The idea of “no man left behind” sounds appealing and reasonable. However, it can cause some major setbacks that could be avoided if it is decided that a man could be left behind. It is understandable that a unit would want to move forward together to reach their final destination. But the movie, “Black Hawk Down,” shows how it could lead to an unfavorable outcome.

It was’t unusual to see many American soldiers injured, with their legs blown off or no hands. In a scene that specifically stuck out to me, two soldiers were in the front seat of a vehicle, and about ten to fifteen injured/dead soldiers in the back. The soldier who was driving got shot in the face and couldn’t see a thing. But the man who was in the front seat with him insisted he keep his foot on the gas. How can a man who had just been shot in the face, unable to see, and in what I imagine, unbearable pain, still drive a vehicle? Instead of moving him over or leaving him, he was expected to still take on the responsibility of driving the other injured soldiers to medics.

There were many scenes of soldiers putting their lives on the line in order to help the other men. I admit that it is an incredibly heroic act, and they should be praised for their courage. However, it also could lead to their own deaths, so is it really worth it?

Black Hawk Down. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore. Sony Pictures, 2001. Film.

With any major responsibility comes a lot of power. Or maybe by being given a lot of power, comes the major responsibility. Either way, it can get to a person’s head. For example, in the movie “A Few Good Men,” Lieutenant Kendrick was in charge of a group of marines. He ordered the entire unit not to touch Santiago, one of the marines who had fallen ill. However, minutes after they were dismissed, he ordered two men to shave Santiago’s head. It became suspected that he actually ordered a code red.

Although Kendrick wasn’t the one who committed the crime, he was the one who instructed that two of his marines do. This caused a sticky situation because it could have been argued that the two men could have realized the extremity of what they were instructed to do, and denied Kendrick’s order. But Kaffee argued the point that in the marines, it is taught that you do as you’re told, and if you deny it, then you pack your bags and leave. The two marines were simply doing as Kendrick instructed.

Lieutenant Kendrick had no worry in the world. He felt he was invincible and could not become arrested for what he ordered his men to do. Instead, it was the two marines who committed the actual crime that were facing time in prison. When on the stand, the Lieutenant felt as if his power was undermined when Kaffee, the attorney representing the two marines in question, didn’t refer to him as “Sir.” It becomes clear that Kendrick let the power get the best of him, which led him to order the homicide of Santiago, and convince himself that the rules didn’t apply to him because he was a respected marine, and the law couldn’t touch him.

It is important for leaders to keep their morals in check. They can have all the power in the world, but if they don’t use it in the right way, it can lead to some very destructive decisions. It’s equally important to keep in mind that although they may be well respected, it does not excuse them from their bad decisions. If it comes to light, there is a possibility they will be punished for their crimes, just like any, less powerful person would be.

A Few Good Men. Dir. Rob Reiner. Prod. Rob Reiner, David Brown, and Andrew Scheinman. By Aaron Sorkin. Perf. Aaron Sorkin, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, and Kevin Bacon. Columbia Pictures, 1992.

The movie “Saving Private Ryan” was easily my favorite assigned movie this far. Director Steven Spielberg did a great job at making the scenes realistic and emotional enough to form some sort of connection with the viewer.

An interesting conflict was presented when Captain Miller was instructed to carry out an order to find Private Ryan and bring him back home to his mother. Private Ryan was one of four brothers who were fighting in World War II. Unfortunately, all three of his brothers were killed in action. News of their deaths would reach their mother all on the same day. In an effort to bring comfort to her, General Marshall commanded that the one remaining son be found and brought back home.

Captain Miller was given this order, so he led his men on the search for Private Ryan. In the process, two of his men got shot and killed. This led to the remaining soldiers resenting Captain Miller, saying they don’t understand how the life of one person, Private Ryan, could be more valuable than the lives of the men who were killed, and the lives of the soldiers who were being put in danger.

Captain Miller kept his thoughts and emotions to himself at first. When one of his soldiers was killed, he wandered off and began crying alone. As the movie progressed, he eventually opened up to his men and said that with every death he encounters, he feels farther away from home. This scene showed the struggle he was going through during the war, and that he was genuinely affected by losing the two soldiers. However, he was given the order to find Private Ryan, and he obeyed them.

I viewed Captain Miller as a respectable leader. Although he had superiors to attend to, he was in charge of his own group of men. The movie portrayed him as a genuine and capable person, which are qualities of a successful leader. Although he wasn’t happy of the sacrifices he had to make when following orders, he knew it would be for the greater good. In the end, Private Ryan proved that these sacrifices were well spent, he earned it.

Saving Private Ryan. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Prod. Steven Spielberg. By Robert Rodat. Perf. Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore. DreamWorks Pictures, 1998.