“Tears of the Sun” (Columbia Pictures)
Bruce Willis is always at his best in action movies and “Tears of the Sun” is a movie of constant action. Sure to bring patriotic smiles to the faces of those watching it, this film is a gung-ho war movie that reflects the best in the American soldier. This enthusiasm works for the film and against it as not everyone will want to be reminded of war and its horrors at this time in our nation’s life.
Willis plays Navy Lieutenant A. K. Waters. He leads a crew of men on a mission to rescue a doctor in the jungles of Nigeria. There has been a rebel uprising in that country and the doctor and some American missionaries are in grave danger. When the team arrives, Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) refuses to leave without the ambulatory people who are under her care. This presents a quandary for Waters as he is a man who always sticks precisely to his orders.
While Waters tries to figure out a way to get the doctor to leave and meet the rescue helicopters; his boss, Captain Bill Rhodes (Tom Skerritt) is on the phone ordering him to move. The rescue helicopters can’t be in Nigerian airspace for a long time as the United States does not want to be seen as interfering in the internal workings of the government there.
Willis is stoic and determined as Waters. With his shaved head and wearing green camouflage paint, he appears to be a creature of mystery. But his human side begins to emerge as he and Lena learn each other during the course of their trek to safety.
Bellucci is a real find. She is amazingly beautiful and can act too. She quickly establishes Lena’s heart and intelligence and makes her an admirable person. She is really the focus of the film and controls it all with charisma and depth.
The movie is directed by Antoine Fuqua who gained fame with his film “Training Day.” He brings the same kind of gritty realism to this movie;.
The film is rated R for profanity and violence.
“Tears of the Sun” is an action film with heart. It also delivers a message which states that men must always act in a way that protects and betters other men. Whether that message will sell in today’s on the verge of war climate is unknown. Either way the movie is still an entertaining one.
I scored “Tears of the Sun” a misty 6 out of 10.
©2003 Jackie K. Cooper
