Red Dawn: Difference between revisions

Line 22:

* [[Bilingual Dialogue]]: Cuban and Russian troops speak their own language, with subtitles. Played for laughs in one scene when a Russian officer playing tourist [[Fun With Foreign Languages|pretends to translate]] a forestry sign, saying it commemorates [[In Soviet Russia, Trope Mocks You|a bloody Indian revolt]].

* [[Bittersweet Ending]], The kids lose their innocence and {{spoiler|All but two lose their lives}}, though it's suggested by the Partisan Rock memorial that [[America Wins the War]].

* [[Black Dude Dies First]]: The History teacher at the beginning of the movie is the ''very first person'' killed onscreen when he walks up to some [[~~Its~~ Raining Men|heavily armed paratroopers]], [[What an Idiot!|asking them]] [[Too Dumb to Live|what's going on]].

* [[Black Dude Dies First]]: The History teacher at the beginning of the movie is the ''very first person'' killed onscreen when he walks up to some [[It's Raining Men|heavily armed paratroopers]], [[What an Idiot!|asking them]] [[Too Dumb to Live|what's going on]].

** Everyone thought it was a military training drop which had been blown off course -- people don't automatically [[Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here|assume they're being invaded]].

** In addition, Aardvark, the [[Token Minority|one Latino]] among the Wolverines, is the first one of them to get killed.

Line 55:

* [[Funny Moments]]: Most notably the elite paramilitary group...Eagle Scouts. It was a blink and miss moment, but the Arapaho National Forest information sign [[Russian Humour|when translated by Yuri turned out hilarious]].

* [[Gag Sub]]: Done with the Spanish and Russian subtitles on [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B3Ewl1CzWg this youtube version]. There's a [[Rifftrax]] out there as well.

* [[The Great Politics Mess Up]]: Peace broke out with the Russians what, a year after this was made? And it's not like it was the height of the Cold War either, despite military overspending... But then again, the movie takes place in an [[Alternate History]] anyway.

* [[The Great Politics Mess-Up]]: Peace broke out with the Russians what, a year after this was made? And it's not like it was the height of the Cold War either, despite military overspending... But then again, the movie takes place in an [[Alternate History]] anyway.

* {{spoiler|[[The Hero Dies]]}}: Which contributes to several more tropes being played straight.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: Several.

Line 83:

** One of the Wolverines asks this when Jed is about to execute both a captured soldier and {{spoiler|The Mayor's completely unwilling [[The Mole|turncoat]] of a son}}.

{{quote| '''Matt''': "What's the difference, Jed? Tell me, what's the difference between us and them?"<br />

'''Jed''': "Because...[[Occupiers Out of Our Country|WE LIVE HERE!]]" ''(shoots soldier)'' }}

'''Jed''': "Because...[[Occupiers Out of Our Country!|WE LIVE HERE!]]" ''(shoots soldier)'' }}

** Colonel Bella gets his moment as well when the aftermath of a Wolverines raid [[Heel Realization|reminds]] him of his own guerrilla fighter past:

{{quote| '''Bella''': "I have seen this before. But these are my men!"}}

Line 104:

{{quote| "Then you'll be a real hunter. My dad said that once you do that, there's going to be something different about you, always."}}

* [[Recycled in Space]]: [[Ripped from the Headlines|The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]]....in America!

* [[The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized]]: Unarmed prisoners and [[Coup De Grace|enemy wounded]] are shot by the Wolverines.

* [[Shmuck Bait]]: The Wolverines see a Soviet truck drop some supplies on the road so clumsily that it screams too easy, yet they get them without suspicion and pay the price as a Soviet attack helicopter attacks.

** Though to be fair, they were likely starving by that point.

* [[Spot the Imposter]]: On being asked what's the capital of Texas, Colonel Tanner replies "Austin" and is immediately accused by Toni of being a [[Dirty Communist]]. He replies that she's seen too many movies. It doesn't help that Tanner's answer that Austin was the capital of Texas was correct, while Toni was certain that ''[[What an Idiot!|Houston]]'' was its capital. Likely a [[Shout Out]] to a well-known incident during the Battle of the Bulge (see the [[Real Life]] section of [[Spot the Imposter]]).

* [[Spot the Imposter]]: On being asked what's the capital of Texas, Colonel Tanner replies "Austin" and is immediately accused by Toni of being a [[Dirty Communist]]. He replies that she's seen too many movies. It doesn't help that Tanner's answer that Austin was the capital of Texas was correct, while Toni was certain that ''[[What an Idiot!|Houston]]'' was its capital. Likely a [[Shout-Out]] to a well-known incident during the Battle of the Bulge (see the [[Real Life]] section of [[Spot the Imposter]]).

* [[Truth in Television]]: When the film was released, NPR had a former member of the Dutch Resistance give a review of it. He said the movie exactly portrayed the life of a partisan force, including the desperation, mistrust, and "cannibalism" (ie, "swallowed a bug" scene) that occurs.

* [[Token Minority]]: Averted for the remake. Early scripts mentioned an Asian American Wolverine named Erica Yu. However, "Erica" is now being played by the white Isabel Lucas.

** [[Token Enemy Minority]]: The remake's [[Wikipedia]] page lists Asian American actor Ken Choi as part of the [~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/Red_Dawn_%28upcoming_film%~~29#Cast cast]. His character's surname is Smith so it can be presumed that he's a [[But Not Too Black|half-white]] American good guy. Alternately, he may be adopted, or the name could be a placeholder.

** [[Token Enemy Minority]]: The remake's [[Wikipedia]] page lists Asian American actor Ken Choi as part of the [[wikipedia:Red Dawn chr(28)upcoming filmchr(29)#Cast|cast]]. His character's surname is Smith so it can be presumed that he's a [[But Not Too Black|half-white]] American good guy. Alternately, he may be adopted, or the name could be a placeholder.

* [[Voice of the Resistance]]: Radio Free America.

* [[Warrior Poet]]: When Col. Bella writes home to his sweetheart, it's nothing if not beautiful.