The film “Men of Honor” (Producer George Tillman Jr. , Director Robert Teitel)
contains many examples which exemplify Napoleon Hill’s 17 principles of success. It
was through his philosophy of success that Hill was able to achieve great success at
whatever endeavor he pursued. He formulated this philosophy by interviewing many key
figures of his day including Andrew Carnegie and Franklin Roosevelt. As a result, he
developed an influential book which has inspired people all over the globe to achieve any
goal which their mind can conceive and believe in. The film “Men of Honor” is full of
examples which exemplify Hill’s keys to success and recounts the story of one man’s
quest in order to be all that he could be in his life. Many impossible obstacles were
thrown in Carl Brashear’s path, however through his perseverance and determination he
kept finding ways to overcome these seemingly impossible odds. The purpose of this
paper is to identify key scenes within this movie which illustrate the various keys to
success.
Film Overview
As in most cases, history is made when you break the rules, and this inspirational
story of Carl Brashear is no exception. Ever since a young age Brashear’s father
encouraged him to go the extra mile and be all that you can be in life. In order to achieve
his dreams Carl Brashear joined the U.S. Navy in the hopes to become the first African-
American master diver. However, this is in the era in which racial prejudice is still widely
seen; as a result Brashear is originally assigned to work in the USS Hoist’s galley.
Shortly thereafter, Brashear bears witness to Billy Sunday’s heroic efforts as he tries to
save his fellow men from a helicopter crash. This event further strengthens Brashear’s
resolve to achieve his goal of becoming a master diver. (Wikipedia)
A few years later, Brashear eventually finds himself outside diving school in
Bayonne, New Jersey. The head
Cited: Ritt, Michael J., and Kirk Landers. A Lifetime of Riches: A Biography of Napoleon Hill. 1st ed. New York: Dutton, 1995. Sartwell, Matthew. Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success. 1st ed. New York: Penguin Group, 2007. "Men of Honor." Wikipedia. 6 May 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_of_honor>. "Men of Honor." IMDB. 6 May 2008 <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203019/synopsis