Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Sometimes the best way to approach an inflammatory or scary subject — death, for instance, or corporate malfeasance — is through humor. That is what “The Infidel,” an amusing little film from Britain, does with one of the touchiest subjects of them all, the animosity between Jews and Muslims.
Omid Djalili has a fine time playing Mahmud, a moderate Muslim in England who discovers while cleaning out his recently deceased mother’s house that he was adopted and was born to Jewish parents. The revelation comes at the worst possible time: Mahmud’s son is trying to impress a radical Muslim cleric who happens to be the stepfather of his fiancée. Mr. Djalili is delightful as he sneaks behind his family’s back, trying to learn what being Jewish is all about. He pairs nicely with Richard Schiff, playing an American Jew who helps him.
The humor in David Baddiel’s script isn’t particularly caustic — “South Park” need not fear this competition — and the film cops out with an improbable ending, rather than making a statement. But the director, Josh Appignanesi, has a nice sense of comic timing, slipping in some of the best jokes when you least expect them. And Mr. Djalili manages to make his foul-mouthed character — goodness, those moderate Muslims curse a lot — an object of sympathy, essential for pulling off this type of tale.
THE INFIDEL Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan. Directed by Josh Appignanesi; written by David Baddiel; director of photography, Natasha Braier; edited by Kim Gaster; music by Erran Baron Cohen; production designer, Erik Rehl; costumes by Marianne Agertoft; produced by Arvind Ethan David, Uzma Hasan and Stewart le Marechal; released by Tribeca Film. At the Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street, at Laight Street. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. This film is not rated.WITH: Omid Djalili (Mahmud), Richard Schiff (Lenny), Archie Panjabi (Saamiya), Amit Shah (Rashid), Igal Naor (Arshad) and Mina Anwar (Muna). New York Times
