Angry Black Grandma Esquire

Looking to understand the complexities of race, diversity, and equity? Angry Black Grandma Esquire provides insightful and engaging reviews of books, movies, TV shows, and other media that illuminate these crucial issues. Some are old. Some are new. Some are good; others are not worth the time. Some are explicitly about diversity; others are tangentially relevant. Get the real deal on what’s worth your time. Prepare to be informed, challenged, and inspired. Beyond recommendations, the reviews are catalysts for learning, growth, and taking meaningful action in your life and community.

From Pacifist Heroism to Angelic Rebellion: Movies About Testing Our Moral Compass

Angry Black Grandma Esquire reviews two films that, in their own ways, challenge us to examine what we truly believe and how far we’re willing to go to defend our convictions. One celebrates a man who refused to compromise his beliefs, while the other presents a disturbing vision of unquestioning obedience.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016): I like war movies. That’s it. That is why I came to this movie. I didn’t know a single other thing about it. Given his extreme values, I never thought I would recommend a Mel Gibson-directed movie, but I didn’t notice that he had anything to do with it until well after I had watched it.

This historical drama tells the story of Desmond Doss, a deeply religious man, and conscientious objector who volunteered to serve as a medic in the Army during World War II. James Garfield convincingly portrays the Congressional Medal of Honor winner, who single-handedly rescued 75 soldiers wounded during the battle on the island of Okinawa.

This movie highlights the importance of standing up for one’s convictions and the value of human life. Doss’s heroism surprised his fellow soldiers and officers because they didn’t understand how he could refuse to use a weapon and be an asset to the team rather than a liability. They thought he was a coward. They tried to get him to change, but he would not. That doesn’t mean he never questioned his beliefs, but he knew in his core it would be wrong for him to take a human life.

This level of conviction seems sorely lacking today. It appears half the nation wants to kill the other half over their political beliefs. Neighbors shoot one another for knocking on their door or pulling into the wrong driveway. Protecting our guns is more important than safeguarding the lives of school children. We need more people like Doss; we could use them and their stories now if they’re out there.

Legion (2010): Roll with me on this one. There are no movie review standards that highly rate this one, and I can’t exactly endorse watching this movie beyond the last 15 minutes or so.

It’s a violent zombie movie, with a decent cast: Paul Bettany (Marvel’s Vision) as the archangel Michael, and supporting actors Lucas Black, Dennis Quaid (not an endorsement), Charles S. Dutton, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki, Jon Tenney, and Kate Walsh. In the movie, humanity’s only hope is the unborn child of an unmarried young waitress in a desert cafe. God has given up on mankind and sent angels to destroy the world’s people, and to ensure that the child is never born. I don’t know why this woman or this child, but that doesn’t bother me. 

God dispatches his messenger Gabriel to carry out his plan and bring Michael back into the fold. Michael defies God by enlisting the few humans stuck in the cafe, providing them with weapons of war. Under the leadership of Michael, patrons, and coworkers attempt to fend off the demonic angels until the child can be born. So, there’s lots of shooting, explosions, and fire, as you would expect in this type of movie, but I didn’t find it too gory or at all frightening, except for the mob’s striking resemblance to certain crowds that blindly follow their leader no matter how horrible his expectations. If God is sending these demons his cause has to be righteous, right? 

Although there wasn’t much of it, I was intrigued by the interplay between the Angels and their efforts to please God. The actions the angels take and why they served God as they did make the movie for me. This is a redemption story; not of humankind but of God.