Here’s my moderately funny story for the day. Batman points at a help wanted sign in a store window and says to Robin, “Look! Someone in that store is in trouble!”
However in real life, there are no super heroes, and it’s just as rare when a film depicting a true story gives real life heroes the opportunity to portray themselves. But that’s what Clint Eastwood decided to do in the movie “The 15:17 to Paris” which began showing in theaters in mid-February.
The three young men, who stopped a terrorist attack on a Paris train back in 2015, probably never dreamed they would one day be movie actors in a $30 million budget film. The day they took down a heavily armed ISIS recruit on a crowded train going from Amsterdam to Paris will not only be embedded in their memories, but on film as well.
The three heroes aren’t the only ones who portray themselves on screen. The man who got shot in the neck acts out his near-death experience, while his real-life wife stands by, and some of the passengers, who were on board that day, are depicting themselves as well.
The three young men grew up together, went to school together, and on that momentous day were vacationing together. In fact it was just by chance they were on that train, because it wasn’t something they had planned to do.
Two of the men credit their U.S. Armed Forces training for their quick response to the terrorist. One the three recalls seeing the man holding an AK-47, so he ran towards him. Immediately the terrorist pointed the gun and fired. Incredibly, the gun didn’t fire due to a bad primer in the bullet, which rarely happens. That faulty Ak-47 saved many lives.
After seeing the movie, I have to admit it moves along at a slower pace, except for the intense train scene. However, when you keep in mind that most of the actors are ordinary people who had never planned or prepared to be in a movie, it’s an amazing story. And for the the real life heroes, it could be the beginning of a new career.
One of the men said, “Clint blessed us with a new career. Any day after that terrorist attack is a blessing, and I feel like I’m living on borrowed time. So why not?”
The threesome did the right thing when it counts, and now they (along with other people who were present that day) are getting the earnings that usually go to Hollywood actors. It’s an unexpected reward, given to ordinary citizens who were willing to risk their lives to save the lives of others.
Clint Eastwood should be commended for giving real life heroes an opportunity to tell their own story. After all, a successful movie isn’t necessarily the one that makes the most money.
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