Women of Action: Monica Bellucci – Tears of the Sun
A coup d’état almost guarantees that a whole bunch of people are going to die. Whether the coup is led by a military element or just a bunch of pissed off civilians, the chance of a death for the innocent bystanders is pretty high. The action in Tears of the Sun takes place in the Nigerian jungle. A coup that is partially caused by religious division (imagine that) sees a massive contingent of killers making their way directly towards a mission being used as a jungle hospital by Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks. She’s an American by marriage, which means that she isn’t expendable by U.S. standards, so they send in the Navy SEALS to rescue her and some religious folk.
The priest and nuns end up staying behind and last about another 17 seconds but Dr. Kendricks runs off with the SEALS and a few dozen of “her people”. She does fight for the right of the rest of the refugees to come along but Bruce Willis SEAL leader pretty much plans on leaving them defenseless in a field. Something made him change his mind. I wonder what it was….
So Dr. Lena not only saves the life of a bunch of her people but she also gets nearly blown to Hell about 6 times. Seriously, explosions just have a way of finding her. If this movie was realistic, she wouldn’t be able to hear shit at the end of the film. I guess ending the movie with her continuously asking Bruce “What? I can’t hear what you’re saying! Huh?” doesn’t quite give off the same feel-good vibes.
I thought the performances in the film gave it the emotional punch that a movie about genocide should have. Monica is definitely portrayed as a powerful woman. We see her doctoring up people, saving their lives from abandonment, risking her own well being with the SEALs, and then getting thrown 20 feet into the air from exploding rockets. She also never starts making out with Bruce. I guess they filmed a scene where the two of them kissed but then realized that Dr. Lena would never start making out with a dude in the middle of all this death. I’m a huge of fan of Monica Bellucci. She’s a great actress with terrific boobs. If she ever finds herself stuck in the African jungle I would be among the first men to volunteer to HALO jump into that jungle canopy to carry her out. Call me.
