Courage Under Fire was the first Gulf War movie to hit American theaters. It is a movie that steers clear of the typical type set of the war film genre. Movies like Platoon and Apocalypse Now took us into the heart of the savagery of war and its torment upon the individual. Courage Under Fire contrasts greatly with these movies by showing that acts of valor do not necessarily result from the savageness of the battlefield. The real subject of the film

Serling's very first assignment is to determine whether or not a female officer, Capitan Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) is a deserving posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor. Unfortunately, the government, as usual, is only looking to build its P.R. All that the government wants is a media showing. For them, the president handing the Medal of Honor to the Captain's daughter, "wouldn't leave a dry eye in the place." Serling knows that this is all for show and commits himself to finding out the truth. I really loved this part of the movie. Zwick does such a great job of making the Government look pathetic by showing some of it's underlying intentions in this war. This is what brings us away from the normality of most war films and places this movie into its own little subcategory. The movie was meant to be different and it succeeded in that endeavor. It really was one of the strengths of this film.

There are many other aspects of the film that deserve praise. The editing was astoundingly perfect. The flashbacks meshed well with the movie and the organization of the plot and scenes was done flawlessly. The set was extensive, to say the least, with large battlefields and too many different locations to count. Each set was perfectly constructed and everything was realistic. Through this realism, the movie made sure that each individual watching the movie became engrossed in the storyline and the overall atmosphere. Movies that fail to do this are never taken seriously. The costumes and dialogue were also done without a flaw. Everybody looked as though they belonged in the movie and the uniforms all seemed as though they had been hand delivered by the U.S. Army. The music was a presence but certainly did not make or break the movie. It was just an average performance by James Horner.

The movie begins as many war films have, on the battlefield. Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) finds himself in an impossible situation, under heavy attack at night in the middle of the Iraqi desert. He is being assaulted by the Iraqis and in an instant loses his long time friend to the horror of "friendly fire." He has ordered his crew to fire on another American tank under his command. Back home, the government is eagerly searching for Gulf War heroes and as a result, Serling is decorated for his bravery; yet, deep inside, he really knows that it is all a sham. He is drowned in his medals and awards and handed a desk job in the Pentagon, all to keep him quiet. Serling becomes intensely burdened by his guilt. He has become an alcoholic, his marriage is falling apart, and the government, which is covering up the incident, has not offered a means to assuage his battered conscience.

Instead of conducting a cursory investigation, Lieutenant Serling finds himself unavoidably drawn into Walden's crew's conflicting stories. Each crew member seems to give a different interpretation regarding the events that took place during the rescue mission that lead to the captain's death. Serling begins

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