“Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.”

- Damon Runyon

The Red Badge of Courage is a John Huston Civil War classic starring Audie Murphy and Bill Mauldin (yes, the WWII creator of the "Willie and Joe" cartoons). Barely over an hour long, the movie pretty much sticks to Stephen Crane's novel and features multiple passages read outloud by the film's narrator. While clearly a war movie about "courage", I found the most interesting embedded message here to be about the untested soldier Henry Fleming's struggles to match his confidence and self-image with what he wanted it to be or hoped it could be and with his perception of the expectations of others. Battle happens to be the ready setting for this story, but the essential conflict could have been depicted in many ways. At the beginning of the story Fleming and his Union comrades in arms have never been in battle and are bored with military life and useless drilling. Itching to fight (each other if they can't get at the Rebels) the men talk boisterously of the feats they will perform under fire and young Fleming joins in while alternately withdrawing into his doubts. He struggles because he's afraid he will be afraid, and because the realization of his fear appears to confirm the worst. Yet he doesn't want to consider himself a coward, or be considered a coward by his fellow troops or his family. He speaks and writes in ways meant to show that he will stand firm, but he has to question himself.

Battle looming or not, untested young men have to deal with the same concerns and hope they will rise to be among the best while fearing they will be among the worst, and the fear of failure can be more motivating than the fear of death itself. This movie is a good opportunity to look at the nature of courage, the influence of others around us in inspiring our best or most craven characteristics, and even to examine the role of faith in giving us a workable handle for grabbing hold of the world. It is also good preparation for young men (or older men) who have not been tested so that they know their doubts or thoughts are not unique to them.

Point to Ponder:
After the Rebels' first brief attack and retreat, and then after the last battle, Fleming and the others saw the world - and appreciated things - in a different way. Imagine yourself in those same moments; how would you describe the sensation?

Questions to ask:

1. Fleming was embarrassed first to have run, and then embarassed to be recognized for his fighting. Why do you think both were embarrassing to him?


2. What was the philosophy of the "happy soldier" (played by Andy Devine) that Fleming met the night after the first battle? Did this have an affect on Fleming?


3. Was it courage or another kind of fear that propelled Fleming into battle on the second day?


4. What effect did the actions of the soldiers who ran and the soldier's who stayed and fought have on Fleming? What consequences did his actions have on others on the first day and then on the second? Which behavior do you think was closest to his true character?


5. The narrator said, "He had performed his mistakes in the dark so he was still a man." If nobody sees what you do does it make a difference?


6. Even when Fleming confessed the truth to his friend he couldn't bring himself to tell the whole truth. Was this another kind of fear? How well did he confront and overcome this challenge? All in all, would you say he was brave, or a weasel, or something in between? Why?

Great quote:
"So it came to pass as he trudged from the place of blood and wrath his soul changed. He had been to touch the great death...and found that after all it was but the great death. Scars faded as flowers and the youth saw that the world was a world for him. He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle."

About Fundamentals in Film: this series began as a class I taught to junior high and high school boys as a way to use the entertainment media to explore concepts of honor, honesty, duty and accountability. The movies were selected to demonstrate these themes and as a contrast to television that typically either portrays men as Homer Simpsons or professional wrestlers, with little in between those extremes. I wrote questions and points to ponder for each movie to stimulate discussion and to get the boys to articulate their thoughts and reactions to each movie. I offer this series here on this blog for the benefit of parents or others looking for a fun but sometimes challenging way to reinforce these concepts in their own families or groups. As the list of films grows each week, feel free to use these guides and to mix and match movies according to your interests or those of your group. I'm also always open to suggestions for other movies that can be added to the series.

This week's movie is Conagher. If you're looking for a film to demonstrate certain manly virtues it's hard to go wrong with a movie based on a Louis L'Amour book and starring the laconic Sam Elliott. Elliott plays Conn Conagher, a seasoned cowhand with the highest personal integrity; not looking for trouble, willing to avoid it if he can, but able to deal with it efficiently if the need be. The role could have easily been a caricature but in Elliott's hands (and face) it comes off as note perfect. In fact, the acting throughout the film, originally made for TNT, is first rate: Kathryn Ross (not afraid to show some lines in her face) and veteran character actor Barry Corbin are excellent and there's even a small but significant appearance by Festus himself, Ken Curtis. Shot on location in Colorado, the scenery is spectacular and even the minor characters look as if they've just stepped from a Frederic Remington or Charles Russell painting.

The action revolves around one man, Conagher, making a stand for doing what's right in a wide open land with little "controlling legal authority" where many are looking to take advantage of others any way they can. There's also a strong but largely unspoken love story woven throughout that is heightened by the sense of loneliness and isolation that is well illustrated by the cinematography. For all of Conagher's rawboned toughness, he's also consciously well-mannered and respectful around the widow Evie Teale and her children. His silences and discomfort are not because of boorishness or a lack of confidence, but because he knows himself so well and doesn't think he'd be good for her. As he asks Charlie McCloud (another interesting character study) at one point, "What have I got to offer a woman like that?" To which McCloud replies, "Why don't you let her answer that question?"

As I mentioned earlier, Conagher doesn't go looking for trouble with other folks, but just by the way he goes about doing his business he convicts others of their shortcomings and causes them to feel as if they need to prove themselves - for good or ill - as a result. Conflict and teachable moments abound throughout the movie as a result without bogging down into preachy dialogue. You can watch it with the whole family and everyone will enjoy the story and get something different out of it.

Here are some questions I'd ask a viewer:

1. What did it mean to Conagher to "Ride for the brand"?


2. What does it mean to have integrity in a world with little in the way of effective law enforcement?


3. Chris Mahler, Kiowa Staples and Smoke Parnell were members of the Ladder 5 gang that Conagher was resisting. Aside from the conflict over the cattle-rustling, however, each man was challenged in some way by Conager's personal character. Can you describe what it was that bothered Phillips and Mahler the most, and the way Parnell regarded Conagher?


4. Describe Evie Teale's character. Do you think it makes a difference in the story that the children are her step-children?


5. Describe what kind of men Charlie McCloud and Seaborn Tay are.

Points to Ponder:

• Independence is apparently understood and highly valued in the part of the country where the story takes place. Why do you think that is, and how is this expressed by the different characters?


• Johnny McGivern's father died when he was very young. How would you describe his personality and how these factors influenced his decisions? Do you think Laban might have turned out to be like him as well? Why or why not?

Great Quotes:
Laban: "Who gave you the black eye?"
Conn: "Nobody gave it to me. I fought for it."

Tile Coker (under Conn's gun): "East? But that's a 50 mile walk!"
Conn: "That's the life of an outlaw. Tough, ain't it?"

You can trust a Robert Louis Stevenson tale to work in plenty of swashbuckling action, hair-breadth escapes ... and moral clarity. Kidnapped doesn't disappoint, and this 2004 made-for-tv adaptation (don't confuse it with the earlier PBS version that plays fast and loose with history and the book) delivers a rollicking story with plenty of villains and heroes. Young Davie Balfour (Brian McCardie) is the rightful heir to the Shaws estate in the Lowlands but his miserly and covetous uncle conspires to have Davie kidnapped for eventual sale into slavery in order to keep the estate for himself. On the ship carrying him away he meets another traveler who didn't intend to be there, Alan Breck Stuart (Armand Assante), a supporter and agent for the Scottish king in exile, Bonnie Prince Charles. Stuart is a fugitive from the English trying to smuggle gold to Charles from his still loyal subjects after the failed Jacobite rebellion. Together they make a plan and escape the ship and its evil crew and find themselve cast up again on the shores of Scotland.

Stuart is a man of action and experience, while Davie is quiet and well-educated. They make an unlikely, and sometimes unwilling, team as they try to stay one step ahead of the British soldiers, complete Stuart's mission and regain Davie's inheritance. Despite their different backgrounds and circumstances, both are clearly men of honor who thereby bring out the worst in those who would harm them. Greed drives many of the actions of others, while some are in it for power. Stuart remains steadfast to his cause and his loyalty to his king, while Davie is "betwixt and between" in his political sentiments but committed to acting honestly and justly.

This version is nearly three hours long and Assante's Scots brogue is as uneven as the terrain the men find themselves traipsing around, but the story is fun and the on-location scenery is spectacular. It is an entertaining movie for the whole family with several good talking points on the role and importance of honor, duty and honesty. It also has a stirring recitation from Psalms 35 from an innocent leader condemned to die.

Points to Ponder:
The role of clan feuds and long-standing enmity between the people of Scotland and the role this has played in the country's history.

Questions to answer:

1. Why did Davie not open the envelope his father left, even though it had to do with him?


2. What question did Stuart ask Campbell the Red Fox that put him on the spot and proved that Campbell was lying to him? Why wouldn't Campbell answer him?


3. Why did James of the Glen surrender himself to Mr. Reed, the agent of King George? Why was this necessary?


4. Describe the life of Uncle Ebenezer and the use he got out of his wealth.


5. How did Davie change over the course of his adventures, and in what ways did he not? What affect, if any, did he have on Alan Breck Stuart?

Great quotes:
(Despite my politics) "As a gentleman, it is my duty to see justice done if I can." (Davie Balfour)

I want to go in a little different direction with this week's movie. Instead of a classic movie or a more contemporary film that illustrates strong values and virtues I want look at the documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor. This documentary is the factual and very well done basis for the new movie in theaters now, End of the Spear (both were produced by the same people). This is a very intense film that tells the story of the massacre of five missionaries in the 1950s by a primitive tribe of people in the jungles of Ecuador, and the subsequent and near miraculous actions of the families of the men to continue the work that they began — with the same tribe and individuals that killed their husbands and fathers.

While the story is nearly forgotten today, it was a major sensation at the time it happened. While it took place in the 1950s there are enough people still alive today to offer first hand accounts of the events. There is also a lot of home movie clips shot by the men that have been worked into the film. These accounts and film clips are especially moving and compelling elements of the documentary. The time that has passed also provides an interesting perspective when discussing how similar and different the world is now compared to then.

Beyond the Gates of Splendor begins almost as a National Geographic program as it details the primitive life of the Waodani tribe. It is a violent life where murder is the expected and accepted way of settling disputes. With six out of every 10 adult deaths attributed to homicide, the tribe is spearing itself into extinction. Then the focus shifts for a time to the background of the missionaries and their families. The five men — Nate Saint, Jim Eliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian — will certainly challenge the image some may have of what a missionary looks like. They were all young, handsome, fit, energetic and resourceful. They were leaders in everything they did and drew people to them; truly the flower of a generation. They literally could have done or been anything they wanted yet their hearts were for people in distant lands.

The second half of the documentary details their efforts in Ecuador and Peru and their initial and ingenious method for making contact with the Waodani and early successes. All is well until a young Waodani, to cover his own misbehavior, lies to the tribe about the men, resulting in the fatal assault party. If the film stopped here it would still be compelling, but the real story is just beginning as the wives, children and friends of the men continue to minister to the tribe over the next generation, leading to a spectacular turnaround — so much so that at one point one of the missionary’s daughters is baptized at the same spot in the river where her father was killed, with two of the men from the group that killed him participating in the ceremony. My kids were completely mesmerized by Beyond the Gates of Splendor and while it can be emotionally challenging at times, it is a stirring depiction of vision, commitment and faith.

Points to Ponder:

• The Waodani society was based on two key values: egalitarianism and autonomy. No one could consider himself better than anyone else, but also, no one could get away with wronging another. With no institutionalized way of settling disputes, murder was the recourse of choice, often sparking a cycle of retribution. Does this sound familiar to other parts of the world or cities you know?


• What is your conception of the mission field today? Do you think it is the same or different from 50 years ago?


• What would you have done?

Questions to Answer:

1. How did the men go about introducing themselves to the Waodani? Why did they do it this way?


2. Nate Saint said “They’re not ready for ready for heaven, and we are,” in explaining why the men had decided not to use guns even to defend themselves. What did he mean by that?


3. What were the circumstances that led up to the attack? Could they have been prevented?


4. Why did the women return to the Waodani?


5. What effect did all of this have on the Waodani?