Devotion: Review
An analysis of the Korean War film
When Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) is asked by his wingman’s wife, Daisy Brown (Christina Jackson), what he is fighting for while conversing at the Brown’s kitchen table, the lieutenant is shockingly at a loss. He does not say God, country, or even family — instead, he ultimately responds, “I’ll figure that out.” At this moment, Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) re-enters the scene, clutching his young daughter, and the two U.S. Navy pilots exchange a friendly glance.
The moment is subtly captured, but nonetheless conveys the core relationships and central theme of the latest war film Devotion — devotion to family and to your brother in arms. The scene also showcases a significant step in their friendship since, on a previous occasion, Hudner was not even invited inside by Brown, despite the former driving the latter home after a car failure.
But Brown is a guarded man, only vulnerable — at least at first — to Daisy. And it’s not without reason. Throughout his life, he faced adversity and racism, revealing chilling anecdotes bit by bit to Hudner. When isolated, Brown barks racial and derogatory slurs at himself in a mirror — but they are echoes of derisions spoken by ghosts from his past. Majors showcases this quiet vulnerability and pain tactfully, so the audience — like Hudner — come to grow and understand the man behind the magnificent pilot.
This bond between Brown and Hudner is the heart of the movie, and Devotion — as well as the actors — achieve the goal of crafting a believable and earned on-screen friendship, effective even till after the credits roll.
Meanwhile, what could have been over saddled messaging (i.e. ham-fisted wokeness) is also tactfully accomplished by director J.D. Dillard. His personal affinity for men like Brown and Hudner stems from stories of his own father — the second African American selected to fly for the Blue Angels. They are treated with upmost respect, and it shines forth, even if a viewer cannot pinpoint an exact moment. This respect is ingrained in the entire film. Even the arcs for men who racially belittled Brown are given a lighter, yet more powerful ‘comeuppance’ than an over-the-top bashing.
Suffice it to say, it was pleasant viewing a movie without the modern political noise infecting a genuinely good story, when it certainly could’ve been otherwise.
While the drama is certainly solid, the action set pieces were also well done, choregraphed by Top Gun: Maverick flight coordinator Kevin LaRosa. Obviously, Devotion has not achieved the critical or box office glory of Tom Cruise’s blockbuster (in fact Devotion is likely to ‘bomb’); however, the movie utilizes similar film techniques, especially from a cinematography perspective, to those seen in Maverick. The aviation scenes are stunningly shot (albeit when CGI backdrops aren’t involved), but Cruise and company beat Devotion to the punch — so looks like it pays to be first.
Ultimately, Devotion shares a story from a war too often forgotten (as the filmmakers suggest in the opening text crawl), while avoiding several pitfalls — sappiness, over-the-top violence, and wokeness — to achieves a heartfelt, quality movie about the greatest love one can demonstrate to another, while stressing war is not about medals and achievements, but helping our comrades return home.
Three out of Four Stars
*Appendix I: For his actions in the Korean War, Tom Hudner received the Medal of Honor. Learn more about the heroic man, here.
**Appendix II: Jesse Brown was an intelligent, gifted man. But, as the movie rightfully conveys, he was also a hero on many fronts. As Hudner stated in 1973, “[Brown] willingly gave his life to tear down barriers to freedom of others." Learn more about him, here.
***Appendix III: This is not the first, nor will be the last, movie featuring the heroic actions taken by a Medal of Honor recipient. If you’re interested in watching other, similar films, here is a short list:
Hacksaw Ridge (2016) — MoH recipient: Desmond Doss
Sergeant York (1941) — MoH recipient: Alvin York
Black Hawk Down (2001) — MoH recipients: Gary Gordon, Randy Shughart
The Longest Day (1962) — MoH recipient: Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
Bonus: Actor Audie Murphy was one of the most decorated soldiers during World War II, which included a Medal of Honor. Recommended viewing is his performance in John Huston’s excellent The Red Badge of Courage (1951).