|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 8, 2018 1:28:43 GMT
The military drama 'Heartbreak Ridge' tells the story of a highly decorated, battle-hardened U.S. Marine, Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway (Clint Eastwood), whose respected superior Major Devin (Peter Jason) fixes him up with a return to his roots before forced retirement. Highway must knock some young, unruly marines into shape but he's back with old friends including Sergeant Major J. Choozhoo (Arlen Dean Snyder), seasoned bartender Mary Jackson (Eileen Heckart) and sexy cocktail waitress Aggie (Marsha Mason). His platoon leader Lieutenant M.R. Ring (Boyd Gaines) is a decent man but his superior Major Malcolm A. Powers (Everett McGill) is a complete jerk. With rock musician Corporal 'Stitch' Jones (Mario Van Peebles) pulling the platoon's strings, Highway knows it'll have to be his way or the highway, with no room for compromise.
"Clint’s avoidance of eggs shows how the low-fat craze permeated through several parts of American life. Clint was also well known within the bodybuilding world having trained with several high profile names including Vince Gironda and Arnold Schwarzenegger."
- Conor Heffernan, 'Clint Eastwood – Ambassador Of Fitness'
"Possibly fearing that his lifelong commitment to artistry and empathy might make him look a bit, y’know, soft, every so often Clint has to drop a real jarheaded clunker just to remind the world of his boorish Republican credentials. ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ is the most offensive of these, a no-cliché-unturned story of candy-ass recruits under the cosh of their no-bullsh*t Sergeant (Clint, natch). Imagine ‘Full Metal Jacket’ without the style, substance, intelligence or insight."
- Tom Huddleston, Time Out
Marsha Mason & Clint Eastwood
'Boyish' - Japanese Breakfast
'Heartbreak Ridge' is a passion project for Clint Eastwood that celebrates old school discipline and America's military history. Eastwood determined to get into prime shape to take the lead, and that meant 'The Eiger Sanction' (1975) rock-climbing shape, making Highway one of his biggest physical presences yet. On a mental level, Highway unsettles his new recruits with idle threats, yet he also releases a constant delivery of homoerotic quips as he knocks them into shape. Watching 'Heartbreak Ridge' made me realise Eastwood could have made a great entry in the 'Friday The 13th' slasher series in the mid-1980s, had he so desired.
"It's hard to fathom that it's been almost thirty years since Eastwood perfected his cranky old man character in a film where he plays old-school USMC Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway. As his last assignment before retirement, Highway is tasked with training a recon platoon full of modern, undisciplined Marines with a bad attitude. Spoiler: old school wins.
Young Marines who are tired of hearing how much more disciplined things were back in the old days will especially appreciate this, since today's senior brass are the terrible recruits who need Eastwood to teach them the true path."
- James Barber, Military.com
"Dec. 5, 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of the Clint Eastwood classic, “Heartbreak Ridge.” Some of you millennial types may not have heard of it, much to your disadvantage, though perhaps the saltier ones among you are shouting “Ooh-Freakin’-Rah!” right now. “Heartbreak Ridge” might not be the entire reason I joined the Marine Corps, but it was probably the reason I was so excited to do it.
This film is probably the last major example of the classic war movie formula (spoiler alert!) — a unit of screw-ups gets tough new sergeant whom the troops hate until he earns their respect and eventually leads them successfully in combat. Gunnery Sgt. Tom Highway, played by Clint Eastwood, is the leader, in what might be his meanest and most scowl-filled performance outside of 2008’s “Gran Torino.” Eastwood has apparently been a hard*ss 70-year-old for 30 years now."
- Carl Forsling, Task & Purpose
Clint Eastwood
'Trying' - Bully
General reports apparently released by real U.S. military organisations suggested 'Heartbreak Ridge' had left them flummoxed as propaganda but thoroughly entertained as entertainment. The soundtrack entertains the work of Van Peebles who combines blistering soft rock with street rap. Despite the pairing of screen legends, Marsha Mason isn't actually given all that much to do, which I find most disappointing. This Eastwood classic still divides opinion, with some fiercely defending it, others simply trashing it. It regularly plays on U K tv. |
|
|
|
Post by movielover on Jul 8, 2018 1:39:50 GMT
I saw it in the movie theater when it first came out. I enjoyed it, especially the first 2/3 of the movie.
|
|
Seto
Sophomore
@seto
Posts: 315
Likes: 233
 
|
Post by Seto on Jul 8, 2018 1:43:48 GMT
One of Eastwood's lesser films that I've always enjoyed.
Love the dialogue and the characters. Good fun.
|
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 8, 2018 1:57:53 GMT
One of Eastwood's lesser films that I've always enjoyed. Love the dialogue and the characters. Good fun. The dialogue still shocks me. So sexualised and profane for a military drama. |
|
Seto
Sophomore
@seto
Posts: 315
Likes: 233
|
Post by Seto on Jul 8, 2018 2:02:22 GMT
Petrolino, would you call it a drama though?? I'd lean more towards action comedy.
|
|
|
|
Post by taylorfirst1 on Jul 8, 2018 2:11:15 GMT
Fun movie but not one of Eastwood's best.
|
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 8, 2018 2:19:38 GMT
Petrolino, would you call it a drama though?? I'd lean more towards action comedy. It's a good question. I guess I feel the tone jumps a bit. The training sequences veer towards action comedy and are very enjoyable, but the story becomes more factualised and serious as the film progresses. |
|
|
|
Post by bravomailer on Jul 8, 2018 2:20:26 GMT
Didn't care much for it. It's a shopworn story of a tough sergeant whipping a group of lads into a fighting force. And the payoff? Not Iwo or Khe Sanh. The "epic" battle for Grenada.
|
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 8, 2018 2:23:06 GMT
Didn't care much for it. It's a shopworn story of a tough sergeant whipping a group of lads into a fighting force. And the payoff? Not Iwo or Khe Sanh. The "epic" battle for Grenada. It's overlong too, in my opinion. There isn't enough material there to justify a 2 hour running time. |
|
|
|
Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Jul 8, 2018 14:06:40 GMT
I love this movie, it has some funny, filthy lines! I bought the DVD awhile back but haven't rewatched it yet, last saw it back in the 80's.  |
|
|
|
Post by movielover on Jul 8, 2018 14:12:37 GMT
I love this movie, it has some funny, filthy lines! I bought the DVD awhile back but haven't rewatched it yet, last saw it back in the 80's. Ha! I bought the DVD many years ago too, and also have yet to watch it. |
|
|
|
Post by Captain Spencer on Jul 8, 2018 14:52:05 GMT
Loved this bit of dialogue: "I've drunk more beer, banged more quiff, pissed more blood and stomped more ass than all of you numbnuts put together."
|
|
|
|
Post by koskiewicz on Jul 8, 2018 15:55:16 GMT
...I'm certain the vile language is quite common to any of you who have been in boot camp. Drill Instructors will call you every name and insult in the book.
|
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 8, 2018 21:04:39 GMT
Loved this bit of dialogue: "I've drunk more beer, banged more quiff, pissed more blood and stomped more ass than all of you numbnuts put together." |
|
|
|
Post by joekiddlouischama on Jul 10, 2018 8:25:20 GMT
Didn't care much for it. It's a shopworn story of a tough sergeant whipping a group of lads into a fighting force. And the payoff? Not Iwo or Khe Sanh. The "epic" battle for Grenada. Eastwood tried to make an ironic point out of the great battle for Grenada—hence his character chomping on the cigar of a fallen adversary and saying, "I guess we're not 0-1-1 anymore," referring to America's previous "loss" in Vietnam and "tie" in Korea—as if Grenada really redeemed those two earlier ambiguous bloodbaths in which over 112,000 American servicemen perished (not to mention millions of combined enemies and civilians). Eastwood appeared to be attempting an ambivalent statement that would emphasize his character's ambiguous inner state and emotional emptiness. But as indicated earlier in the thread, the film represents a jumble of ambitions—military comedy; intimidating military training of the recruits (almost a less stylized, more relaxed, funnier version of Full Metal Jacket, which would hit theaters a few months later); critique of the modern military (real sacrifice versus contemporary war games); relationship drama; traumatic legacy of Vietnam; exploration of machismo (Old School sergeant makes perfunctory efforts to ingratiate himself with New Age sensitivity); and, yes, geopolitical satire. Eastwood was serving as mayor of Carmel, California, at the time, and thus his vision may have been a bit clouded with regard to this film. Ultimately, the movie is most memorable for his performance and the outrageous dialogue. Certainly, it has its moments, especially as a comedy and a study of machismo (even a parody of John Wayne), but it is not one of Eastwood's more assured or visually impressive directorial films. Then again, his standard is very high. |
|
|
|
Post by joekiddlouischama on Jul 10, 2018 8:27:29 GMT
General reports apparently released by real U.S. military organisations suggested 'Heartbreak Ridge' had left them flummoxed as propaganda but thoroughly entertained as entertainment. The soundtrack entertains the work of Van Peebles who combines blistering soft rock with street rap. Despite the pairing of screen legends, Marsha Mason isn't actually given all that much to do, which I find most disappointing. This Eastwood classic still divides opinion, with some fiercely defending it, others simply trashing it. It regularly plays on U K tv. Apparently they were hoping for another Top Gun, released earlier in 1986 ... |
|
|
|
Post by petrolino on Jul 11, 2018 0:08:14 GMT
General reports apparently released by real U.S. military organisations suggested 'Heartbreak Ridge' had left them flummoxed as propaganda but thoroughly entertained as entertainment. The soundtrack entertains the work of Van Peebles who combines blistering soft rock with street rap. Despite the pairing of screen legends, Marsha Mason isn't actually given all that much to do, which I find most disappointing. This Eastwood classic still divides opinion, with some fiercely defending it, others simply trashing it. It regularly plays on U K tv. Apparently they were hoping for another Top Gun, released earlier in 1986 ... It would make a good double bill with 'Top Gun'.  |
|
