War, Music and Social Commentary

I love this movie. It has many elements: the drama of war, comedy, singing, dancing, a serious study of racism, romance and travel. Every time I watch our video it seems I enjoy the movie for different reasons.The characters are stereotypical, but not offensively so they are not demeaning to any group. They are just representatives of the elements of social interaction - pretty nurses, everyday soldiers, dignified officers, enterprising locals making a buck off the American presence, attractive oriental women and mysterious foreign men.It is a "reality" movie in this sense that not everything is easy or turns out OK in the end. There is the challenge of loving despite differences and there is death.But the harsh realities are muted by color, singing and dancing. These elements send the message that there is joy and goodness in the difficulties of life, even when in a war zone. May we all find artistic expressions of joy and life as we face our challenges!I think this movie would appeal to more serious teens. Younger persons may find the commentary of racism a little old-fashioned or irrelevent, but singing along with Mitzi Gaynor, "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair," is great fun!And I think the movie would definitely appeal to the WWII generation.