For “Fiction Friday” today, we turn our attention to a 2020 summer blockbuster released on Apple TV. Greyhound is an understated, but great war film.
Greyhound, starring Tom Hanks, is understated in the sense that character development is limited, the plot is very straightforward, and it doesn’t try to compete with traditional “tentpole” type summer blockbusters — the kind known for their over-the-top displays of SFX and CGI.
While I would’ve appreciated a little more character development, I respect the fact that the filmmakers chose to tighten their focus on brave men doing their jobs in difficult conditions.
As such, with the exception of a brief flashback at the film’s beginning, the movie is non-stop action. But that action isn’t gory or gratuitous. Instead, it’s more a matter of pacing — emphasizing the terrible, never-ending stress that our World War II Navy men endured as they worked hard to safely escort troops and supplies across the Atlantic to Europe.
There’s no forced soap opera drama (looking at you, Pearl Harbor). And the movie is thankfully free of what is becoming an all-too-common tendency in our society today to beat up on past generations for their failure to be “woke” enough on various issues.
Yes, there were sins in the past – major sins (like, at the time of World War 2, racial segregation) – but there was also good. And that good deserves to be recognized.
Men like my Grandpa who were ferried over to Europe in one of those convoys (like the kind portrayed in Greyhound) and who then fought in World War II deserve to be honored for their sacrifice, courage, and patriotism. They deserve to be honored without such tributes being buried in a shame-and-guilt narrative. And that’s what they get with Greyhound.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Tom Hanks (who was the driving force behind this film as well as the star) making this movie AND keeping the focus on honoring our World War II veterans — especially, in the case of Greyhound, our World War II Navy veterans.
From a cinematic/film standpoint, the acting is (as mentioned before) understated, but it works. You feel the stress, the loss, the hardship – as these men go about their jobs with little rest and largely without complaint.
And I love how they portray the U-Boats — accompanied by ominous, near-screeching musical notes as they rise to the surface. The U-boats are portrayed as menacing sharks circling and striking at their near-helpless prey.
While it’s a bit unrealistic, the film has the U-boat wolfpack commander tapping into the Allies’ frequency and taunting them over the radio. According to a couple of history articles I read, this never really happened. But…. it was cool! And it made the villains more impactful.
The best part of the movie – at least for me – is the fact that, well, it’s basically a Christian movie. Not in the cheesy way most Christian films are done, but in a realistic way.
The main character (Commander Krause, played by Hanks) is a Christian. This is made very clear in the film – including how the film opens and closes. And yet the film doesn’t preach to you or beat people over the head with a Bible. It just shows a man of faith dealing with life in a way that’s guided by his maturity, wisdom, training, and (yes) faith. In my opinion, that’s the best kind of Christian film. A film that just shows Christians in action rather than trying too hard to BE a Christian film.
My only complaints are:
- The movie is too short. It’s under 90 minutes.
- It wasn’t on the Big Screen. This film is clearly made for the movie theater. And even Hanks himself, in interviews, expressed disappointment that it is being released through Apple Plus instead of in the theaters — this decision of course due to the coronavirus.
World War II history buffs should DEFINITELY watch this movie. See it as soon as you can. Do not pass and do not collect $200. (Well, if someone offers you $200, go ahead and take it — but only if taking it won’t prevent you from seeing Greyhound.)
If you’re not a history buff, you may not enjoy this movie as much, but remember: Pretty much ANY movie starring Tom Hanks is a good movie. So, there’s that.
I often don’t have a lot of time to watch full-length movies, but I’m glad I made time for this.
God bless you.
