Comments on: Where’s Frank Capra When You Need Him?

By: basicmagic

basicmagic — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:24:21 +0000

two of my all-time favorite “war” movies, both from australia-
BREAKER MORANT and GALLIPOLI

see them and i think you may find it time well spent.

and APOCALYPSE NOW, epic.

vincent, in buffalo
http://www.louisebrooks.com

By: Stephen K

Stephen K — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:36:23 +0000

Don’t forget War Inc with John Cusack. That is a movie that I very much want to see.

By: Matthew Good

Matthew Good — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:47:46 +0000

I’ll be the first person to admit that there are a lot of films that are massively bias. But the ones that I used as examples are, in my opinion anyway, not. Nor do I think Platoon bias, for example.

By: chris craine

chris craine — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:06:03 +0000

#1 problem with war movies is when the makers only consult higher brass. Your never going to get the whole story, much less the specific nuances and details that are needed to tell a reasonably true story.
#2, It’s pathetic how many “war” flicks have been pumped out by Hollywood and else that display instances which are obviously incorrect. From displaying the wrong rank, to seeing an M-16 magically morph into some kind of fully automatic, endless round spitting machine gun. Any private straight out of basic can point out these mistakes….but in the end, it all brings in the $$$….so who gives a shit about telling the truth.

By: D. Lilly

D. Lilly — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:42:46 +0000

Maybe a Disney cartoon?

Not too long ago I picked up a copy the The Three Caballeros at Target. I explained to my wife that the cartoon was made as propaganda in 1944 to woo Latin America to our side in WWII. She remembers seeing the movie growing up in Bolivia but I think it was a cold splash of water when I explained why it had been made.

I don’t think the world is so naive these days and unless The Duke rises from the grave…

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:18:15 +0000

“How should the war in Iraq be depicted? The fact of the matter is that the same people that are willing to dole out finances to those willing to put less of a negative spin on the war are the very same that have never bothered to even keep an official count of Iraqi civilian casualties.”

It’s been a war of fantansy from the start. From the creation of evidence of WMDs to justify invasion to embedding journalists in military units to limit their independence and objectivity.

It’s never been about representing reality for the Pentagon and the White House, just the opposite actually. Which is going to create a challenge for any filmmaker trying to make an honest portrail of the war, even if they had Pentagon support, the foundation of lies has already been well laid.

By: RRC

RRC — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:35:03 +0000

The great ‘The Battle of Algiers’ was on tv a while back (I was going to buy it but it was something like $75 on Amazon). If you haven’t seen it, it’s a movie made to look like a documentary based on events during the 1954-1962 Algerian War against French rule.

Berkeley has this extensive resource:

War Movies and War Propaganda: A Bibliography of Materials in the UC Berkeley Library

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/Warfilmbib.html

By: Luther

Luther — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:03:06 +0000

..er Goebbels.

By: Luther

Luther — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:02:14 +0000

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”
Joseph Goebels

By: basicmagic

basicmagic — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:29:27 +0000

[quote comment="57945"]
Case in point, this blog, written by a Canadian. We as non-Americans can question, agitate, point out the illogical nature of the arguments, but will it have any effect on the US and the people who ultimately decide who will be in power in Washington?

Susie[/quote]

yes… and by doing exactly those things and more.

and as Archimedes said-
“Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the world.”

the recent invention and utilization of instant global media,
and the free expression and communication provided-
is the lever with which great shifts in thought (and policy) can occur.

as The New Pornographers say-
“Use it!”

vincent, in buffalo
http://www.louisebrooks.com

By: omgsocool

omgsocool — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:14:58 +0000

How should the war in Iraq be depicted in movies?

Who cares? We all know what it acutally is.

By: Ryguy

Ryguy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:59:14 +0000

one word….zeitgeist

By: vika

vika — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:42:52 +0000

Reality - makes my blood boil…

I finally looked up reality in the allmighty dictionary. There are a few points to pick from. So, like any other being I will choose the ones I liked best (the worst one forces you to look up “real” - as in reality is a real event)

Reality - something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily.

By this definition, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other “missions” are completely unreal.

The crimes depicted in the documentaries are the daily reality for another point is - reality is the entity or state of affairs.

By: Susan McEwan

Susan McEwan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:12:32 +0000

The “dumbing down of America” by those in control of the media and the government in the United States is indeed a “mission accomplished”. It pains me to generalize, but it seems that the majority of Americans who line up for the summer blockbuster action flick are all too willing to accept whatever story is portrayed; whatever plays into the Rambo-esque hero myth. The REAL stories–such as the excellent documentaries you noted–are not of interest to those who do not question the news reports or the Whitehouse media statements. So although they are great documentaries, and tell the reality of the “war” etc., I fear they are preaching to the choir. Those who avail themselves of these alternative films and information already question what they have been told. Perhaps I am being a jaded Canadian, but the overtly aggressive repression of any news that does not follow the current political agenda in the US is gaining strength (witness the ironic silencing of protesters at GWB’s speech on Friday) and taking over the education system, media, foreign policy, etc. Those who dare question or to portray events as they really are, are discredited and ultimately dismissed. The majority don’t care. Is that a harsh criticism of Americans? Yes, and I would love to be wrong. But I fear that within their own country, these filmakers will not have much effect.

Case in point, this blog, written by a Canadian. We as non-Americans can question, agitate, point out the illogical nature of the arguments, but will it have any effect on the US and the people who ultimately decide who will be in power in Washington?

Susie

By: D. Lilly

D. Lilly — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:05:56 +0000

Maybe they can remake The Green Berets