I saw "Flags of Our Fathers" tonight. The movie was good enough, but what really impressed me was what happened when the movie was over.→[More:]

This was a stadium theatre, see. And when the credits started rolling, people in the relatively packed audience started making their way down the stairs, accompanied by the usual low rumble of folks talking to their friends or talking into their cell phones. You know, the usual noise the burbles up once the film ends.

About 30 seconds into the credits, there began a slideshow of actual photographs of the people on whom the film was based, along with legends telling who they were.

The entire theatre fell silent -- dead silent -- and everyone stopped. There was a line of unmoving people from the bottom to the top of each stairway. No one moved until the slideshow ended.

It felt like a memorial service. What I assume to be the respect people were exhitibing (or maybe it was just interest -- but 60 years later, I'm not sure there's a difference) was totally astounding to me.

It sort of gave me hope, especially since it was in no way a pro-war movie.

Just wanted to share.