Yesterday's Heroes

This little jewel demonstrates better than a whole slew of standard anti-war documentaries that war is, indeed, hell. Writer/director Robert Duncan looks at the lives of some of Canada's remaining "young lions" of WWII. At a veteran's home in Ottawa, 142 beds house some of these survivors. On average, two funerals a month are held here, and when the vets gather for their annual celebratory parade, fewer attend each year. At 62, George Banning, now a veteran's home resident remembers his war--it lasted all of two days at the end of which he had lost a leg. The camera also captures Frank Monroe, a dedicated showman who, each year, makes the rounds of veterans hospitals and homes to put on a show with volunteer entertainers. And then there is the War Museum in Ottawa, where the weapons of yesteryear are now playthings for children, much to the consternation of the crochety guard who barks at the kids--neither understanding the other. In the Canadian wilderness, young adults play war games with paint-filled guns, and can't wait to get away from the interviewer so they can continue the game. But perhaps the most poignant scene is a powerful montage which intercuts home movie footage of young soldiers lounging, celebrating, or kissing local girls, in Italy with the haggard images of the men who today reside in the homes, many in their mid-60s, either physically or mentally debilitated before their time. The disparate elements of Yesterday's Heroes do not always mesh together into a satisfying whole--but the pieces are each quite resonant by themselves. Highly recommended. (See GUATEMALA for availability.)