By Kenneth R. Morefield <\/p>\n
In the fall of 2003, I noted that Hollywood had made a slew of war movies in which the protagonists were heavy underdogs fighting a defensive war against a morally inferior invading horde. <\/p>\n
Some of these films were historical: “The Last Samurai,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” and “The Alamo.” Others, such as “Matrix: Revolutions” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” take place in imaginary worlds. In each case, though, the narratives were constructed to present one side of the conflict as clearly in the right. Although garnering mixed critical reception, these films were mostly more commercially successful than was last spring<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"