"Men of Honor"

"Men of Honor"
By Rhonda Cluff

Men of Honor allows us a glimpse into the inspiring life of Master Chief Carl Brashear of the United States Navy. He is one of the most revered men in the NAVY among the diving community. The tagline for the film gives us a hint of what is to come: "History is made by those who break the rules." Carl Brashear was a man who both did not take no for an answer, and who never gave up on anything.
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays the role of Brashear in the film. Gooding never ceases to amaze me with the depth of emotion he portrays in all of his characters. His reputation precedes him with films like Boyz N the Hood, The Tuskegee Airmen, What Dreams May Come, and A Murder of Crows. His filmography is full of movies that depict his emotional characters. In this real-life story, he honors Brashear's name with his impressive performance.
Watching this film is like watching a documentary. It has a certain style that allows the audience to empathize with the situation. In this way, the movie honors Carl Brashear's accomplishments. It is a movie about a man. This man broke countless records to get what he wanted. In his position, that is a good thing for many people. He set new standards for all men and women, people of all races, and individuals in every branch of military service. Though the film is about the events of his life, the specifics are not so important. Here in this review, I will not cover much of the details of Brashear's life. Yes, he was a military man who made history. What is more important to this movie, however, is the way in which he led his life. He led an exemplary life. He never said no, he never gave up, he never let anyone stand in the way of his dreams. He set an example for all of us.
Brashear's entire life was all about honor. His family farmed a share crop knowing that the first month that they do not make their quota, another family takes over. This man gave up his education in order to help his father keep the farm. Then one day, the chance to join the military presented itself. Mac, Carl's father, said his good-byes and instructed his son to make something of himself. That was quite a statement considering the time. According to the other characters in the film, most of his peers would just keep quiet, keep their head low, and hope to make a success of their lives someday. I believe that Brashear's father wanted him to take it a step further. He learned everything he needed to know in order to get by in life from his father. Though his father only made a brief appearance in the beginning of the film, he is present throughout the duration. Every time Carl needs encouragement, all he has to do is think of his father. The radio that his father gave him before he left for the NAVY gives emphasis to this. The radio plays a big role in his encouragement, and serves to represent a remind of his background. During his military career, Brashear overcame many obstacles. First, he dealt with racial injustice in the military. He set a new standard when he went against all the odds to be the first African-American man to join the naval diving school. If that was not enough, he also later went on to become the first man in his field of study to continue with his tour of duty despite his disabilities. One man who helped him is "Billy" Sunday.
Robert De Niro plays his instructor, Leslie "Billy" Sunday. At first, Sunday's attitude is not unlike any other white man who only seeks to keep men like Brashear in their proper place. As their relationship evolves, they begin to realize that they have a certain connection in their backgrounds. I believe that on some level Sunday must sympathize with what Brashear goes through. What is interesting here is how Sunday turns out to be Brashear's greatest ally. With everything that he went through to fight the system and become a success, Sunday was always there to back him up. Perhaps in a way he does it because he looks up to Brashear. Sunday's career came to and end due to an accident. Ironically, Brashear's career almost met the same fate. It was Sunday in the end that aided him in overcoming his disabilities and helped him to meet his dreams of becoming a Master Chief.
For those of you who have not seen the film, I suggest you buy it. I am quite sure that not everyone will appreciate the story told. However, if you enjoy an inspirational story then this is a classic. Even if you have already seen it, you should get the DVD. It features a great documentary of the making of this film, including interviews with the real-life Carl Brashear and his naval mates. It really gives you an interesting perspective to consider.