In “A Bridge Too Far,” the director shows the bond that some military leaders such as Taylor, Gavin, Urquhart, and Sosabowski had with their men. They shared various similarities in the ways in which they led their troops into battle during World War II.

For example, in a very short scene involving General Taylor, the viewer can easily tell what kind of respect and understanding there was between him and the soldiers. While they were on one of the planes, General Taylor simply looked at his soldier, and the soldier responded in agreement. Taylor didn’t have to say a word in order for his soldier to understand just what he was thinking.

Another character from the movie, General Urquhart, speaks up when he shows General Browning the pictures of tanks in Arnhem. However, Urquhart insists that it should be a concern when going into battle.

During the beginning of the movie, when Operation Market Garden was put into effect, there were several Generals who opposed it, or didn’t believe it would be successful. Regardless, they stayed quiet and kept their opinions to themselves because they didn’t want to cause a stir. One of the characters who went by this trend was General Sosabowski. He was a man of very few words, but when he did speak up, it was meaningful.

Lastly, General Gavin proved himself to be tactful when he asked for men who are “tough,” “experienced,” and “dumb enough” to take a bridge. Gavin wasn’t brought up much throughout the movie, but when he was, it was important to the plot. He offered information on and strategies for the war.

These four military leaders were all similar in the sense that they were more quiet and reserved when they led. They weren’t very aggressive, loud, or boisterous. They kept to themselves until they felt it was absolutely necessary to speak out. I’m not sure if this is a good leadership skill. I believe a leader should be willing to take control, no matter how uncomfortable the situation may become.

A Bridge Too Far. Dir. Richard Attenborough. Perf. Sean Connery, Gene Hackman. Mgm, 1977.

In the movie “Gettysburg,” the viewer is introduced to various leaders during the Civil War: Colonel Chamberlain, Robert E. Lee, and Meade to name a few. It portrays the different techniques these military leaders used to encourage and advance their men. Although some of these tactics were never before used or heard of, they proved to be successful. For example, Colonel Chamberlain was put in charge of the 40th Maine. When their ammunition ran out, he encouraged his men to charge. He reminded them of what the goal was, and empowered them to keep going.

Another successful leader, aside from Chamberlain, was Robert E. Lee, who led the Confederates. He was well respected by his men and other leaders. With the help of Stonewall Jackson and Longstreet, he was indestructible. However, Jackson was killed within the first few days of Gettysburg. Lee didn’t adjust to the new circumstances he was placed in, and didn’t accustom himself with Jackson’s replacements. This inevitably led to the Confederates loss at the Battle of Gettysburg.

A lesser known leader, but a better leader than Lee, was General Meade who led the Union. He wasn’t very popular and had taken command only a few days before the start of the battle. Unlike Lee, he didn’t trust his instincts and develop a master plan for his men. Instead, he checked in on other leaders, took their ideas into consideration and planned accordingly. Meade knew that in order to succeed in battle, he had to constantly adjust himself and his men to work with the new circumstances they would be constantly placed in. He didn’t set anything in stone, and in turn, was prepared for any potential outcome.

In this sense, Meade was a more successful leader and led the Union to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain and Meade were very much alike in the sense of adapting to new circumstances. Even though Lee was viewed as a legendary military leader, he had a major fault. He was indeed indestructible with the help of Jackson and Longstreet, but a true leader shouldn’t have to rely on others for their success. A leader should be prepared for any outcome, and know how to keep pushing forward.

Gettysburg. Dir. Ronald F. Maxwell. By Ronald F. Maxwell. Perf. Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang, and Jeff Daniels. New Line Cinema, 1993.

The movie “Glory” showed several racial issues that were occurring during the Civil War, specifically in the military and the 54th regiment. During Lincoln’s presidency, slaves were rioting and fighting for their freedom. It was a rough time in American history, and we suffered an immense number of casualties. It’s truly sad how there was a point in time when people, simply for the fact that they were born with a darker complexion, had to fight and die for their freedom. However, with the help of strong military leaders like Colonel Shaw and Lincoln as president, our country overcame these hard times.

In “Glory,” there was a scene when Colonel Shaw announced to his regiment that because the 54th was a colored regiment, instead of receiving the full thirteen dollar pay that the white soldiers were receiving, they would only get ten. One of the soldiers started protesting, and others soon followed. Colonel Shaw, to my surprise, sided with his regiment. He said that if his soldiers refuse pay, then so will he. There is also a scene when the character Morgan Freeman plays is promoted within the regiment. This portrayed how much trust Shaw must have had in his soldiers. He also believes in the ability of them when he volunteers the 54th to be the first to attack at Fort Wagner, knowing that they will suffer the most casualties.

The movie did a really good job at showing the struggle people of color had to go through even within the military. It was pleasant to see how strong of a leader Shaw was. He sided with his soldiers and fought for them and with them. This is an admirable trait in any leader. It’s easy to boss people around, and tell them what to do. But it’s refreshing to see that Shaw did command his soldiers, but had the same standards and expectations for himself as well. There were obvious differences between colored and white people in the military, but luckily, it didn’t stop the progression of our country.

Glory. Dir. Edward Zwick. Perf. Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington. TriStar Pictures, 1989. Film.

In the movie, “Patton,” Patton is portrayed as an aggressive, but respected general. It isn’t difficult to tell that he takes an immense pride in fighting for his country. However, because he’s so aggressive, it leads others to misunderstand him. Some even begin to fear him. A line from the movie that depicts his technique as a leader very well is when he says “I don’t want these men to love me, I want them to fight for me.” He felt the need to instill fear in his soldiers in order for them to respect and obey him. Patton believed that it was the duty of a man to not be a “coward,” and fight for the betterment and success of his beloved country.

General Bradley, however, is depicted as a much calmer and strategic leader. Although it’s obvious that he knows what he’s doing, he doesn’t seem to be very passionate about it. For example, he said to Patton in a scene, “I command because that’s what I was trained to do, but you, you do it because it’s what you love.” So even though Bradley is much smarter and structured in the way he leads, his love for it isn’t there. He still believes a man should fight for the success of his country, but he does it in a less obvious way.

I would probably rather be like Patton. The movie does an amazing job at showing both leaders’ strengths and weaknesses, but I felt more compassion for Patton. I feel like when someone is passionate about something, he/she doesn’t think rationally. It becomes more difficult to restrict what we say when we so strongly believe in something. Although I don’t agree with some of the things Patton said/did, I would rather be a leader like him. For example, I didn’t agree with what he said in the scene where he slapped the crying soldier when he confessed he was overwhelmed by all that was going on with the war. Patton called him a coward, and told him to “be a man.” I thought it was too harsh for him to say to the young soldier, especially when a world war can take a toll on anyone. However, I feel like that scene really showed the viewer how invested Patton was in the war.

Patton. Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner. Perf. Michael Bates, Karl Malden. Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.

-in general, what it takes to be a successful leader

-how hollywood influences the view we have on effective leadership in the military

-how leaders gained the trust and respect of those they took under their guidance

Hey!

My name is Sanella; it’s different, I know. It’s actually a really common name in Montenegro, where my dad’s from. I’m a second semester freshman at Stony Brook, on a pre-nursing track. I was born and raised in Queens, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have an older sister, but she acts like an annoying younger sibling most times. My mom is Peruvian, and I consider myself more Peruvian than Montenegrin because my mom made an extraordinary effort to expose me to my Latin roots. Ever since I was a baby, she’d speak to me in Spanish. When I turned eight years old, she enrolled me in Peruvian folklore dance classes. Although it was mortifying at the time, I now appreciate that she exposed me to such a beautiful culture and that it helped shaped me into who I am.

Something that I take pride in is my open-mindedness. I always try to be understanding and accepting of others, even if it isn’t something I agree with. I probably owe it to my upbringing for making me this way. My parents come from two completely different continents, and therefore different cultures. Even within my own home, I was always introduced to different foods, different languages, different traditions. I would go from eating cevapi (common Montenegrin dish) one night, to eating lomo saltado (common Peruvian dish) the next. I would transition from having a full out conversation in Spanish with my mom one minute, to having small talk with my dad in Serbo-Croatian the next.

Lastly, I love trying new things. I suppose you could say I like taking risks. I may throw a tantrum and cry in the process, but there’s no doubt I’ll end up trying it. For example, I’m a terrible swimmer. On top of that, big bodies of water petrify me. Really, the only time I can be in deep water and not be afraid is if I’m standing in the three foot section of a pool. Anyway, this past summer, I visited my family in California. They devoted a whole day to water sports. My family took my sister and me to a lake, rented a jet ski, and insisted we ride on the back of one. Can you imagine my terror? I mustered up all the courage I had in me, disregarded my racing heart, and got on it. My cousin drove it, and went 60mph because he thought it’d be funny. That’s not even the best part. By the end of the day, I was the one driving the jet ski. Me! There I was, all alone, in the middle of a deep, immense body of water, driving a jet ski. Even though I was ridiculously scared, it was easily the highlight of my trip.

-Sanella

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