By
Graig Uhlin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
"Men of Honor" a contrived tale of the human spirit
Film biopics must always convince their audiences, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that their subjects are righteous human beings, that the actions of these determined people represent superhuman feats whereby their success is directly connected to both their refusal to surrender their principles and their ceaseless drive to overcome.
Even when the subjects of these films in real life were perceived as less than admirable -porn king Larry Flynt, anyone? or late comedian Andy Kaufman? - their resolve is never questioned. Truth, justice and the American way always rest firmly in their hands until their inevitable vindication over a prejudiced and unforgiving society.
The very earnest new film, "Men of Honor," is no different as it almost desperately strives to reinforce the hero's unyielding resolve in the face of adversity. In a smart piece of casting, the always very earnest Cuba Gooding Jr. plays real-life Navy diver Carl Brashear, who struggles against the institutionalized racism of the newly integrated Navy as he aspires to rise to the rank of Master Diver.
Standing in his way is Master Chief Diver Billy Sunday, his diving school instructor played by Robert DeNiro, who chews both scenery and his tongue as he speaks in a thick Southern drawl. Sunday acts as the enforcer of the Navy's racism.
Moreoever, what a film that deals as directly with racism as "Men of Honor" - nearly every scene depicts Brashear's brave defiance in the face of prejudice - must do is thoroughly convince the audience of the infallibility of its subject. The audience should have no doubt that Brashear's hardships and setbacks are the results of his racist superiors and not his own faults. And while this is all well and good for imparting a worthwhile moral lesson, it seriously handicaps a drama.
Brashear becomes this one-dimensional character who is defined solely by his drive and ambition. Even when he loses his family as a result of his stubbornness, he suffers no loss of faith in his goal but instead just waits for his family to come to their senses - as they of course do by the film's end. There is no drama in watching people who know they will succeed - witness the anticlimatic conclusion of a World Series that the New York Yankees have won three times in a row. Self-doubt is far more interesting.
As a result, DeNiro's character becomes the compelling one to watch as he struggles with his own racist tendencies as they collide with his admiration for Brashear's abilities. Over the course of the film, the audience watches as Sunday defies his superiors and helps Brashear succeed.
Furthermore, despite all its good intentions, "Men of Honor" plays into the same old prejudices of Hollywood films. Brashear can only succeed by the film's conclusion with the help of Sunday as tutor, undermining what the first part of the film established - that Brashear could win on his own. Also, the film continues the stereotype that black men only can succeed as a result of their remarkable physical prowess - occasionally reducing Brashear to animalistic representations.
"Men of Honor" is a feel-good movie, which is perfectly OK for a movie. It has a sweeping score that will add fuel to anyone's patriotic fire. It makes one believe in the unstoppability of the human spirit and the triumph of will - that these truly are men of honor. But it does it all in superficial, manipulative ways - foregoing any dramatic tension that is not based on its one-note racism versus individual will structure.
