The East, my two cents

[NickNascati]

All,
      I watched The East today, having a day to myself. The film was very well done, and really captured the sense of young soldiers unsure of their purpose.  Not really much action, though you could find the seed for scenarios.  It was tough to watch in several places.  The Dutch were very definitely the bad guys of the film.  The character of the Turk especially, conjured up images of Gestapo stormtroopers.  It was a long film, close to two and a half hours.  It reminded me in some ways of The Thin Red Line, being rather introspective.  Definitely worth watching, for a window into an obscure conflict.
      Is it gameable, I’m not sure.  Other than as captives, you don’t see the rebels.  I’m sure there were many missions throughout the conflict that might work on the tabletop. However I think you have to be willing to play the game, and not the history.

[Brummie]

I look forward to seeing it. Not a topic touched upon.

I’m sure there were many missions throughout the conflict that might work on the tabletop. However I think you have to be willing to play the game, and not the history.

That goes for pretty much anything though. Never bought the argument that some conflicts are more morally acceptable than others to game. Wargaming is just that - gaming. It cannot, no matter how hard you try, utterly replicate reality. But it is an important means of exploring and inspiring interest in topics (or history). Avoiding something because someone will see it as controversial (which is guaranteed) will just result in otherwise ignored period in history just being brushed off even more.

I'm pretty sure the war in Indonesia did involve some pretty heavy urban fighting at points and was no different in many ways to other contemporary insurgencies. Instead of say Brits on patrol in the Malayan outback, it'd be Dutch on patrol in rural Indonesia etc.