to tell this story and explore these ideas from a soldier's POV, I'd say that the impassioned response from the haters shows that they did their job.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] Tunaman09 12 years ago

by - mighty_frogman

I'm a former US sailor who was sent to areas of the world I didn't always want to go. I never went AWOL or deserted. In a million years I would never run out on my guys. And that is what every cowardly deserter does. I'd have more respect for some of these people to just refuse to deploy and do their prison time.

I'm sorry but that is BS of the highest order

So what you are saying is if you are ordered back into the Army when you clearly don't want it you have two choices, 1. flee to another country or 2. go to jail as a deserter, so much for the land of the free

Last games completed: - Metro 2033 (360), - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

[–] sandifay62 12 years ago

If a guy is saying what he really feels, how is it BS? He never said he'd do what you'd do and doesn't have to. He's talking about the principle of facing the consequences of standing up for his beliefs even if it results in a prison sentence rather than becoming a refugee in another country and live without their loved ones and identity.

[–] Tunaman09 12 years ago

I get that and he can say exactly what he thinks but I just didn't agree that people are 'cowardly deserters' for doing it.

But the question is why should you have to leave your country of go to jail instead?

Facing the consequences? Why should there be consequences if you do your time that you have to and want to leave you should be let. At the end of the day the Army is just a job and if your contracted time is over then you should be able to leave.

Last games completed: - Homefront (360), - Fallout 3 (PS3)

[–] 12 years ago

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