The Red Circle

By Ryan Brlecic

“But a big budget always was an obstacle and, Inglourious Basterds notwithstanding, period war movies have not been en vogue in Hollywood for years, unless it was a more serious contemplation of the subject like Saving Private Ryan (Editor’s Note: Which was almost twelve years ago). Also, American jingoism went out of style after 9/11; even this summer’s G.I. Joe movie dropped the toy’s “A Real American Hero” tagline and made the action team internationally focused.

The studio hopes moving the time period to the future solves the dilemma.”

Let’s take the above from the standpoint that it seems unprofitable and problematic to be an American. Why then, I ask, would you choose to even consider using the character of Sgt. Frank Rock and Easy Company? (Side Note: I will enjoy the horror that results from Marvel Studios trying to hide the “America” in Captain America) Rather then turn a character/property enjoyed by many into a farce of itself, why not just create a new property? But there in lies the answer. It would effectively take Hollywood to create something new and untested to solve this presented dilemma.

Had those involved currently with the project actually read the source material they would have realized the message was always, War is Hell. “American Jingoism” is not at all how one would describe Sgt. Rock once they got past the surface. This was a war comic written by men who had lived the exploits, fallen asleep to mortar shells, and seen their friends die. It was pro-military, it was pro-American, and it was unashamed of both. The difference however existed in the presentation. Sgt. Rock and Easy Company did not want to kill or be at war, but they understood duty.

“The Rock stories dealt with their subject matter deftly and with compassion, highlighting their battles in the European theater and the personal strains that infantry members endure in wartime. As a result of this, these aren’t always easy stories to read. But they should be read.”

The comic represented a breed of man we no longer produce and a time period we no longer understand. Today we deride our own country out of foolish global acceptance, and we live in age of entitlement. The comic was a lesson of having to do something you didn’t necessarily want to do for merely the hope of a greater good. Sgt. Rock and easy company fought for a better tomorrow. The comic was not pretty, but neither is war.

So to Silver Pictures, THRILL ME. Not to borrow from another country’s example of Jingoism, but right now your approach represents a kamikaze strategy (see Highlander 2, Constantine, I Am Legend). Besides, Sgt. Rock was already made into a movie. For the closest cinematic portrayal of Sgt. Rock one can find, seek out Sam Fuller’s underratedThe Big Red One. What Silver Pictures is missing in their planned adaption is written on Lee Marvin’s face in the final scene.

Sgt. Rock, A Brief History:

Writer-editor Robert Kanigher created Sgt. Rock as the first recurring feature in DC’s line of war comics, beginning in Our Army At War in 1959. Kanigher designed Rock to be largely a composite of several other lead characters he had used to that point in various previous stories. Originally named “Sgt. Rocky”, with the nickname “The Rock of Easy Company”, Kanigher revised his lead’s name within a few issues and positioned him as the platoon leader at the same time that renowned artist Joe Kubert came on board to take on art responsibilities.

Rock was joined in Easy Company by a wide variety of other G.I.s, including: Wildman, Four-Eyes, and Ice Cream Soldier. According to Maurice Horn in his ‘World Encyclopedia of Comics’, the Sgt. Rock feature was also notable for introducing one of comics’ first non-stereotyped black characters, Jackie Johnson.

And I cannot stress reading the original stories enough. You can find them here.

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