The Brave Men, Living and Dead

The Last Full Measure.
Movie Review by Michaela Calabrese.

I was born on April 11, 1997; thirty-one years to the day after Airman William H. Pitsenbarger died in the Vietnam War. Until this film came out, I knew nothing about him. I knew almost nothing about the war at all. I went into The Last Full Measure expecting a film which was…okay. All it had to do was tell a story and keep my interest; maybe make me cry a little from time to time. It did all that.

Then, like Pitsenbarger himself, it went above and beyond.

The story, at its surface, is one we’ve seen a dozen times. A man, Scott Huffman, working for the Department of Defense is tasked with putting together a report which will convince the Powers that Be to upgrade a fallen soldier’s medal from the Air Force Cross to the Medal of Honor. All he has to do is get the right paperwork together; but seeing as the Vietnam War ended decades ago, he doesn’t see the point in putting a ton of effort into his task. That is, until he begins speaking to the men who were there and bore witness to the soldier’s bravery. Suddenly, the man is torn between following through in order to get the soldier the honor he deserves and giving up (as others have done before him) in order to keep his own career ambitions secure.

The writing is not the strongest when it comes to the main character. Sebastian Stan’s performance does a lot to make Scott Huffman likable, even in moments when he’s acting selfish or uninterested. Stan’s facial expressions, delivery, body language, and the “everyman” sense of charm he brings to the role elevates what is, otherwise, lackluster dialogue; creating a character the audience can relate to, cheer for when he’s at his high points, and sympathize with when he hits lows.

I mean it, however, when I say that the above paragraph is a nitpick. Technically, the film looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. I don’t usually notice sound design, but from the moment the first shots were fired onscreen, I felt every explosion, gunshot, and fall that the characters felt. Nothing was fuzzy or indistinct, the loud noises never got so overwhelming that they overshadowed the action, it was just a perfect balance. The quiet moments are beautiful as well. Some of the strongest scenes are when a character is looking out a window or fighting against an onslaught of emotions. The audience isn’t goaded into feeling with bombastic music or cheesy cues. They’re allowed to sit and contemplate what’s going on in the characters’ minds. I cried multiple times in the theater, and one moment was just out of how powerful one of these quiet little moments was.

Along with Sebastian Stan’s performance, the rest of the cast is exceptional as well. I give a posthumous shout-out to the late Peter Fonda who portrays Jimmy Burr, a character dealing with severe Post Traumatic Stress. He doesn’t play it over the top, like some actors would, but rather very nuanced and tragic. For example, Jimmy sleeps during the day because he’s terrified of the night. He wanders his property at night holding a gun for protection, and he calls Huffman “Sir.” In the hands of the wrong actor, these actions could come off as comical. Fonda never lets it get that far. He plays Jimmy with every ounce of dignity he can muster. It’s clear that Fonda knew how important it was to get Jimmy’s portrayal right, and it’s heartbreaking that he passed away before he could see how his hard work paid off.

Fonda is not the only actor who deserves praise for his portrayal of a veteran. Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Savage all give Oscar-worthy performances which show the multiple ways in which surviving such a bloody war can affect the mind: survivor’s guilt, looking for an escape, trying to temper one’s pain so it doesn’t effect others, etc.

William Hurt deserves his own paragraph. The depth of humanity he displays in The Last Full Measure is the second reason I cried in the theater. Before I knew anything about his character Tully, I thought he would just be a kind figure for Hoffman to turn to. He’d be a bit uninteresting, but he was nice and I didn’t mind having him in the narrative. As soon as he let go and told Hoffman who he really was, everything fell into place. He went from a serviceable but bland side character to one of the reasons I WILL be seeing this movie a second time.

The other side characters do their jobs very well, but they’re not especially dynamic. They’re not meant to be, but it is worth noting. It’s clear that they were written as stand-ins. The government officials are meant to represent how political posturing and agendas can often lead to soldiers being overlooked, the wife is meant to represent what Hoffman has to either fight for or lose, and the son is meant to represent the future generations whom soldiers fight to keep safe. Nobody does a bad job, in fact Alison Sudol and Bradley Whitford are exceptionally charming, but when I remember this film I’ll probably have to google their characters’ names.

Okay, but where does The Last Full Measure really shine? Why did I fall in love with this movie when I’m not usually the sort of person who watches war films?

Well…it’s not a war film.

The Vietnam War is the backdrop for the film because it was the backdrop for the true story. On April 11, 1966, twenty-one-year-old airman William H. Pitsenbarger dropped into a war zone to save the lives of the 1st Infantry Division. He did his job, saved as many wounded as he could, and when he had his chance to get out safely he refused. He stayed behind as his chopper flew away because he knew there were more lives he could save…even though it ultimately cost him his own. He received a posthumous Air Force Cross, but it took over thirty years for him to receive the Medal of Honor. That is what this film is about: Pitsenbarger, and all the other heroes who give their lives for this country even if it means waiting thirty years to be recognized.

Even if it means never being recognized.

“But Mick, did you like the film?”

I loved the film. It’s been years since I’ve truly loved a film so much.

Michaela Calabrese was born and raised in Agawam, MA and is now living her dream of studying filmmaking in New York City. Her graduate program has offered her the chance to direct a twelve-minute short film which will be screened for industry professionals. Please give your generous support to the project at GoFundMe.com.

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