Can War Entertain? Lebanon DVD Giveaway

Which war movie is best?

“Best” can mean many different things, whatever you want it to mean.

Answer this question as a comment on this post, in reply to the relevant topic on the Action Flick Chick’s Facebook page, and/or as a tweet to @actionchick on twitter with the hashtag #warmovie. One randomly selected respondent will receive a free DVD of Samuel Maoz’s motion picture Lebanon. We’ll post your answers some time next week.

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Synopsis:
In 1982, during the First Lebanon War, a tank manned by a novice crew of Israeli soldiers are led into a town previously bombed by the air force. Young men who have never fought before are now placed inside of a killing achine and thrown into a situation that quickly spins out of control, testing the mental toughness of the men inside of a confined space, with only the lens of a periscopic gun sight to see the madness outside.
In LEBANON, writer-director Samuel Maoz has created a compelling, visceral drama in the tradition of Das Boot. Based on his personal experiences in the Israeli army, the film is as much a personal work of filmmaking as a triumph of powerful storytelling.

Cast:
Yosav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Shtrauss, Dudu Tassa, Ashraf Barhom, Reymonde Amsellem

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Please respect the feelings of those who treat the topic very seriously, and likewise please respect the rights of those who need to kid around. Making light of the worst topics can at times provide perspective or simply help people get through the world in which we live. We were concerned enough about this that the Action Flick Chick first posed this question on Facebook and twitter:

Why do people joke about war, death, & all the worst things in this world? Your thoughts?

Online friends swamped with response.

5harpie: Humor is a coping mechanism, we devalue the horror in our minds by making light of it, and that allows us to deal with it
aboynamedart: Gallows humor has always been a buffer against grief, no?
Anthony Liggins: It makes it easier for some people to deal with more serious things when people make light of them.
BassGJJRay: It’s how they deal with uncomfortable situations… Comedy is natures social lubricant… Or is that booze?

BGTNJeff: I fear if we didn’t joke, despair would take us all and the news reports would be of mass suicides.
BookWyrm69: probably because it’s easier to trivialize something through laughter than it is to actually do something to help…
Brett Reno: Death and taxes, AFC – the reality of that tick-tock bearing down on us all leaves lots of room for levity. But, what I want to know is, what set you off?
Brian Knox: Whistling past graveyards. Gallows humor.
briguy700: To deflect the reality of things? Ease the pain perhaps?
Carrie Kirkland: It’s called “shock humor” and it’s a way people deal with the uncomfortable things around them. “I don’t know how to deal with it so I’ll find a way to laugh at it”. It’s a defense mechanism really, but anyone who has studied comedy as an art knows it for what it is. Thing about “shock humor” is that it really should only be used in small doses… Some people don’t realize that.
castlemischief: Because sometimes if you don’t laugh at what you fear it gains too much power over you. It’s like whistling in the dark.
Charissa Gilmore Duff: For the same reason all medical people have a morbid sense of humor. If we didn’t laugh to blow off tension, we’d all drown our sorrows in tears or a bottle of tequila.
Christoffer Andersson:  Short version: Because nothing is sacred when it comes to comedy. Longer version: The subject matter contains very absurd factors that reflects back on the nature of humanity, and joking about this enables us to discuss (or at least display) …these factors without having to become depressed about the whole thing
EmperorOfNerds: because they’re dicks? or maybe they don’t care….but they think if they can get a laugh out of it that makes it okay, its not
EmperorOfNerds: joke about it in what way?
fesworks: it is said that people often joke about what they are uncomfortable with.
Greg Lemons: It makes it all easier to deal with.
Jason Rutledge: gallows humor. It’s a natural reaction.
jayeofmanyhats: I cannot speak for the world, but for me I joke about dark, angry, depressing, sad things to take their power over my life away
Jim Mack McGee: It takes the sting out of it, Same can be asked as to why people go to see slasher flicks, whats the appeal? I’ve thought about this many times. Many comics & jokes are just crass, trying to be as shocking as possible. Sometimes in times of great sorrow, the heart needs levity, and sometimes it’s just people who don’t know tact. It is a disconnect for the mind, people deal with tragedy death war
jomartin26: People joke about horrible things because it puts a lighter edge on the inevitable.
jpuopolo: in some cases for people who have experienced a lot of death it is a release mechanism
jpuopolo: my wife for example who is a doctor deals with death all the time, sometimes you need to laugh otherwise it would be so hard
justrashid: Humour helps people deal with adversity
Kevin Mack: Because, for some, the only comfortable way to address an uncomfortable topic is to dress it up as a clown.
killer_croc81: defense,nothing should not be made fun of or it wins,
laurenfaith: humor eases pain
LethalFrag: People use humor to alleviate their tension and disdain for the darker parts of human nature.
LukeGreensmith: Defence mechanism for dealing with dark things. Comedy as truth, and as balm.
michant2 It makes it easier to handle for some RT @ActionChick: Why people joke about war, death, & all the worst things in this world?
MightyGeek: For a lot of people, humor (even off-colored) is a defense mechanism to protect themselves from empathising with tragedy.
MisterSomething: to make light of it. To make us not get so down about it. It’s kinda sad but it’s understandable…
mutantstarr: some ppl have no class or a filter and joke at the wrong moments…..others realize there is a time and place for it.
mutantstarr: im not totally against it….but during the right moments….but eaxh his own.
mvp_repo1: because laughter unites?
nel1jack: coping mechanism. making a joke about the unjokable can keep your sanity
Piocos: It’s a coping mechanism – better to laugh with the sinners than cry with the Saints
PlayboyBPAC: So we don’t stress over soo we may make fun of stuff. We make our own humor.
PopCulLibrn: whistling in the dark (we fear them, so we cover up by mocking); L’Engle’s “Swiftly Tilting Planet” (Meg’s twin bros do this).
ProfessorBB Laughing At Horrible Realities, Many If Not Most, Believe That They Are Empowered By Their Selfish Indifference And Oblivion @ActionChick
Scott Roberts: because life sucks enough without being serious all the time… sometimes you just gotta laugh.
tdeliganis: its the only way to keep from losing all hope. It’s a natural defense mechanism
thedustud: It’s a way to help us deal with these intense issues. By making them light hearted and laughable, we they aren’t as scary.
TimKarasko: It helps us come to terms; how we can view these things, in a different light, in hopes of seeing their inherent insanity.
trekkerguy: Coping mechanism, unless you mean when they do it maliciously
workingclassdog @jayeofmanyhats @actionchick yup…ditto to that
WorkSuxAlot: I try not to joke about other peoples pain, but I joke about my own cancer all the time. Makes others more comfortable.
wpittenger: I see it as a way to cope with things we cannot control.
Zurph: If you use light humor it doesn’t hit you as hard. Remember you can’t have laughter without a bit of slaughter.