Guest Blogger: Alex 1

Ever since I’ve seen the Dirty Harry movies I just had to see more of Clint Eastwood’s films. Heartbreak Ridge is a very great movie starring Eastwood as the main character Tom Highway (nicknamed “Gunney”). Highway is an experienced soldier in the Marines who has just about worn out his welcome in the millitary. He had lost his kids to his wife who devorced him because of his drinking problems and because she never saw him. After being released from a “drunk tank” the millitary assigns Highway one last mission, he is to train a group of young soldiers who at first he dislikes but learns to respect each of them. Clint Eastwood plays a good Tom Highway because he is good at playing the role of a tough guy who at first may not seem to care, but usualy we find he has a heart. Marsha Mason plays Highway’s ex wife, Highway sees her throughout the movie trying to win her back letting her know he is leaving the military. Highway being the tough and mean man he is realy only being hard on his recruits because he doesn’t want them to be killed in a real combat situation. He tests them, wears them down and makes it look like he hates them, but eventualy they catch on and start to respect Gunny Highway. A theme from this movie is that no matter how hard your superiors are on you they are realy just trying to make sure you learn an important lesson. Roger Ebert says in his review “Heartbreak Ridge doesn’t aim as high as most current high-tech action movies, but it hits the target.” I agree with Ebert in the fact that it hit the target. He says it doesn’t aim high because it was a low budget film and was only shot for 8 weeks, but even with that it was a great movie. Over all I would definatly recommend that you pick up this movie and won’t be dissapointed by another great Clint Eastwood film.