The movie, Tears of the Sun, was released in 2003 to the worldwide audience. The film depicts an elite team of Special Forces deployed in a war zone to extract American citizens. Lieutenant A. K. Walters led the Navy Seals in their mission to rescue Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks and other nuns. Notably, the film depicts the nature of ethnic cleansing and civil war. In this paper, I will discuss how the film illustrates concepts from the readings on ethnic conflict.
The film shows how armed conflict placed innocent people in danger. Selfish interests usually led to the deaths of hundreds of women and children. In the film, the initial encounter between the lieutenant and the doctor highlighted the danger faced by local refugees. Dr. Kendricks informed the commander that, “when the rebel troops get here, they’ll kill everything they see” (Tears of the Sun). She felt a duty to rescue the 70 people at the camp since most of them were severely wounded. In this manner, the film shows how innocent people were exposed to mortal danger during ethnic conflicts.
Besides, the film depicts how political upheavals were responsible for many conflicts. Ethnic clashes have occurred in countries such as Ghana due to the struggle for power. For instance, northern Ghana has experienced a long history of conflicts among tribe such as Mamprusis, Kusasis, Gonja, Nanumba, and Dagomba. In the film, the commentary stated how “tension that had been brewing for months in Nigeria exploded yesterday as exiled General Mustafa Yakubu orchestrated a swift and violent coup against the democratically elected government of President Samuel Azuka” (Tears of the Sun). Therefore, conflicts emerged whenever democracy was undermined.
In addition, the film highlights the ruthless nature of ethnic conflicts. During a conversation with one of the refugees, the lieutenant was told how the rebels “cut off the breasts of nursing mothers so that they'll never again feed their own babies” (Tears of the Sun). The emotional scene sufficiently demonstrated the inhumane tactics used by fighters in ethnic conflicts. Consequently, the movie illustrates concepts from the readings with regards to armed conflict. Such concepts include the harming of innocent people, the political motivation of conflicts, and the ruthlessness of fighting factions.
Work Cited
Tears of the Sun. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, performance by Bruce Willis, Columbia Pictures, 2003. Film.
