Upon first glance at the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films, several jump out at you for the noteworthy way they changed the landscape of film. Like Citizen Kane, which is about some goddamn sled or something. Or King Kong, which demonstrated crappy graphics and an unrealistic premise of a goddamn giant primate of some sort making it to New York and having a thing for blondes.
But one of the films which I feel needs to be more recognized- both for the way it defined a generation and changed cultural opinions and the general milieu of the world around it- is none other than 1995's Operation Dumbo Drop.
Ray Liotta and Danny's Glover's courageous portrayals of two lifelong military men enlisted with moving a dastardly elephant (socialism) somewhere or something has changed the life path of all those who have come across the film. Without recognition from the Screen Actor's Guild or Academy Awards, the film has still managed to snare the headlines both for political activism and daring glances into Vietnam War era military furtiveness.
Barack Obama is one man whose entire political career was shaped by the movie. "Moving an elephant or whatever it is the elephant symbolized was on the level of inspiration of Rocky or E.T. Yet these movies are constantly referred to as true bastions of neo-politicalism. I would have to say in 1995 when I saw O D D, as we followers call it, I realized that two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I would have to move an 'elephant' right down through the middle of the woods. Political satire has never been more brilliant, or moving."
This writer's personal opinion is that one "dropping a dumbo" on someone, and the multicultural references of having one caucasian and one African-American lead cannot be understated. The Kim Jong-Il's, Fidel Castro's and Stephen Harper's of the world could well stand to be taught the lesson in the film. That or have a dumbo dropped all upside their heads.
