War movies are a genre of film that I absolutely admire and appreciate, but tend to avoid for the most part. My reasoning for avoiding them is understandable, in a sense; oftentimes, war movies are incredibly sad as they depict the harsh realities of battle and what soldiers experience. That isn’t to say that we should always avoid things that make us uncomfortable, though, and while war movies aren’t necessarily my favourite, I will watch one from time to time because I think it is important to educate myself on past wars and their history.
A few nights ago, Blaine and I watched a movie on Netflix titled Devotion. Released in 2022, Devotion is an autobiographical war film that tells the true story of Jesse Brown, who was the first black aviator in American Navy history, and the brotherhood he forges with his fellow fighter pilot Tom Hudner. The war that the film depicts is referred to as the forgotten war in the film, known as the brutal Korean War.
I don’t want to give too much away, but this movie is incredibly educational in the context of racism. Witnessing what Jesse Brown was subjected to solely because of the colour of his skin was heartbreaking, and this treatment, sadly, is one that can be widely related to.
This movie absolutely wrecked me. I honestly don’t think I have ever cried so much watching a movie in my entire life, and Blaine can attest to this; the acting portrayed by Johnathan Majors (Jesse Brown) and Glen Powell (Tom Hudner) is so real, raw and authentic, and I think their performances do the bond that developed between Hudner and Brown true justice.
Please, please watch this film. It isn’t easy to watch, but it is important to do so in order to do and be better for future generations.
Photo by Museums Victoria on Unsplash
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