Patriotism is a complex issue. Inevitably, thanks to man’s sin nature, no man-made government is perfectly ideal. Our understanding of morality is—at the least—tainted. Our perception of human government and patriotism is diversified among all individuals in the nation. Unity is something we strive for—but all in our own way and toward our own perspective of the ideal state of human government.
Eagle Eye, which came out this past summer, fell under the radar for most movie watchers since it wasn’t cut out to meet the popular interests of the American people. It also must be frowned upon by pro-government enthusiasts since it is a movie loaded with conflicts surrounding civil government—America’s government system in particular. At the end of the day, your average citizen wants to know “who are the good guys?” so he/she can join the good-guy group to support them. This film demonstrates how, in reality, it’s not that simple. Is there any single group that is honestly 100% that good guys? IS there a standard that we can support?
The cleverness of the film and it’s shear entertainment value keeps your attention most of way wanting to know what’s gonna happen next. But once the film is over, and the ‘goodguys’ can go home, the film leaves a great deal unanswered—questions for which it begs you to find answers. It doesn’t offer possible solutions because the conflicts between different views of patriotism are more conflicting and complex than time allows an answer for in a two-hour movie. That being said, the movie is great! Getting people to think about these difficult issues is a good thing. Hopefully, people watching the movie will use a great deal of discernment and consider what is the right thing to do when any party, including civil government, is violating civil government’s jurisdiction.
One remarkable quality to the American legal system the movie forgot to address was the excellent checks and balances our legal system offers. The government’s multileveled branches, both state and federal, offer greater opportunity to establish justice and sound civil authority. Most people are aware that these safeguards built in by the authority of the constitution are becoming less and less respected by civil magistrates. Indeed, if such checks in the system are lost, we potentially set ourselves up for a terrible conflict such as what the movie Eagle Eye illustrates.
I give the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars. Do see it. The film makes excellent points with great sobriety without overwhelming the audience with hopelessness. No situation is hopeless.
