Director Brian De Palma is trying to use a few instances of horrors in Iraq to try to pursue his angle of getting American troops out of Iraq.
A new film about the real-life rape and killing of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers who also murdered her family stunned the Venice festival, with shocking images that left some viewers in tears.
It's the same one sidedness that you'd expect from people like Michael Moore.
Yes the rape and killing of an Iraqi girl and her family did happen. It also meant that soldiers who did an dishonorable, shameful, and horrific act went to prison for their various roles in the attack.
I've made several points both good and bad about Iraq, but because Brian De Palma wants to push his agenda through the eyes of cinema, he doesn't push for the positives. His movie doesn't show schools being opened for the first time, citizens rising up against terrorists, bloodshed going way down, etc.
That's not to say I don't enjoy his other movies, but the difference is that they are just movies, not depictions of real life while you try to push a semi-hidden agenda.
Travis
Travis, isn't it up to the right-wing film-makers to now make films that show the 'good' occurring in Iraq?
ReplyDeleteThere's my buddy Callide! I was beginning to miss my internet proof reader friend.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you have a point. But do you care to name a right wing film maker? I bet they are few and far between.
My point was is that De Palma was taking one very rare occurrence, the rape and murder of an Iraqi civilian, and twisting it into making it look like it's a normal thing.
War is ugly, and those of you who voted for the war and now who are against it should have known that when you voted for war.
Everyone was expecting this "nintendo" war like the first Gulf War was. With any invasion, there's always going to be horrible things that happen on both sides of the fence.
I'm just saying that De Palma is making this out to be a kind of documentary rather than a theatrical film. If he's making a documentary, all documentary film makers should present both sides of the arguement.
"My point was is that De Palma was taking one very rare occurrence, the rape and murder of an Iraqi civilian, and twisting it into making it look like it's a normal thing."
ReplyDeleteAnd that is PRECISELY why a film has been made of it, because of its extraordinary nature.
"War is ugly, and those of you who voted for the war and now who are against it should have known that when you voted for war."
When did we all 'vote' for invading Iraq? as far as I could tell this wasn't a option - Instead some people decided a war should be started somewhere.
You don't remember the vote in Congress that authorized the use of military force against Iraq given to President Bush? You don't remember in the news how Hillary Clinton is getting thrashed by her constituents for her vote of "yes"?
ReplyDeleteYou vote for representatives that share your common beliefs and thoughts. When an important vote is up like the use of military force, most, if not all members of Congress get emails, letters, and phone calls from their constituents and some, based upon that knowledge, vote accordingly. My representative voted "No" for the use of military force against my wishes. However, he did so based upon his own beliefs, research, and evidence placed in front of him. Did he know things that I didn't? Probably. But I trust him enough to keep the interests of America and it's citizens at heart at all times.
That's just how government works. If you didn't vote, you have NO room to complain. If you did vote and your representative voted the way you didn't like, vote him/her out of office next time election comes up.
I have made a case for war against Iraq many, MANY times before showing evidence and past experience, so I won't bother making the case again here. Just search around for one of my Keith Olbermann articles and you'll see a good argument based upon facts and intelligence gathering that no one wants to dispute.
As for the film, that's what it should be, a film. However, Brian De Palma is pushing this incident to change public opinion against the war in Iraq. He's pushing this film as a semi-documentary.
That would be like if I were pushing for the closing of all McDonalds because one person choked to death. It's not the whole picture that you're seeing.
Besides, it's not like these soldiers got away with the rape and murder of an Iraqi civilian. They went to jail and their lives are ruined because of it.