Those of you who have been moviegoers for many years may have noticed a basic shift in the emphasis of war films in recent decades. Consider the 1992 movie A Few Good Men.

The villain was a high-ranking army officer (played by Jack Nicholson) stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, so often in the news lately. The movie was basically about how army lawyers uncovered the big mistake that he had sought to cover up. His deeds were exposed in a military court and his closing remarks on the stand were not unlike the disgraced Captain Queeg's in the 1954 film The Caine Mutiny.

Other more recently released titles are The Jacket (2005), Courage Under Fire (1996) and Three Kings (1999). All portray the American military negatively. They feature such themes as U.S. troops committing atrocities during the first Gulf War, a friendly-fire tragedy, mistreatment of a female officer, the corruption of the American military establishment and the betrayal of allied nations.

Revolution (1985), about the American war for independence, apparently showed national hero George Washington in a negative light. Even Dances With Wolves (1990) compared the American military unfavorably with Sioux warriors. Notwithstanding Saving Private Ryan (1998), the general run of war films in recent decades has been mostly unpatriotic and derogatory toward the U.S. military.

Media author and commentator Michael Medved summed up this sad situation in a fairly recent speech. He said: "The truth of the matter is that war movies have changed in a fundamental way, and I would submit to you, a dangerous way for the health of our culture and for the strength of the [American] dream."

Mr. Medved further asked: "Why has Hollywood decided seemingly illogically to make movies in the United States that depict the American military as unrepresentative and twisted, America as a malignant force in the world and all wars as fruitless?"

Those who remember viewing war movies with patriotic themes during World War II can easily see the sharp contrast between the way the U.S. military was depicted then and now. Our popular culture is in serious need of redemption. (Source: Imprimis.)