Just a few pages into “American Sniper,” Chris Kyle used an epithet to describe the Arabs on the wrong side of his gun scope. “A lot of people, myself included, called the enemy ‘savages,’” he wrote. “I only wish I had killed more. Not for bragging rights, but because I believe the world is a better place without savages out there taking American lives.” A decorated Navy SEAL, Kyle killed more than 150 “savages” in Iraq, becoming the deadliest sniper in the annals of American warfare.
Kyle’s memoir has been turned into a film starring Bradley Cooper and it’s an Oscar contender even before its national release on January 16. The Los Angeles Times hails its action scenes as “impeccably crafted,” while The New Yorker salutes Clint Eastwood for making other directors “look like beginners.” Unfortunately, Hollywood’s producing class, taking a break from exchanging catty emails about A-list stars, has created another war film that ignores history, and reviewers who spend too much time in screening rooms are falling over themselves in praise of it.
They should know better. In 2012, “Zero Dark Thirty,” about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was lavishly praised by most reviewers, and it wasn’t until criticism emerged from political reporters like Jane Mayer and others (I wrote about it too) that the tide turned against the pro-torture fantasy at its core. The backlash, coming after the film made “best of the year” lists, was probably responsible for it (fortunately) being all but shut out of the Academy Awards. Hopefully the praise-and-reconsider scenario will recur with “American Sniper.”
Just as ZDT director Kathryn Bigelow insisted her movie took no position on the use of torture, the makers of “American Sniper” tell us the film takes no position on the war in Iraq. Cooper, who in addition to having the lead role was one of the producers, has said “it’s not a movie about the Iraq war; it’s about the horror of what a soldier like Chris has to go through. It’s not a political movie at all. It’s a movie about a man—a character study.” I talked to the movie’s screenwriter, Jason Hall, and he said, “For me, this is not a war movie.”
The film faithfully recycles Kyle’s crude language, and while shocking to some viewers, his slurs are the least surprising or objectionable part. Dehumanizing the enemy is common in almost any conflict, particularly for snipers, who see their foes up close. If you regard your target as a savage or an infidel, it’s easier to squeeze the trigger. Kyle’s blinkered attitude was not unusual among the fighters I spent time with in Iraq. It’s the truest part of the movie and belongs in it.
The problem is that the film makes no attempt to tell us anything beyond Kyle’s limited comprehension of what was happening. More than a decade after America invaded and occupied Iraq, and long after we realized the war’s false pretense and its horrific toll, we deserve better. There’s a dilemma at work: a war movie that is true of one American’s experience can be utterly false to the experience of millions of Iraqis and to the historical record. Further, it’s no act of patriotism to celebrate, without context or discussion, a grunt’s view that the people killed in Iraq were animals deserving their six-feet-under fate. When the movie’s villain, an enemy sniper named Mustafa, was killed by Kyle, the crowd at the theater where I was watching broke into applause.
If Cooper, the film’s star, means what he said about its lack of politics, he fails to understand how war movies operate in popular culture. When a film venerates an American sniper but portrays as sub-human the Iraqis whose country we were occupying—the film has one Iraqi who seems sympathetic but turns out to be hiding a cache of insurgent weapons—it conveys a political message that is flat wrong. Among other things, it ignores and dishonors the scores of thousands of Iraqis who fought alongside American forces and the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who were killed or injured in the crossfire.
While it is about a certain type of bravery, the film itself is not brave. One of the things it does well is highlight Kyle’s post-traumatic stress disorder. But there is no mention of the problems returning soldiers often encounter when they try to get treatment at military hospitals–even though the disturbed veteran who killed Kyle in real life, at a Texas shooting range in 2013, had been denied the care he desperately needed. Why ignore an issue of national importance that is also the reason Kyle is no longer with us? I asked Hall, the screenwriter, and he said that while the government’s inadequate care of veterans is worthy of criticism, this was a movie about Kyle’s experience, and he didn’t have problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs. “I think that without the time to adequately explore that, and just take a swing at the VA—that’s ill-mannered and ineffective,” Hall said.
I’m not so surprised about Hollywood—the making of great and true movies is not a feature built into its strange operating system amid the palm trees—but I am dismayed with the reviewers who should know better. As Alissa Quart wrote for Reuters during the backlash to ZDT (full disclosure: Quart is my wife), today’s critics tend to avoid cinematic politics, in contrast to their predecessors, like Mary McCarthy and Pauline Kael. If a movie is well acted and nicely shot and carries the viewer along, that is enough to earn five stars in their reviews, because history does not matter to them. They are ideology-agnostic formalists, and this hurts us.
We got Iraq wrong in the real world. It would be nice to get it right at the multiplex.
Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
You know what else the movie got wrong? Sex slavery? How come it never mentions the Iraqi sex slave trade? Or global warming? Hello, we are in the desert in this movie! Or American’s owning guns. Or why Muslims blow people up. (Don’t wanna us the word savages). Or why there’s too much month at the end of the money for soldiers. Or why we got into Vietnam. I’m pissed about that one. Or who killed JFK. I bet it was a soldier. Or about (fill in the blank). Or about (fill in the blank) Or about (fill in the blank). You know what this savage, I mean author, got wrong? (Fill in the blank).
Another valuable perspective from two former decorated veterans:
*Unpacking the War on Terror: Letter to a Young Army Ranger (From an Old One)*
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175942/
– h/t Cindy
Concerned about the feelings of the Iraqis, and what the VA is doing to help Vets back here in the states? Did you even read the book? Sounds like you need to get off your fat ass Peter, and make your own goddamn movie. Or don’t and just sit there in the safety of your office and criticize the work and actions of others.
Talk about somebody with an agenda… how noble of you to sit in your armchair, 10 years after the fact and judge the actions of people who were actually there, risking their lives in an attempt(as hopeless as it was) to make the world a safer place.
PS friendo- We didnt get the Iraq war wrong, we were simply too late and too slow to get what we were looking for. Where did they go? Why dont you go ask Assad and the Syrians what happened to the chemical weapons. Maybe you can make a movie about it someday…
This is how it is when the politically-correct discuss war? The people we killed WERE savages, as far as we were concerned – since when is the act of sawing through a captive’s throat with a blunt knife an act of civilization? We didn’t have the luxury of pretending that we were important enough to loftily debate the morality of the war – we weren’t strategists, we just did our job at the tactical level. Stripped down to its essentials, that’s all we needed to do to achieve our mission, protect our team-mates and come home – despite our apparent “limited comprehension of what was happening”. Puerile, self-important little prick.
Peter. Shouldn’t you review Into The Woods or something?
On the other hand, you weren’t really expecting an honest film about the Iraq War from a rightwing hack who thinks Sarah Palin is brilliant and spent 20 minutes talking to a chair?
When Kyle referred to the enemy as “savages,” it was not levied at Arabs as a whole, it was leveled at the enemy he was battling. The first paragraph of this article is almost an exact copy of one in a Guardian article released this week which attempted to villanize Kyle. Somehow I suspect that Maas never read Kyle’s book, and thus, never gave him much of a chance. You don’t have to praise Kyle as heroic, but it’s pretty ridiculous to think that you can somehow interpret his actions from the safety of your office. If you want to write an article about the stupidity of the Iraq war, then do so, but to assassinate the character of a soldier in order to make your point just seems gross.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The U.S did not “get Iraq wrong”. Actually, there most likely WERE WMD’s in Iraq. According to the second in command of Saddam’s air force, the WMD’s were moved out of the country to Syria. That’s likely where the chemical weapons that Assad used recently came from.
====
In 2006, former Iraqi general Georges Sada, second in command of the
Iraqi Air Force who served under Saddam Hussein before he defected,
wrote a comprehensive book, “Saddam’s Secrets.”
It details how the Iraqi Revolutionary Guard moved weapons of mass
destruction into Syria in advance of the U.S.-led action to eliminate
Hussein’s WMD threat.
As Sada told the New York Sun, two Iraqi Airways Boeings were
converted to cargo planes by removing the seats, and special Republican
Guard units loaded the planes with chemical weapons materials.
There were 56 flights disguised as a relief effort after a 2002 Syrian dam collapse.
There were also truck convoys into Syria. Sada’s comments came more
than a month after Israel’s top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Moshe Yaalon, told the Sun that Saddam “transferred the chemical agents
from Iraq to Syria.”
Both Israeli and U.S. intelligence observed large truck convoys
leaving Iraq and entering Syria in the weeks and months before Operation
Iraqi Freedom, John Shaw, former deputy undersecretary of defense for
international technology security, told a private conference of former
weapons inspectors and intelligence experts held in Arlington, Va., in
2006.
According to Shaw, ex-Russian intelligence chief Yevgeni Primakov, a
KGB general with long-standing ties to Saddam, went to Iraq in December
2002 and stayed until just before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
====
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/071912-618875-syria-chemical-weapons-came-from-iraq-.htm?p=full
In addition to that, Bette Middler tweeted in October of last year a criticism of Bush and his lie about the WMD’s. She was answered by Waarant Officer Rick Elliot SFG, who was there – “@BetteMidler – I was there. While we waited for Congress & the U.N to vote for the invasion, many convoys went into Syria from Iraq”.
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/11/02/us-army-warrant-officer-schools-bette-midler-that-there-were-wmds-in-iraq/
Includes screencaps of tweets.
And it wasn’t just Republicans who were saying that somethnig needed to be done about Saddam. Democrats also supported the invasion. Check out these quotes –
“Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime … He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation … And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction … So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real…”
– Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
“I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force — if necessary — to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”
– Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”
– Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.”
– Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members … It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”
– Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
Quoting a bevy of easily war mongering demonstrative liars hardly reinforces your (non-existant) case.
While your points are well taken, you basically are asking Eastwood and Cooper to make a completely different film. This article also assumes that most Americans are stupid and won’t frame the movie ás part entertainment and part historical.
American Sniper is not listed as documentary. Historical movies lose the documentary part beginning with the first line of dialog or past the opening credits. Most of history does not have DVCAM recording everything as it happens.
Some historical movies I do not see because I do not want their distorted history to get mixed in with my recollections of factual history. Neither should critics delve into educating the public on their frequently unusual view of history.
Frankly I would rather historical movies stick to being more fictional than sticking close to facts. I would much rather see a very well done documentary on Kyle as the true nature of his life is probably much larger than this movie will convey.
Peter I am not sure we watched the same movie…or maybe you have little comprehension about what a movie, such as this one, is attempting to convey. What you are criticizing is that the movie was more Hollywood than History channel. The movie and really the whole story is about the accounts of a single human being. What you are arguing is that there wasn’t not enough perspective from one side and none from the other…this is how it is in the real world and this movie was not made to correct that.
This valid point is made by a lot of commenters. I respect it but I don’t agree with it. I think that what happened in Iraq, the cost of Iraq (blood, treasure), the ongoing ramifications of what happened in Iraq (ISIS etc) are so significant that an influential Hollywood movie should give at least a nod toward certain essential facts of the conflict, rather than nudge us in the opposite direction.
Just wanted to give a shout out to all the new, er, diverse voices who came to comment at TI.
Every visitor helps TI keep doing what they’re doing.
And if they accidentally learn something in the process, so much the better.
Amen to that. I think. ;)
If it was a German sniper instead the iraqi, people will do the same. Look at all the WW-2 movies, all Germans were all monster nazi’s; killed by the hundreds in those movies with pleasure. So it is nothing new what we are going to see. But on the other side a film about a iraqi or german sniper in the “glorious” “heroic” way will be condemned by the West. People are so stupid and ignorant.
Holy crap man. The movie is based on a book, which IS factual. Is it your premise to take the original authors words and change them to suit some political narrative? But of course it is.
There are a lot of parts of this review I disagree with and parts I agree with. But I only want to adress one aspect. The reviewer pointed out that the limited view the audience receives from the main character’s limited understanding of what is happening. And you would have liked some more insight into what he was going through.
The thing is, none of us know what is going on with us. They call it PTSD, and in some cases that could be correct. But there is something else that I don’t think people just understand, and neither do we(soldiers). There is a scene in the movie where another Seal is talking to Chris about holding on to an electric fence as a child.
There was more truth in that statement then what little importance was put on that scene.
There are certain things a person goes through when they step on that plane for real, they land in that foreign country, and they leave that gate.
I’m not whining about the horrors of the things I’ve and many others have seen. I’m talking about living for a year or more fully prepared to take another life in defense of your or your brothers.
Trying to go back to the normal world can be a bigger adjustment then one might think.
The guy started a company called Craft that had a skull as its logo and “Violence does solve problems.” as its motto. He was shot by one of his “friends.”
“Violence does solve problems.” could be Dirty Harry’s motto. Eastwood is just getting back to his roots.
http://www.thecraft.com/craft_skull.html
Crazy and scary to think that this idiots really does take themselves seriously. There is no difference whatsoever between them and so-called terrorist. That last line as comically sad.
“The Craft Skull is a daily reminder to us all the sacrifices brave warriors have made and what it takes to triumph over evil.”
Kyle was born in Odessa, Texas, the son of Deby Lynn (Mercer) and Wayne Kenneth Kyle, a Sunday school teacher and a deacon. Humm. I guess they skipped over the “Thou Shalt Not Kill” lesson. No wonder there are so many goofy people running around.
What does it say about Eastwood that among all the Iraq occupation veterans he chose this piece of **** to do a film about?
Thank you for exposing the irrationality of a movie about a ruthless, cowardly killer. Of all killers, such as those who shoot innocent people from a helicopter, those who guide drones in misguided attacks which slaughter civilians, and those who engage in bombing runs and roadside bombs, it is the sniper who is the most cowardly. The reason I believe that is that he/she clearly sees his/her target and yet makes the choice to play God. It is a fact that if the circumstances were reversed and a foreign entity were here picking off targets while hiding in secrecy, we would be outraged. How dare they attack our freedom fighters and civilians? Even more outrageous, is that this atrocious movie ignites cheers of approval for cold blooded murders. At least, in my childhood, the Westerns expressed great scorn for those who would “shoot someone in the back.” Now, we have regressed to an early stage of primal behavior, far back into our primitive roots. I suspect the film makers have exactly that intent and it is their purpose in disseminating this ruthless jingoistic propaganda.
Kyle was cowardly? What’s your definition? Snipers are not “safe.” You seem to have a very misguided idea of the life of a sniper. Kyle was shot twice. He was far from safety and very much enveloped by risk. You don’t need to like the guy, but accept your ignorance…you know nothing of war.
So you, one film critic, are butthurt that an Oscar-winning director made the movie he wanted to make, not the one you wanted to watch? Tear…(sarcasm)
“The problem is that the film makes no attempt to tell us anything beyond Kyle’s limited comprehension of what was happening…”
If that’s a problem to you, go watch a goddamned documentary on the Iraq War. Anyone who’s actually done it will tell you that having a “limited comprehension” of the bigger picture is part-‘n-parcel of fighting in a war, and that’s probably what the film intended.
Agreed. I’d like to add that what movie – any movie inspired by real events – has been historically accurate? Spielberg’s movie “Munich” was more of an apology about the actions taken after the Munich Olympics. Every account I’ve read about the hunt for the terrorists was not a reluctant mission – Isreal wanted those terrorists dead and dead is what they got. No apologies. None. Chris Kyle referring to the people he targets as ‘savages’ is backed up by their (the terrorists) actions.
Wow. Might I suggest your written article actual reflecting the title? WHY are these comments political? Why are we talking about liberals and conservatives? Why are we talking about a war you did not fight in? (I don’t care WHO you spent time with)
This has nothing to do with historical inaccuracies. This is the story of one man- one man who did what others could not. A man you simply can’t understand. Review the dam*ed movie- can your political crud for another article. This is a movie, and a damned good one.
What a ridiculous read.
Easy there sister. That extra Y chromosome of yours is popping through your skirt and obstructing much more than your good sense. Having lived in Arizona for the better part of my 53 years I have met far more folks like you than I might have liked – right-wing “libertarians” who truly believe themselves the sacred keepers of what it means to be the Real American. Anyone entering into a discussion or having an opinion on a war they didn’t want any part of in the first place with your type quickly finds themselves lambasted and ridiculed with a kind of war-porn masculinity that basically says: “You didn’t “serve.” So what do you know about right and wrong when it comes to war and the reasons we fight them?” Of course you “don’t care” about the author’s experience. Anything less than an eagerness to kill for the U.S. of Wal-Mart simply doesn’t fit your pea-sized narrative of God and country. By his own admission what this “one man” did was nothing more than fun for him (and you apparently). What is there to understand? He snuck up on people in their country – and killed them. How good and brave of him. And then your hero, with his trigger finger tired and his tour completed, he is forced to return to the mother sh**hole that sent him and finds upon his return “golly, no one understands me…” But girls and guys like you just haaaate to have your Toby Keith soundtrack to life interrupted for anything, least of all some pencil neck of a journalist that just doesn’t get the sort of sacrifices the soldiers of the U.S. of Wal-Mart make for the rest of us. This movie is nothing more than War-Porn, made by a director that as the last Republican convention illustrates has long since lost his mind. Talk about “ridiculous.”
You miss the big picture son- this is a movie about a man and what is going on inside his head. You want a history movie – a macro study – good idea too, but a different movie. Men make history, good or bad, they do it. Men fight wars – one man at a time – without belief they cannot fight. Children and commentators live on the sideline – we need them too. Have any solutions to the radical Islam terror – kidnapping young girls, cutting their nose and ears off, using human shields…. hope we find one before it becomes WWIII (and they ever get those weapons of mass destruction sonny – then the death toll will rise to WW levels) Oh, should they change the name to ‘Expendable.” Take your anger son and use it, call your congressman, you local IMAN – or have a drink like the Green Barrett in “The Dear Hunter” ….. “Fuc.. it.” what else can one man do when in uniform.
“Men make history, good or bad, they do it. … Children and commentators live on the sideline …”
In what reality do you live? People make history. And children live on the sideline of war? Since when? Not even in the fantasyland of this dishonest movie. Numberless children are orphaned and murdered by those you call men, those history making believers in war. You’re the one who is missing the big picture. By a long shot.
It is actually the same in academic circles. I was dismayed when Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens were routinely analysed and admired by the majority of film scholars, because of its so called “creative use of camera” etc. and the essence of the fascistic propaganda was dismissed.
In a world that people no longer read or think much, film is very important; therefore we should be on our guards and open our eyes to notice the real agenda underneath, the brainwashing in the cocktail.
There’s enough macho driven ignorance and “American Exceptionalism–murka … F’K Yeah!” in this comment thread to choke a herd of wild horses.
Mr. Maas, your critical eye and pen are very much appreciated.To think that such a film entered the space of appearances at a time when the Pentagon and White House have just transposed American violence upon the Iraqi people for a third consecutive decade is truly heartbreaking. Again, thank you.
An account of a single mans views from his eyes is not an inaccurate account of history. The movie is not about history it is just one persons view. Hate goes hand in hand in war. Without it you don’t survive, then again does anyone alive or dead?
The title does not fit the article.Where are the historical inaccuracies?
I agree. The film is offensive because it is intended to manipulate emotion, not to inform or tell the truth. That would be fine if the context was fiction. But as the Iraq War is not fiction, this story targets a dumbed-down audience, one comprised of individuals who prefer a story that validates what they already believe to having their beliefs challenged with real facts. Nothing is more offensive to such an audience than real facts that don’t support their belief narratives. And Hollywood exploits that kind of willful ignorance as much as politicians and religions do. Sheep are good for business.
A brave film would likely be less successful but would tell the truth.
So how did you feel about the movies 300, Braveheart or Noah? Because Hollywood got the history wrong on those as well. If you are looking for historical accuarcy, go to the History Channel or Frontline. This is entertainment. This is a story about one man’s life. The “truth” is out there for anyone interested in seeking it (I put it in quotes because I believe it to be manipulated and manufactured depending on what you seek and the questions you ask) Anyone who walks out of this movie thinking every Muslim is a terrorist also believes all cops are corrupt, all blacks are thugs, and all whites are racist. And they probably don’t have any friends of any kind who can stand to be around them for very long! The movie is accurate as to the experience of this one man. It is also accurate about the targets at the end of his scope. They were bad guys. They were doing bad things. And they knew the risks of their actions and they chose to go ahead and do it and they died as a result.
…. and you know this, how?
“It is also accurate about the targets at the end of his scope. They were bad guys. They were doing bad things. And they knew the risks of their actions and they chose to go ahead and do it and they died as a result.”
All your blah blah blah in the beginning about people this and people that and then you just confirm that you yourself is a victim of bullshit propaganda. WTF were the US doing in Iraq, because sure as hell it didn’t had anything to do with 9/11? Jesus, man. Before you feel like sharing your blatant ignorance on forums, just go and do some research first.
Historical accuracy from Frontline?The Hitlery channel?Anywhere Zionists dwell,history is at risk.
Iraqis defending their homeland,unable to match US military hardware,sniping at people who were blowing up their nation,who came on a mission of BS from 8000 miles away,are the bad guys?One stupid brainwashed soldier of the pathetic evil empire snipes 150 freedom fighters,and he’s the good guy?
Snipers have never won or lost a war in history,(unless it was a very small war)and is just one of the most evil aspects of war,which of course is a form of evil also.This glorification of sh*t(war) is getting old.As I said,Mr.Kyle was just another victim.
Those movies were terrible.
What this world needs is more of those savages killed, a lot more. What we don’t need is a lot of wusses who want us to understand these savages.
/*second attempt at posting*/
“I only wish I had killed more. Not for bragging rights, but because I believe the world is a better place without savages out there taking American lives.”
A decorated Navy SEAL, Kyle killed more than 150 Human Beings in Iraq…
My God!!! …is this a modern american hero?
Mamma Mia!!!
“We” didn’t get Iraq “wrong.” Iraq, like everything else in that part of the world for the U.S. was about oil, period. And the U.S. managed to steal their oil as soon as the massacre — it wasn’t a war, it was an immoral invasion by an army with overwhelming force and was no contest — was over.
On the same note, Hollywood is part of corporate America and therefore part of its massive propaganda machine. Sometimes we get lucky with honest movies like Syriana, but usually we get this right wing crap, which is exactly how they want it.
So you’re saying that it’s a good movie as far as it goes, but you don’t like it because it doesn’t get into the politics of the Iraq war? The movie was about bravery, not politics.
What bravery? Where? A guy hiding behind a gun shooting at women and children and calling them savages? Is that what bravery is to you?
a woman and child with an RPG trying to kill American troops……
I wish Eastwood would go back to talking to the empty chair. …
Anyone who draws politics from movies, or any other form of entertainment is an idiot. You did just that.. And following the producers comments on the film not being a political commentary. You truly are an idiot.
How much time have you spent in the desert? I mean “really” spent. I mean time spent against those who are trying to take your rights and your freedom. I include the right for you to rant about something you can’t even imagine knowing about. Yea you mentioned you’ve spent time over there with the very men and women you are ragging on protecting you. Face off with one of those who are seeking to destroy the nation you call home. See where your notepad and pen get you. See how you feel about it then. Are they all bad? No. But the ones Kyle took out wouldn’t have given a second thought about you. Respect is one thing this nation has lost. I hope to see it return in my lifetime.
My only comment to you is that if this is how you feel about America and the people who defend this country then you should be shot with the infidels.
What gives w/ all of this angst? Did you miss craft time again??
Chutduh.
Another misinformed brainwashed,blow dried American?knucklehead.How the hell was America being attacked in Iraq?They had absolutely no means of hurting Americans.The kool-aid is powerful.A mind melding cancerous agent.The last actual time an American defended American territory from another countries military was Pearl Harbor, Attu and Kiska in Alaska,Guam and Wake I(1941-4?)Before that,the Civil War?
We should send all of you backwards desert religion people to the Middle East so you could kill each other off.
A lot of “conservative” people complaining here should realize, it wasn’t us “libtards” who killed Kyle. It was one of his kooky gun toting friends, 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran Eddie Ray Routh.
Now the real problem. Should we thank Eddie for his service?
Peter
I applaud your directness and thoughtful criticism. I too – felt that the film was a knee jerk attempt to avoid the deeper story and celebrate the character and courage of one man. Albiet one man who never questions what he is doing while killing “savages” aka: Iraqis. But that in part is how we avoid dealing with the consequences of much of what got us into this confusion and ill-considered use of American power. Pretending that “they hate us and our freedom” and turning “them” into objects of our scorn as “savages” utterly fails to wrestle with the complex and convoluted history of our own complicity in Middle Eastern cultures and history — and lets us foolishly miss the point once again. It’s not so much that Arab extremists are our greatest enemy. It’s that our lack of understanding of how we got into this horrible destructive policy towards Arab and Muslim cultures actually plays into the hands of our enemies and helps isolate the moderate and progressive forces in the Arab world who become trapped in ancient and xenophobic fears of extremists who exploit those fears on all sides. Eastwood’s failure to dig into the deeper conscience and consciousness of his character’s actions and increasing confusion leaves us with a “black and white” story logic that implies once again America is better than everyone else in the world and somehow graced with unique righteousness that allows it never to have to confront its own responsibility for how things have gone so terribly wrong. It’s hardest to face oneself and one’s true motives. Your comments and the film should spark a deeper inquiry into how we all contributed to putting this American Sniper and men and women by the millions in a war that was with the wrong enemy, at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. That story – is the one Hollywood might tell if it had the courage that Coppola had in 1979. Ironically, Eastwood had been Coppola’s first choice for the lead role but turned it down I have heard. Looks like he still doesn’t get it. Sadly.
Jeffrey, thanks for this–very thoughtful and I agree. PM
” If a movie is well acted and nicely shot and carries the viewer along, that is enough to earn five stars in their reviews, because history does not matter to them.” It is not that History does not matter, this is not a documentary like “Dirty Wars”. Who goes to the movies to learn their History? I read the book but not seen the movie cause it has not been released in my area. Looking forward to see it, but it will not change my mind about how wrong it was for us to go into these two pointless wars that gain us nothing. If want to learn about History pick up as many books as new articles as you can read them, get all the facts you can. I dont go to the movies to learn history, never thought of Clint Eastwood as a History teacher.
Everyone goes to the movies to learn their history is the answer — everyone except a highly literate few. Just recently, I spoke with two of my siblings who had enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game.” My husband (who is a computer scientist long familiar with Alan Turing as a historic figure) and I returned from our own viewing of the film to look up certain facts about it. We had surmised correctly that there was something off in the image of Turing as an outsider at Bletchley (as well as other details there), and also in the portrayal of his girlfriend. We realized the film had simply fallen into familiar Hollywood tropes about both, but when we explained this to my Turing-novice siblings it was clear they took the film for the more authoritative. For the record, it seems that among people of his own class, Turing was accepted as openly gay, even at Bletchley. The communist spy he worked with and found out was passing information to the Soviets was someone Turing had never met, nor did he betray his country to allow him to continue his operations. That spy worked in another part of Bletchley. The girlfriend (of course) did not look like Kiera Knightly in the slightest (for which Hollywood might be forgiven), but their relationship was not one of such ambiguity, as both had to be aware of Turing’s sexual preferences the whole time. Yet this is Alan Turing for the masses, a misunderstood, borderline insane, traitorous gay who won the war single-handedly. Only in Hollywood would they prefer a nubile young woman as their heroine over the hundreds of dowdy female code-breakers recognized as very bright even before second wave feminism. Why there was even a show on PBS called “The Bletchley Circle” which did better with this historical fact. Perhaps “Christopher” (not actually the name of the computer Turing developed, but an earlier name for his concept of one, named for his mourned friend) helped to win the war, but if you accept that strange Hollywood version of how it did, you will undoubtedly be in error. Yet find me someone who will be looking up all this stuff rather than simply believing. The theatergoers of “American Sniper” (a group I shall never join) will congratulate themselves on American brutality once again, without learning anything but self-delusion.
This film is not meant to be a Docudrama…it is for Entertainment…Eastwood can cast the film in any direction he wishes…
Yup, and we can criticize it as trash IF WE WANT.
Hey Maass, do you complain about everything? You are upset that the writers and producers of the movie chose to tell the story they wanted to tell rather than the story that you wanted them to tell. Not once do you point out one historical inaccuracy in the movie, instead, you merely object to the story not being the one you want told. I consider such to be a hack of a critique.
Too bad your historical “facts” follow the liberal talking points…….. Otherwise your review might have some validity.
This article is one of the biggest loads of garbage I have ever seen. While it is based on a true story, the bottom line is that It is a MOVIE. Intended for the purpose of ENTERTAINMENT. Why Can’t anyone watch a movie without getting sensitive and political over it? If you want a documentary, watch the history channel. If you want to spout off about pointless liberal propaganda, watch CNN.
But if you want to be entertained, watch a movie.
It’s pretty simple.
Fiction is a bigger part of propaganda in the U.S. than the corporate news. This is not just entertainment, it’s full on propaganda. But hey, if you think that CNN is liberal, you’re either brain dead or somewhere to the right of Mussolini.
Ummmm, he was on the left but ok.
Mitchell, other people have expressed the same view. I get it, but don’t agree. I just feel that Iraq is too important to be treated as one-sided entertainment. Lots of people died over there, we’re still suffering the consequences (ISIS etc) and will be for a long time to come. I’d give a pass to a lot of films that aren’t true to history (most aren’t) but on this subject, I’m sorry, I can’t let it go without comment. It doesn’t have to be a documentary, it doesn’t have to be a different film, it just needs to include a bit of the broader truths that are quite important for us to understand.
My comment was censored and erased. That’s SOP from chairborne leftists that have no idea what they’re writing about, but are happily eager to quash anyone else’s views.
Please go and fxck yourself, Mr MaASS.
As we’ve wearily grown tired of, combat soldiers don’t have the time to play amateur psychologist and put things into a left-leaning “historical” or “political” perspective while being occupied with trying to stay alive. Our world is more narrow and acute. The luxury of ‘reporting from combat zones’ for limited periods of time (don’t be deluded or fooled: combat zones largely never see actual combat, let alone combat of any sustained period, and retreat-by-choice of leftist journalists such as Mr MaASS isn’t available) hardly qualifies anyone to write with authenticity about not only the mindset of the combat soldier, but what that mindset should be as the author insists that it should be.
For some combat veterans, it takes years, sometimes decades, to put their experiences under fire in some sort of understandable perspective as it relates to a peacetime existence.. Some understandably don’t want to go through that at all. Some don’t put it into a political aspect, let alone an historical one. They had a job to do, and they approached in the manner that helped them survive it, help their fellow soldiers survive it, and make sense of it – in the moment.
Mr MaASS was no combat soldier. Mr MaASS is no historian. A historian keeps his narrative confined to the facts and doesn’t bend those facts to suit his or her
agenda. He is an opinion writer, an editorialist. His slant literally bleeds from each word of his screed, which is fine. But don’t confuse his opinion with fact, and don’t think that his experiences at poolside in the “Green Zone” and a few days per month spent a few thousand yards away from the violence and the terror of the
war can give any sense of authenticity in regards to the mindset of the actual man in the arena.
They say that hindsight is 20-20, but Mr MaASS’ hindsight is hindered by his politically-induced myopia.
Its amazing how Peter Mass in his normal position (head firmly planted in his ass) can find a way to flail at the computer keyboard…
Thank you. I just spewed my morning coffee all over my keyboard and monitor! Where should I send the repair bill? LOL
This movie is called “American Sniper” based on the book written by the man who’s story and point of view it is intended to portray. If the movie was called “The war in Iraq” or “The American mistake in Iraq” then your critque of the movie would be valid. Do not wish for a movie to be what it is not intended to be. Judge it on what the producers and directors intend it to be, the story of an American soldier, not a historical documentary of the war in Iraq.
This is entertainment?For psychotic wannabe warriors maybe.Violence,the modern milk for the masses.I guarantee you the men who make love,and not war,are a much happier species.
Americans missing the history – perish the thought.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I read the book a year or two ago. The thing you have to realize about the book is that he was not a diplomat or a politician. He was a member of the military, and he had orders to follow, and he followed his orders. He was brave in that he didn’t have to volunteer for the military and risk being killed but he did. That he maybe shouldn’t have been in Iraq in the first place was not his decision to make. In theory, he was helping the people of Iraq because he was replacing a dictator with a democracy. In reality, he replaced a stable form of government with a government that was unable to maintain security for half the country and now half the country is controlled by ISIS, which seems to be far worse than Saddam Hussein ever was. But that had nothing to do with Chris Kyle. He was just a guy who was really good at what he was trained to do and followed orders.
The fact that he volunteered, and kept going back is the worst part. He went into the military wanting to kill people. He kept going back because he wanted to kill more brown people. He wasn’t just “following orders” when he went back again and again. He wasn’t “following orders” when he signed up in the first place.
If he was signed up in the military and then deployed, that would be a different story. But that’s not what happened. He joined at the start, he kept going back.
You’re exactly right in your description of this guy and that’s why it’s absolutely urgent to stop glorifying them. They will shoot you upon order and rationalize about it; that guy is just a fag, or that guy is just nigra dealing dope, or that guy is just a libtard, or that guy is just a moron conservative, or, or. They will shoot, it’s an order.
Yet another example of shameless militainment, brought to you by the Military-Entertainment Complex.
The list of films that deliberately lionize soldiers and glorify war is endless. Movie producers work closely with the military, churning out war-positive scripts in exchange for use of real military weapons to glam up their films. The propaganda has a real cultural impact, even if people don’t realize it. The “All soldiers are heroes” tripe is one outcome.
It’s not always as simple as good vs. evil. Real war is not a movie; it’s organized murder.
“I only wish I had killed more. Not for bragging rights, but because I believe the world is a better place without savages out there taking American lives.”…the guy who said that killed more than 150 human beings…An American hero…Mamma mia!…Mamma mia!
My God! …My God!…
When I was in training for duty on Vietnam, in Basic and Advanced training the Vietnamese (supposedly the north and the VC) were constantly called “zips” , “gooks” and “slopes”. Stereotypical images were also promoted: they’ll (VC,etc) cut off your fingers for your rings, and stuff your privates in your mouth if you’re captured. When I arrived in Vietnam, the tragedy of the people was so overwhelming that to this day I am plagued by guilt and feel shame that I helped to contribute to their suffering. Films that promote so-called heroic acts -defending us against them- are shoddy attempts at reviving the World War 2 over-simplification of the so-called enemy. They fail, completely fail, to show the real victims of war. Perhaps, if they did, we would all cringe in shame, and the phony Hollywood heroes would slide away to forever hide under their rocks of gold and dollar bills..
—“The problem is that the film makes no attempt to tell us anything beyond Kyle’s limited comprehension of what was happening. More than a decade after America invaded and occupied Iraq, and long after we realized the war’s false pretense and its horrific toll, we deserve better. “—
So what you’re saying is that the film doesn’t fit your postmodern agenda, right? And so you’re using it as a straw man; as vehicle for Marxist Critique; as a springboard to advance your own agenda. That’s the purpose of marxist critique. So it’s nice to know your true name: you hate the west.
Talking about a Marxist critique is very…Marxist.
i just watched the movie and I was thoroughly entertained…. Isn’t that the point? Why does every little thing in this world have to be political?!?! It may not have portrayed the message that the author or his wife, and they are entitled to an opinion, however isn’t the whole point entertainment? A break from reality? I feel foolish for wasting my time writing this because I think all of you are idoitic if you think other people care what nonsensical jibber jabber you type on here or pretty much anywhere else on the Internet. I must say it does feel good getting it off my chest.
I didn’t agree with the war in Iraq either and I am a veteran, however I would like to think the people we elect as leaders of our nation to not be pure evil and if we were dragged into a war there was a good reason, regardless of whether the general public is previe to that information or not.
Also, just something interesting, I was reading the newspaper today and I’m a very small article next to 5 pages of French extremist coverage I read that a coue thousand people were murdered this week in a country I can’t seem to recall… This is the only reason I read TI, however if they keep writing garbage like this I will stop frequenting this site altogether.
Lol it’s just a movie
The films opinion on the war in Iraq is subtle. The scenes where the character Mark, who dies of him questioning war. He does it once in a scene writhe Kyle and there is a letter that is read at marks funeral about an unjust war. Kyle’s wife asks what he felt about the letter. It is a letter against the war. No film would be successful financially or otherwise off our simply states it’s opinion bluntly. It its subtle here. He tells an exciting story about a celebrated man, and he cleverly sprinkled in the dark questions that some people, some soldiers ask. I think Eastwood trusts his audience not to be idiots and do their own research and decide their truth. He did his job as a filmmaker: tell a story about this man’s experience, from that mans perspective without meddling, sprinkle in some subtle questioning of that story, end the story as abruptly as possible encouraging the audience to seek out more info whereby they can draw their own conclusions.
Peter H. You are a dbag who got this review wrong. Chris saved so many lives overseas and here on American soil. Do something more meaningful with your life instead of writing shit reviews.
It’s surprising someone like Maas does not see that Hollywood is and has always been the propaganda arm of American and Western bourgeois culture. To expect any kind of genuine political discussion from the studios borders on the bizarre. You’re expecting deep insight from the likes of Bradley Cooper? He’s a mainstream actor, not a political scientist. It reminds me of those who expect elevated discourse from pop stars.
OMG, Peter Maass, what hath thou wrought? TI has been invaded by legions of jingoistic, propaganda fans who only want to see “America, Fuck Yeah!” and a lot of dead brown people killed by white “heroes.” Criticize that, and you’re a “libtard” living in your mom’s basement, and you should go live in Iran.
Or wait, did these mental-midget patriots trample over here as a result of the NVCs “Jay” and “Serial” pieces? Cuz I gotta say, I’ve never seen so many maroons at TI before.
Wassup?
Face it, Mona, the pickings of completely closed minds had been getting mighty slim around here lately.
And it might actually help me insult agency directors less, for awhile…
Wow, do you pseudo intellectuals live in the real world?!?
The real world.Hah.Describe the real world please.A million words or less.
I mentioned this below. This article must have been linked to somewhere frequented by rubes.
I was thinking the same thing. I mentioned in an earlier comment that this article must have been linked to on an external site. Some of the posters I don’t recognize are clearly not regular readers of The Intercept.
I haven’t bothered to check into this comment board for months, and I find it hilarious to ascertain that your inbred pseudo-genius crew of over-wordy know-it-alls has been dwindling down to it’s essence. What a surprise!
You “regular readers” with homogenous views of America’s evil certainly wouldn’t want to have to tiptoe through the unwashed masses to feed your misplaced egos.
Try to be natural in your writing. This is far too strained; you’re working too hard: “and I find it hilarious to ascertain that your inbred pseudo-genius crew of over-wordy know-it-alls has been dwindling down to it’s essence..”
your right, we are returning to teh mean. Life are hard.
Are you kidding me? Who is the moron writing this review/liberal, history mocking article? I followed this man from the second he emerged to the public. I know you didn’t. Where do you get off talking about Clint Eastwood ignoring history. You don’t know this man’s story like Eastwood and the actors working with his wife in the making of this. Kyle’s wife lived it while you were commenting on other peoples lives in some article somewhere. Give us all a break and get lost…..you don’t know history any more then you know Kyle and his wife’s life story. His Children had a HERO father and they don’t need you or anyone like you dragging that “extremely rare…one in ten million” American hero down. Remember its the land of the free and the home of the brave…but as were all free only the few deserve the title..BRAVE, as Chris did. God Bless you Chris. You are missed terribly and You are a truly great man and Hero. We will miss you.
You are a true writer! Please don’t ever change. I just read a review calling Chris a racist, murder, and a thieft. Chris and all our milatary had to see and do some thing we normal American could not and may never do. So thank you for writing a true review to those who have not read the book.
You’re an idiot for writing this
It is a story of one man’s experience and what he went through. Save your rant for a movie about the war itself !!
Is this article about the movie or something else. Sounds like it wondering off into some other world. It’s just a movie, a good one at that. Why waste time writing this crap. Go start a magazine if you need to express yourself or teach the world about war. Don’t criticize or expect a movie to end all the confusion the world has about war.
Eastwood was bought and paid for from the very beginning.
I watched the movie a few days ago. I thought it was a great movie, and historically accurate.
“But there is no mention of the problems returning soldiers often encounter when they try to get treatment at military hospitals–even though the disturbed veteran who killed Kyle in real life, at a Texas shooting range in 2013, had been denied the care he desperately needed.”
Didn’t you watch the movie? I believe the whole movie was made to bring this problem to the public’s attention. You didn’t even mention the fact that Chris Kyle was trying to help veterans including the one who killed him. Chris Kyle saved so many why all the hate?
Exactly, Chris didn’t just try and help with the gun. He did everything to be the supportive of his fellow Americans on and off the battle field.
Historically accurate? Chris Kyle saved so many? Wow. Well, bro, whatever you smoke, smoke less of it, as it has already a negative impact on your brain capacity.
Great comment. Kyle saved many lives and will always be a hero! Liberals shall continue to hate… sadly.
Vendetta, the truth is that many soldiers do not accept the help that is offered. When the mind is troubled, one does not think logically. I know two soldiers first hand who never accepted help and now, years later they are still struggling at times.
If they had listened to me,hah,and millions of others,they’d all be alive,there would be no nightmare of terror throughout the ME,Africa and Asia,we’d found the actual criminals who did that dirty deed,and moved on into the 21st century instead of regressing into the 19th,or even darker ages of humanity.
Bradley Cooper said: “it’s not a movie about the Iraq war; it’s about the horror of what a soldier like Chris has to go through. It’s not a political movie at all. It’s a movie about a man—a character study.” Sorry Bradley. I’m not buying that or you (because of your service to your country’s exploitative 1%). Or Clint Eastwood for the same reasons.
And your service?
fuck you, you have never been over there.
Clint Eastwood proves he is off his rocker-or chair again. The poignant tragedies of our veterans and their families, the wounds to body, mind, soul, & spiritn, are partly due to the rift in human and soldier/fighter. Those fighters who may not be able to reconcile a war based on propaganda and lies I can’t imagine forgiving. Eastwood’s failure to draw just a bit of this into the storyline makes soldiers seem more shielded than actuality,
Clint Eastwood proves he is off his rocker-or chair again. The poignant tragedies of our veterans and their families, the wounds to body, mind, soul, & spiritn, are partly due to the rift in human and soldier/fighter. Those fighters who may not be able to reconcile a war based on propaganda and lies I can’t imagine forgiving. Eastwood’s failure to draw just a bit of this into the storyline makes soldiers seem more shielded than actuality,
Neither do I. It’s shameless downplaying.
Btw why “American Sniper”? America is a continent, the USA is one country among many others of it.
Do other nations in the Western Hemisphere have America in their full name?(I’ve never heard that,it could be possible)The United States of America.I’ve seen this a few times lately,kinda funny,we’ve been called America for at least a century,its grandfathered.
To say what this movie is not about means all that are speaking up should now speak out and demand as long overdue, a definitive movie whic deals with the false and despicable nature that allowed lies upon lies to initiate the Iraqis war and then cowardly cover-up its treacheries that really mark each and every Western NATO supporting politician. Just as the usurped nature of this ‘march for unity’ includes some of the very leaders that secretly devised and carried out slaughter after slaughter, calling all ‘regime changes’, if truly questioned about what that means long term, is simply further carnage and suffering. None of the political cartoonists were without censoring issues of hypocrisy, as certain villains and their subject crimes were treated for the most part as off-limits (as pointed out when Israelis crimes were satirically dealt with but then conveniently censored).
Western leaders making appearances on TV to usurp and wrap themselves as innocents and proponents of ‘free speech,will soon to be revealed to be just the opposite when trade agreements and their vilification of all things bad as ‘public’ will again show them for what they always were–criminally cruel and complicit with corporations gaining the last and only market available—that which is owned because all was paid for by the ‘PUBLIC’ to sell (privatize) to then control and sell back at ever higher rates. In essence these trade agreements using ISDS investor-state dispute settlement clauses will take over all public institutions, education, pensions and banking info, healthcare, insurance, transportation, and the sovereign rule of law that has protected the virtues of the ‘PUBLIC SPHERE’ since the formation of governments. Maybe those of the ‘public’ and their advocates should do a quick, re-think.
A great movie about a complex subject. Before you condemn a remarkable man, not a common slurring criminal thug, please think about walking a mile in his shoes.
A very good movie about some awful things. Before folks accuse, they should think, at least, about walking a mile in the man’s shoes.
Well said Peter. But these are the kind of movies Eastwood churns out. His films, while wrapped up in a veneer of neo-conservatism, aim to land a star spangled emotional sucker punch right to the jugular of the viewing audience. Accuracy is not his m.o. We should only be expecting this from him at this point.
It’s a movie, not a history lesson and certainly not long enough to include all your complaints.
It seems to me that the film is a lot more ambiguous than either Peter Maas or the super-patriot American commentators are allowing for. For example, as far as I can see no-one’s pointed out that when Kyle takes the long-shot at the Iraqi sniper he’s actually disobeying an order to “stand down” that was clearly given more than once. When he reloads after the shot, the sound alerts other Iraqi fighters to the presence of the American troops, engulfing them in a firefight where they’re outnumbered. So by disobeying an order Kyle puts his own side in danger. I wonder what the self-proclaimed patriots commentating here think about soldiers who disobey clear orders? Is that something you’d generally advocate?
In the film Chris Kyle has a messianic zeal to save all the good people. He seems to symbolise America itself as the world’s policeman. He promises an Iraqi family that if they divulge the whereabouts of an enemy fighter that he will ensure they are protected. Shortly after, the father is forced to watch one of the enemy fighters torture his son, before being killed himself. Watching people are told that this is what happens to people who talk to the Americans. It’s indicative of America’s (and her allies) overall failure to protect ordinary Iraqis.
Kyle is almost obsessional about fighting in Iraq, to the point that he neglects his wife, which could be compared to the trillions America spends on its military adventures whilst millions live in poverty at home.
After the point where Kyle’s disobeying of an order brings enemy fire upon his unit, the Americans finally manage to escape but are completely enveloped by a desert storm as they do so. That moment seems to symbolise America’s failure to impose order. Clint Eastwood may be a Republican, but his comments in interviews indicate that he’s not especially hawkish about war; and as a filmmaker he’ll be acutely aware of the power of the visual image. The storm enveloping the American soldiers is not there just to add a bit of atmosphere – it’s got a meaning.
Kyle says that by fighting in Iraq, America is preventing terrorism in the homeland. But then he is killed, not by a terrorist, but by one of his own who has been damaged by PTSD.
So those were the key messages I took away from the film. But in terms of the wider politics, which aren’t overtly discussed, let’s remember that there was never any evidence tying Iraq to the 9/11 attacks, but it was the case that the Bush administration were looking for an excuse to go into Iraq. With the help of the British they cooked up the notion of Weapons of Mass Destruction as a reason to go in, but these were never found. The whole thing was a classic imperialist adventure based on a lie. And with the West’s continuing blundering around in other countries, killing more civilians than militants with our drones, we most definitely aren’t making the world a safer place, as the rise of ISIL shows. It’s no surprise that when survey researchers, such as Pew, ask what is the greatest threat to world peace, people in the Middle East overwhelmingly respond: “The USA”.
This movie was based off of Chris Kyle’s autobiography, which was about his life, and what he did in Iraq. On top of that, it really pissed me off when you say, “Kyle’s limited comprehension of what was happening.” This man was a soldier, he knew a lot more about what was going than you did.
Let me ask this question….how many of you have actually served? If you haven’t you need to shut up cuz you have no idea
While I respect the author’s opinion, I think it is impossible to include every accurate historical detail you are requesting. Any text, a story, a book, a film is ONE perspective on an issue. It is not the storyteller’s job to tell us every story – he tells the one he wants to tell. It is OUR responsibility as readers or viewers to question the text, to look for other texts that provide alternate perspectives. I hope others respond to this film with more films from different perspectives. I will watch those with the intention of making my limited perspective more complete, but to believe that any one film should convey EVERY significant and historically accurate detail is naive.
I’d like to see this kind of journalism work from first principles, recognized authorities and credible sources (disclosed or anonymous.)
I see some links (mostly to other journalism) but I don’t see much at all in the way of facts, just assertions.
Personally, I’d say the movie is one I’ll watch over and over on blu-ray, it’s just a good flick.
I would never take it as anything correct to the facts or even historically correct to the life and times of the central character, since it appears to be entirely anecdotal, autobiographical and unverified even down to the impressive statistic of countless killings.
The opening scene of having shot a child instead of taking off the adult at the kneecaps (because ground troops in US forces bring the battlefront into cities and neighborhoods) makes it abundantly clear this is a jingoistic *U*S*A* propaganda piece just like 0-dark-30 — a romanticized recruitment brainwashing psyop device.
That said, you have to admire the guy for having survived an impossible challenge with his sanity (relatively) intact. I do rather wish there was more emphasis on the horrific wartime atrocities and a helluva lot more attention to the hell that awaits returning vets even if they’re mentally and physically uninjured. The stats on vets are horrific and the US voter should have that at the top of their short list of issues for the 2016 elections, right up there with getting money out of politics — not gay marriage, not abortion, not fear of terrorists or whatever the next Clinton-v-Bush debate brings up to distract the people.
But just read the posts commenting on this piece and I think you have to take a dim view of the prospects of a successful democratic process in the USA.
In other words, Maass’ perception of the events are more accurate and important than Kyles? If liberals want to tell their own story they should make their own movie.
While I understand the view that there should have been parts of this movie addressing deeper issues at the end of the day it’s about one character. I struggle to see how the politics of the war or the mistreatment of returning vets could be inserted into a movie about Chris Kyle when he had little experience with either. Shy of giving a short biography on Eddie Ray Routh (the man who killed Kyle) any negative mention of the VA would not fit within the storyine at all.
Your expectation of a movie to cover the story of a Navy seal sniper through 4 tours of Iraq, the struggle he had with family and civilian life, the politics that put him there and the government and societal treatment of returning veterans in 2hrs seems a bit farfetched.
Where else was this article linked? I see A LOT of unfamiliar commenters on here, many of which it is obvious are not regular readers of The Intercept.
It’s a good question. And to those who aren’t regular readers, “Welcome! Thanks for finding The Intercept. Please read and think before commenting. This isn’t a pro-Democratic party or pro-GOP website. Your remarks will be analyzed and assessed for their logic, coherence, strength/reliability/relevance of evidence, the relation between your premises and conclusion(s), and of course, style.”
Part of the problem is that many people aren’t familiar with the purposes of a review (or apparently with critical thinking). A review is not an advertisement. A review is for critical thought about the work, the creator(s), as well as the audience and larger society, instead of being concerned with generating or hindering commercial outcomes.
The Intercept is usually pretty good with intelligent discussions here. But this article in particular there seems to be a lot of baseless bashing of goofball leftist Stalinists, telling Muhammad and Allah to eat crap, and bashing any criticism of the US military or its portrayal. These posters had to get directed here from somewhere else, probably an article bashing this article.
The brainwashed are easily led in the desired direction, & they absolutely foreclose the idea that they might be simply used for a purpose of which they could be in the end a victim themselves.
Did Stalin actually tell Muslims to eat crap?(Chechnya notwithstanding)The Zionists make the Muslims eat crap actually and repeatedly.
No, I was referring to moronic comments on here. Someone referred to the readers here as goofball leftist Stalinists, and someone else made a comment telling Muhammad and Allah to eat the posters crap.
“…Please read and think before commenting. This isn’t a pro-Democratic party or pro-GOP website. Your remarks will be analyzed and assessed for their logic, coherence, strength/reliability/relevance of evidence, the relation between your premises and conclusion(s), and of course, style.”
Wow, we really hold ourselves in high regard, don’t we? Beyond the author’s obvious confusion between a Hollywood film and political documentary, it’s pretty entertaining to read that the subscribers and commenters hold themselves in some sort of pseudo-digital coffee house think tank, where all of the patrons are legends in their own mind.
ACE!!!
Google search.
Yes, some new commenters here, and they might have seen the story posted on another site, but I don’t know where. More may not be merrier, but it’s fine.
You confuse politics with art. It sounds like you want this to be political propaganda that can be railed against. I,like you, BY NO MEANS like people characterizing all Arabs (or any American minority) as best laid six foot under! But if you want to see the story of good and bad not being race dependent, look to find who has the rights to The Forty Days of Musa Dagh. Lets not be stupid. We have to admit that “the opposition” is militant islam and unfortunately it has trapped the minds and loyalty of large sections of the globe because it thrives in regions of ignorance and imposes more of the same.
If we were to take your side here, we would say, “I’m sorry, we can’t tell the American GI’s story without portraying him as a patsy and a fool manipulated by powerful elites.” I’m sorry, but while that might be a story worth telling, so is the American GI’s from his perspective–because that “limited perspective” (as you call it) has something we all need to see… someone willing to put themselves on the line because there IS an enemy who is willing to kill thousands of innocents and celebrate (remember 9-11?). Unfortunately, as you see it, many in this country are willing to extinguish the lives of others to prevent such horrors from happening again. It comes down to an “its us or them” mentality.
Now I agree, it is a GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT to call this a SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS. I DO agree that there are MANY Arabs who are not only “not a danger,” but hugely helpful to our nation! While I am at a loss for a list of high ranking people to name, the Antiochian Orthodox Church in American should be a place to look for some examples. (These are largely descendants of Arab Christians who were persecuted by Arab Muslims in other lands. God forbid they be maligned!!! I thank God for them and their ancestors who have made this country and world a better place!) But this does not mean we have to impute short-sighted ignorance to anyone who fights a violent ideology/theology which dominates a region of the world–and therefore unfortunately a majority of the predominant race in that area as well.
God forbid if we have to villain-ize (or make look inept) the ones on the lines dealing with the dirty caused by a horrific ideology / militant theology. This is work that none of us hopefully WANTS done, but most of us admitted that we NEEDED it done–as none of us knows how to avoid it in good conscience.
So Iraq didn’t have weapons of mass destruction… the official charge. But to be honest, I don’t think too many people are too sad to see Sadam Hussein gone. He wasn’t exactly known for his kindness and protection of his people.
Thank GOD, movies aren’t just a place for you to teach the masses your ill-considered “every one is great” ideology and that war is never necessary because there are good people everywhere! You are RIGBHT that there are good people everywhere–and perhaps not enough good is shown in the other side. But don’t say someone can’t tell the story of someone having to deal with a mess–the story of the GI as they have to deal with it. It is very ugly business. It is definitely a story worth telling.
And by the way, a story is a story–and if you focus on people/children learning the art of rhetoric, they will be able to see the strengths and weaknesses of the story without you making sure they are fed an appropriate perspective!
God help the immature minds who can’t see it! God help us all for their errors! But God help those who won’t let the truth of the other story be told!
This movie wasn’t about the people of Iraq and it wasn’t a documentary so your arguments are invalid. Stop trying to make everything political correct.
Interesting article. That first paragraphs a little heavy handed. We often forget how similar we all are when exposed to the same set of conditions. In his mind every man he put down was a victory, it saves lives, and this view is obviously nothing new.
You’re a dumbass. You don’t deserve to even live in this country.
Peter: I think you ought to suit up and do a “hot tour” overseas; see if this changes your view. Oh wait, that’s right: YOU’RE ONE OF THE SHEEP ????
I spent years as a reporter in warzones, under fire, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Suden and other garden spots. Here are my Iraq stories. http://www.petermaass.com/articles/category/iraq/
All I can say is you need to read the book. Don’t let Hollywood build your opinion on Kyle. I haven’t seen the film yet, but obviously they can’t capture everything he went through. Sure “savages” is a harsh word. But over there it’s killed or be killed. Those “savages” wanted all Americans dead. I don’t feel sorry for them.
This author seems like a traitor to me, and should be treated as such. I’ve just watched the film and will now get the book.
Think of it. . .
There are dozens (!!), perhaps hundreds of people who will stumble upon this dark corner of the Web and read this movie review and the idiotic messages posted.
And there will be that many more stupid, soulless, mindless leftists running around with the heads emptier than before.
Hard to believe, but true.
Not that anyone on this board ever has or ever would, but I hope one day you are all forced by circumstance to actually stand for something and to have to rely on the manly virtues for your survival or those of the people you hold dear.
I have a feeling many, most or all will not make it.
Everyone….
There were WMD’s found in Iraq…. All of the material needed was found within the borders of Iraq. There is also proof that weapons were moved prior to the invasion.
We all need to realize that this country has a majority of FAR left/liberal media and these facts are ignored..
It’s time we wake up and look at facts not someone’s leftist ideology or thoughts.
A couple more things if the effete, goofball leftists/Stalinists running this site do not mind. . .
Let us follow the courageous example of the anti-war left always then. Let there be one million dead Tutsis in Rwanda or one-quarter of a million dead Hutus in Burundi. We did nothing.
Slaughter, utter slaughter.
But we can proclaim how morally superior we all are.
We can do so while standing over the graves of the dead and tortured. And when the wind picks up and it is hot outside, we will be coated in the sticky glue of the dead.
Many on this site need an education, personal or historical, on just what torture truly is. You folks have no idea.
But you can sit there, embedded behind your keyboards and drinking your Latte, and explain to all what you know about torture. God help this country if you people ever have to stand for anything or do anything.
Outside of complaining, moaning and displaying your inflated sense of self, that is.
God help us all.
God bless America.
To hell with all the Stalinists on this site who, by God, just know Communism will work if it is practiced by the right people. And as long as they are not part of the proletariat or the Gulag.
Never mind the hundreds of millions dead.
Again, you people disgust me.
I agree with you. Just some liberal bullshitter sitting behind a computer claiming it isn’t justifiable to call these disgusting savages what they are. Using women and children to kill people… Blowing themselves up and using the Bible/Quran to justify it… this is disgraceful and cowardly behavior only fit for animals.
I feel sorry for the soul of Chris Kyle…
God bless him and God bless America!
I’m not sure what you mean. Are you suggesting that goofballs = Stalinists = Leftists?
Your sloppy, casual, false equation of the terms indicates you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Also, what do you know about the history of Africa? What are your sources of information? Please share them.
Did you consciously include both “effete” and ‘latte” in your otherwise brilliant remarks?
No one here sounds more like Stalin than you. Did you miss taking your Geodon again?
Well put Sam H. I love it.
The guy was a U.S serviceman, in such he was a hero. We killed terrorist in that hell hole so we won’t have to fight them on U.S. streets. You bunch of limp wrist-ed liberals should be sucking these men’s dicks for what they have done not bitching about it.
It’s not a documentary who cares.
Saving private Ryan was a made up story and still remains one of the best war movies of all time.
Personally I believe a movie that doesn’t sugar coat reality by sticking to what people truly say and do is awesome. Fuck being politically correct.
Since when did the War on Terror create any benefit to humanity?
A war on false pretenses. Then I guess the drones strikes that are still going on are still being blamed on Bush. We should of never pull out, and threw the rules of engagement out the window.
Does anywhere else here think violence started this war? If not- then u really need to take a hard look at your facts. Violence can only be met by equal or more formidable violence. I’ld bet not one commenter here was ever on the business end of violence that was completely outside of their control. Thousands of Americans face that daily- from victims of crimes, to emergency responded to our war heros. Get back to reality people- one soldier is not going to change the world- but his story from his perspective is what I will enjoy watching
I am every day as a target of a covert campaign trying very hard to destroy my life, and for no reason than being informed.
This is baffling. People defining right and wrong coupled with good or bad for critiquing movies that are meant to entertain and not be a source of historical relevance. The only story being told is Kyle’s and from his perspective and interpretation- that is it. What I read here in your comments is that people have a strong desire to influence virtually everything in this world with what they feel is right or wrong, regardless of impact to others. You do realize this is a war hero in that he saved American lives. It was not their choice to go to war w Iraq or sustain that war. They simply had one motive- fight for America-regardless who the president declares as the enemy. People- get out enjoy life and your freedoms (including the freedom to protect yourself in a society that sees real violence every second) and stop pushing your ideals on others. I certainly do not agree w them. I am just a professional engineer that lives his freedoms, his country, his family and his life… Keep it simple and simply live.
Sorry about the few misspelled words- iPhone a bit small for my big fingers. I should turn off the auto correction
So much hate in these comments. Its sad to see over and over. Time and time again. Humans should be embarrassed. You seem to hate the movie and the man. Then come to show how you were moved or inspired by commenting. Feel free to use the Freedom of Speech. If you came here to hate. You are a embarrassment to the USA. Only you don’t realize it. Happy commenting! Keyboard warriors.
I read the book a few months ago and my respect grew so much for those who serve in the military. It is not a story about the VA, about the good Iraqis, about the history of the conflict, or anything this blog’s author has criticized the movie of avoiding. The book is an autobiography, and the movie is an autobiographical account, not a movie with a stupid political agenda (See “Noah” for an example of this).
Great book, great movie, great hero, and great example of another soldier the liberals will demonize for speaking his mind while risking his life to protect their freedom to do so.
Liberal here. Agreed with everything you said until the part about liberals. I think this book and War by Sebastian Hunger should be required reading for anyone who thinks they have an opinion on soldiers or war.
Yes, what the world really needs is more people who follow orders blindly. That and some more gutless ones to worship them.
Yeah.. because THAT is totally exclusive to the military.
So it does apply to the military then? Probably more than everywhere else too. Glad we’re on the same page.
yes, just what we need in a combat situation…..debate. lol
The army is 100% combat situations, duh!
” another soldier the liberals will demonize for speaking his mind while risking his life to protect their freedom to do so.”
lol. I did two tours in Iraq. Let me know exactly at what point I protected any American’s freedom. Freedom to do what exactly? Destroy a defenseless country because of completely made up lies?
There is no conceivable way that Saddam threatened American liberty, in particular free speech as you ritualistically assert. Therefore Kyle was not protecting free speech in America.
No one is demonizing him for speaking his mind. The argument is that he was psycho killer blowing away children who were simply protecting their country from dumbass redneck invaders like you.
LOL
These comments are so insightful and intelligent. Iraq is doing so much better since we left! ISIL and the multitude of Middle Eastern Jihadist groups are taking over. Committing mass genocide over Muslims, Christians, Jews and any other group which disagrees with their extreme doctrine. Until the 75% of “good” Muslims around the world make it their business to stop Jihad, there will be unjust wars and genocide.
Check your ego pal. The movie was based on a book and the life of the subject. Your criticism needs to be limited to whether it fairly portrays the subject’s motivations, as disclosed by himself of those who knew him. If he wanted to go to Iraq because of a coin toss, then how the coin toss ended up is the only relevant fact. Stop trying to ride the coat tails of every piece of culture with your bias.
BTW Zero Dark Thirty being pro-torture was a similar exercise in nonsense hijacking of a piece of cinema with an agenda.
The theatrical version featured nothing of the sort. The film itself showed US personnel subjecting torture to detainees, that not working out and a psychological trick to make a detainee think his mission failed as being a successful ruse to gain information.
That somehow wasn’t enough for critics who wanted to work from an unpublished ‘director’s cut’ that made the film pro-torture, despite the fact that it’s literally the only film published that portrayed brutal torture as not working.
How about you just start with the assumption that every film isn’t published to address your grievances, nor address your needs and then just deal.
What a horrible write up and a flame for fire to burn. Obviously you ignore the history as well, considering Mr Kyle was only at the shooting range too try and mentor & heal his fellow PTSD “veteran”. There is no selfishness in what the man did in his life, therefor, why be selfish with such an ignorant “pre-review” like this? Yes, the movie may not portray the real life situation, but this was a real human who carried out duties as ordered for YOU & I…… First amendment is working just fine, as you can attest too, so don’t slaugher the character of someone you never knew and was in a “real life” movie. Smfh
There are other sins out there than selfishness.
By your logic Germans should never criticize a single nazi, that would be ungrateful of them.
I don’t think Maass is criticizing Kyle as much as a film glorifying a man who killed over 150 people. Whether they were bad or good, He was fighting them in their land and Kyle’s rifle was his hammer and combatants in his sight were nails. It sounds like the author is more critical of the film not portraying any Iraqis in a positive light when there were obviously some that were helpful to the American cause like interpreters, spies, and people seeking vengeance against those Kyle was fighting.
It’s almost as if you read the article properly before commenting.
That will not do.
The Legend of Chris Kyle – D Magazine
http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2013/april/the-legend-of-chris-kyle-01?single=1
The Legend of Chris Kyle – D Magazine
http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2013/april/the-legend-of-chris-kyle-01?single=1
Look at that before ur sooooo fucking quick to write something u know nothing about ,do your job and do it riggt!
“do it riggt!”
This is just too good!
Fine. You want to listen and follow the anti-war left? Then the following is the world you have. . .
Kuwait annexed by Saddam and absorbed into his criminal enterprise.
Bosnia and Kosovo ethnically cleansed and annexed by Milosevic.
The Taliban still running Afghanistan.
You would have Zarqawhi living in Baghdad as he did after 9-11.
Mass graves, enslavement of women, unspeakable crimes all around.
That is the world we have today if we follow the “anti-war” left.
You people disgust me.
The reason I read this article was because I was under the assumption I’d get a history lesson about the Iraq War. Instead, however, I learned nothing about the history – just somebody complaining about how Iraqis were dehumanized in a movie. That’s probably the MOST accurate thing about the movie. Not only do soldiers dehumanize Iraqis – so did or government, and most of the people I talk to concerning the war. What history did he fail to explore?
” how Iraqis were dehumanized in a movie. That’s probably the MOST accurate thing about the movie.”
Well unless Iraqis are aliens from space that by definition CAN NOT BE ACCURATE.
Do you have any idea what “accurate” means?
But if it’s based on true events then why lie and sugar coat it?
What a bunch of leftist fools this message board is comprised of.
You folks would not last 20 minutes in any of the places you say America destroys and damages. . .after 10 you would be screaming for the US Marines to come save your sorry asses.
You whine and fret and live lives of comfort undreamed of by 99% of the world. And then you blame the country, men and system that gives you such lives.
You are leftist loons, cowards, racists and hollow men.
Go away. The country is better off without you. Go save the rest of the world.
We will send search parties out to collect your remains so you can have a proper burial.
Boring drivel.
Peter Maas is the one who ignores history. Or perhaps he never understood the 12 years prior to the start of the Long War.
From shooting at Allied aircraft in the 1990s to the Oil for Food corruption to the not complying with the peace terms that ended Desert Storm.
Or perhaps he is just fixated on WMDs, never mind that they were discovered and never mind the other 20 writs of war voted upon by Congress authorizing military action.
Anti-American leftist effete “artists” who practice their “craft” under the very freedom given to them by the men of America’s military are a sorry return indeed for such an investment.
If only we had more men like Kyle and Eastwood and less of the like of Peter Maas in this world. . .such a better place it would be.
Our brave heroes. Killing some people in a developing country who don’t have running water.
Killing them with a gun whilst safely hidden away.
That is what the Americans currently think bravery is.
And when Kyle goes home his Capuccino isn’t the right temperature, and he is a bit upset.
Ah … would you like a hug ?
YOU SIR ARE A DISGUSTING, EVIL, LEFTIST IDIOT AND THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED YOU. SITTING AT HOME ON YOUR COMPUTER WHILE THIS MAN AND OTHERS LIKE HIM ARE AWAY SO YOU CAN SIT HOME AND TALK SHIT ABOUT THEM! I MIGHT VOMIT! YOU THINK THESE “PEOPLE” WHO USE THEIR WIVES AND SONS AS WEAPONS ARE UNDERPRIVILEGED? THESE PEOPLE BLOW THEMSELVES UP USING THE BIBLE/THE QURAN AS AN EXCUSE! OUR SOLDIERS RISK THEIR LIVES EVERY DAY FOR YOU THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS SHOW SOME RESPECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS MAN IS AN AMERICAN HERO WHO HELPED STOPPED MORE EVENTS LIKE 9-11 FROM HAPPENING! GO THERE AND SEE HOW YOU FEEL
If they refuse to post my prior comment it is only because it is the truth and they can’t stand it.
You are an anti-American peace of shit , for once in your life can you have a little patriotism please.
Picture of author when a child http://i.imgur.com/PWmGnon.jpg
Picture of author now http://i.imgur.com/PWmGnon.jpg
Wonder if the guys who say “it is just a soldier’s story” would say the same of a biographical narrative about a ‘heroic’ Japanese fighter pilot who bombed Pearl Harbor during WWII. I Wonder if they would sympathize with him and his PTSD, or his struggle to get back to civilian life back home.
You’re making the assumption that these guys are able to form a single coherent thought.
I would imagine if I was native of Japan and saw such a movie, I would be able to interpret it in a similar fashion as an American should with this film. I would also not be insulted as an American for such a movie to be made, as I’m sure people of Iraq aren’t sitting around a table discussing how upset American Sniper made them. I think our problem as a society is we truly believe we are important (at least more so than any other country) and it’s our duty to “look out” for them.
This movie was clearly made to remember a man who was acting in a fashion that he believed was patriotic and that his motive whether it was killing another human being or visiting the VA was to help his fellow soldiers. Any person that interprets it as “Iraq is evil and deserves to burn” are acting from a position of ignorance and trying to reason with such a person would be futile. Just as it is ignorant to judge a soldiers motives having never served in the military…. imo
At some point the human ape will have to let go of it’s tribal instincts. Hoarding too was useful for a while in the evolution process, but you’ve got to let go of some of these things assuming you want the species to actually have a chance moving forward.
I personally will never care to remember a man who chose to make a living killing people simply because he was ordered to. I have no idea why the nationality on his passport should affect how I feel about his type.
It is a movie not a documentary. Stop whining and enjoy the movie. Mohamed and Allah eat my crap!!
By saying that this movie is historically inaccurate just because it seems as if they’re painting a picture of the war in Iraq as one you don’t agree with doesn’t make the movie a bad one or one that is inaccurate itself. Opinions are opinions and there are many that believe going into Iraq was necessary. Making an article on why Clint Eastwood messed up the historical aspect of the movie is completely and utterly inaccurate.
Your complete lack of understanding of the concept of accuracy is really of no interest to anyone.
You sir, are a twat.
Not true. It was of interest to me. Yours on the other hand was not.
Sure Mo.
Unless you put time in service and see the horrors of war. You don’t have the right to judge military members, and everything that they have to do.
You will never understand the mindset of an infantryman, it’s on a whole ‘nother level of different. We don’t expect civilians to understand. When the mission is at stake, the men to the left & right of you are counting on you to come home alive, everything goes. Women, children, men will die in order to protect our buddies. That doesn’t mean we are killing innocents though. You guys seem to forget that we do have “rules of engagement” and if you don’t follow them, you will get fried to shit. War is entirely ugly, noone ever said it was humane. So please just sit at home, keep your civilian thoughts to yourselves, and let us serve our country.
Fried to shit like the helicopter crew that killed unarmed AP reporters, children and the people that came to pick up the wounded?
Wahhh wahh. :( Clint showed the reality of a soldier from the greatest country on earth defeating its enemies.
Nothing will EVER be 100% accurate. There is politics, rantings, and other BS that will ALWAYS get in the way. All I can say is deal with it because you won’t and can’t make it any better.
Speaking like someone who’s very good at failing.
Do yourself a favor Jack… go visit the Middle East for yourself and come comment afterwards.
Like you would have any idea where I’ve visited before. Maybe stick to writing about things you actually know, or most probably, just stop writing altogether? Better to stay quiet and be thought a fool, then …. well you probably don’t even know how that goes…
Last comment. 99% of Hollywood movies are liberal propaganda. Thats why a brilliantly made and patriotic movie will never win an Oscar or get good reviews because all journalists are liberal. If this movie had a liberal undertone it would win ever single award. Instead a movie like Selma will win. Selma coulda won an award without ever being shown. Look at movies that win awards. There directed by liberal pricks with actors who are also liberal pricks
Are you familiar with The Hurt Locker?
No torture? What do u think they would do to you if they captured you? Give you a warm meal, a phone call to your mother and a lawyer? Nope but that’s what we do ever since obama took over. How u think we caught bin laden? We asked nicely where he was? You all are so ignorant it scares me. Thank god we got people like chris Kyle that are willing to do what needs to be done. God forbid any of you kill em with kindness folks needed to protect this country. We’d be screwed
So you still have no idea how bin laden was caught? Bravo!
You all are embarrassing. I’m not one to be a discussion board troll but I thought I’d be seeing a lot of people disagree with this idiotic author and you liberal idiots agree. Arm chair quartebacks are what u guys are. Sitting in ur climate controlled rooms criticizing a hero like Chris Kyle talking about freedom when you know nothing about it
Being a comment discussion troll is not my thing but after reading this article I figured there would be some true Americans to contradict the liberal bullshit in this article. However what I found is that there are more idiots just like this author. Ya’ll are a bunch of armchair quarterbacks. You sit in your climate controlled rooms in ur comfy couch on your laptop and criticize Chris Kyle? An American hero? What makes u guys so special that you can do that? He sacrificed for our country. Do you guys remember 9/11? Sure you don’t. Maybe for the first month but u liberal asses quickly forgot about that. Iraq war wasn’t ablut bush and Cheney getting a kick out of watching people die and getting a couple billion quarts of oil. It was about finding the “savages” responsible for all the anti-America sentiment. Killin the people that want to see our country fall. I bet if one of those savages got their hands on you you’d be calling for these special operators so fast. These terrorists don’t care about you’re liberal views. Liberals need a heavy dose of reality. There’s bad people out there that we need to get before they get us. Sure there are individuals doing stupid stuff on a daily basis like the NAACP bomber. But he didn’t have a network of like minded people that were “being told by Allah I kill us all”. He acted alone. But these WTC bombers didn’t. They had a network. It was called al Qaeda if u forgot. The reason they haven’t struck again is cause of guys like Chris Kyle. We went into Iraq to chase these savages and kill them. that’s where they went to hide and that’s why we went there. Obama drags us out of there and look what happened. They regatherrd and are stronger than ever. Why don’t we just be nice to them and they’ll be nice back? Hahah biggest joke ever. We’ll see how ur kindness works on them when ur face to face with them.
And guys like you are basically useless.
Wow! I don’t know where to begin after reading this comment, in just one post you have managed to reveal that you are completely incapable of critical thought. Your instant dismissal of anything perceived to be ‘liberal’ demonstrates just how one-eyed and uncompromising your views are. But if you believe that ‘true Americans
How low can the libs go? Criticism of an American hero. I guess that it’s expected in a nation that produces an apologetic president of things such as shootings of police in NY and terrorism in France
I love how all the posters here defend Islam and say it’s the US’s fault for the hate Muslims have against us. We are living in a day and age where “Zionists” are feared more than acid splashing in the face Muslim clerics who believe a woman’s place is only as a baby-making machine and that it is “Holy” to kill all the infidels. Answer me two questions….
1. What is so peaceful about Islam?
2. Is it the US’s fault all the way back to Thomas Jefferson’s time that the Muslims hate us?
Im a war vet…haven’t read the book. Fought alongside brave locals who want a stable country, and a few friends who died. We left Iraq not having lost it but at least gave it a chance for locals to keep it up as much as they can…and that’s through the concept of hearts and mind. If this movie does make these locals look sub-human, I ain’t gonna watch it.
Thank you for your service sir.
I like your comments. I noticed the same thing after serving in Vietnam. People with too much to say and too little experience think they have it all figured out. Sometimes I think people that never went to war catch PTSD from those that did.
What are you talking about? Post traumatic stress, millions of Iraqis dying. Drop the agenda in the review and don’t watch anymore movies based on reality in a war setting. Your a writer, I think, not a political commentator. It’s a movie about a soldiers particular experience in Iraq. You belittle him for being authentic. It isn’t designed to impress anyone with a political point of view just a story about a soldier. I am going out on a limb in thinking he knew a little bout the reality of the “on the ground situation” than do you do.
It’s a great movie that is well directed. If you like the story that’s a plus if not that’s ok. Its just a story of a soldier and it’s authentic.
Perhaps the movie doesn’t have a political bent, but this article certainly does. Shame on you, Mr. Mass.
“Perhaps the movie doesn’t have a political bent, ”
ROFLMAO.
“ROFLMAO”: People that still use these MySpace era acronyms is the easiest sign that you’re dealing with someone with the IQ of a parsnip.
Great English writing skills on display with that “sentence???”. Wonder what sort of IQ produced this gem.
Yes, your comment is indeed worthy of it’s own ROFLMAO.
You are welcome.
“The backlash, coming after the film made “best of the year” lists, was probably responsible for it (fortunately) being all but shut out of the Academy Awards.”
I’m sorry what was that? It won one Oscar(Sound Editing) and got nominated for 5, including Best Picture and Lead Actress.
Correct. That’s the very definition of “all but shut out.” All but shut out means that it was nominated for several but then came away with only one shared tie–sound editing.
Zero Dark 30 “all but shut out”
On a side note, what the hell is this clown parade of “macho” war worshipers with poor language skills beating words like “effete” to death? Does writing that word derogatorily make a man feel like a man? Is that what the deal is?
You don’t understand the real concept of the movie. Horrible article
“but I am dismayed with the reviewers who should know better.”
Why? They get paid to push pro war propaganda, the political/industrial class needs American citizens to feel good about this endless war, and Hollywood is all too happy to help.
The basic fact that some are unable to comprehend is that people do exist in droves that would kill you for being a westerner. It does not matter your views on Israel, Economics, American role in the world, or your fave color. This hate exists due to the basic cultural incompatibility of the west with societies still existing in a 19th century or earlier views on woman rights, human rights, freedom of expression, and any other cultural value that we hold dear. And it not like that if we just left them alone they would leave us alone, it simply does not work that way. I really wish it did. Due to that we will need folks who are willing and able to kill a lot of folks, and sometimes even make mistakes, to defend our ability to speak freely, to follow our faith (or lack of faith), and any other of our cultural values we hold dear. I know from the comments this is not a popular view here, and no I not saying the west is flawless in its actions.
all but about 3 of you would have probably been killed already if you had the balls to fight for the country you so love to criticize which is ironic all of you talking about hypocrisy.
very nice post totally agree
very nice post totally agree
very nice post totally agree
very nice post totally agree
You are quite an idiot
Of course Kyle wasn’t a Brave American soldier for cowards pieces of shit like the writer. I applause the death of every enemy of America not only I wish they would shit on them.Motherfucker liberal garbege.
Heurtée par la violence des propos, Colette professeur, a pris son courage à deux mains pour aller arracher cette pancarte.
En réaction à l’attaque terroriste sanglante contre Charlie Hebdo, une pancarte où l’on pouvait notamment lire « Morts aux Juifs » a été planté sur le rond-point nord d’Ambérieu dans le département de l’Ain. Un acte anti-sémitisme qui vient s’ajouter à une série d’événements similaires, notamment contre des lieux de culte musulman, qui ont déjà été signalés, jeudi, un peu partout en France. [REDOUBLEZ DE VIGILANCE] MERCI DE PARTAGER VOS MOTS DOUX À COLETTE POUR SON COURAGE ? le lien…..> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205375030712830&set=a.1077016363230.2013112.1160854603&type=1&theater
Eh, I still like and support the film. Sorry, but we are and have been at war with radical Islam for awhile. If you like the radicals so much, go have some coffee with them.
http://watchamericansniperonlinefree.com/
Just another movie about the political Titanic of the United States foreign policy in the Greater Middle East. And I don’t understand how can anyone even consider it as a feel good movie?
Totally agree. It is amazing to see the sheep once again just silently following its carrier….sad and naive to its core!
sheep? how about the fact that you are able to say whatever you want and are no censored or blown up for it. Funny how you speak badly of the military but I bet when you see your own killed by that friendly religion you will come begging for men like Kyle to save you.
Jesus, you fuck-head. At which point did Iraq threaten to take over the US of fucking A and took away your freedom of speech? Come on, I want to hear it. Your own fucking government is your enemy. IDIOT.
I think you you guys need to read this. Chris Kyle’s story has a whole lot of bs in it. A whole lot.
http://mpmacting.com/blog/2014/7/19/truth-justice-and-the-curious-case-of-chris-kyle
Its entertainment and a biographic movie, not a political documentary on the Iraq war. How could you even think of way to make it that way, get your asshat off.
There are millions that believe Islam means “submit to Allah”. Good will and turn the other cheek mean nothing to these righteous men. They see moderate muslims as deviants of the true faith to be dealt with after the infidels. Sharia is incompatible with western democracy for it is “above the constitution of the United States and all other man made laws” and “it may not be interpreted or revised” upon penalty of death in some countries. Unfortunately our weapons against this violent ideology include rejection of political correctness, the pen, the podium, the screen, free press, the net, and yes the gun. This country was born by rebellion against oppression by the King of England with politically incorrect (treasonous) pen, ink, and gunpowder. Unfortunately the history of man has always been violent, and as a student of terrorism I am well aware that my conviction as a 60’s hippie that peace and love would save the world was naive at best.
By the way, when my colleagues go to fight Ebola, bring fresh water to Africa, save wildlife in Africa, repair cleft palates in Nicaragua, Columbia, and Ecuador, they all require protection by men and women with guns. Reality is a bummer.
Love how this left winged website censors conservative and pro military statements. Put mine up twice and never got on the site. Great way to show one side of the fence. God bless the military and God bless the United States.Just remember your statements when you have a terrorist attack like they are having in France at the moment and you will come begging for men like Kyle to save you. That is the freedom that they keep fighting for. The freedom for you to say anything you want. We may not be fighting against Iraq or Afghanistan but we are fighting against an idea that says we cannot say what we want and can’t make satire against something. So remember next time you write some absurd post, that their was a serviceman or woman that DID die for you to have the right to say whatever you please.
Peter – The movie is based on a book that is about one man’s story from his point of view (limited as it may be in the wider scope, his view of a situation that he was actually in is not obviated), written BY that man. It’s not political commentary. Where does it say that films need to expand scope beyond the content on which it is based, make right or “derive” things that are not there, but that don’t truly harm the viewer – or reader for that matter? Assumptions made by people about what they see and hear in said film or book are just that – their personal assumptions or derived viewpoints. Not everyone sees things the same way – if they did, this whole exercise, and you & your wife’s jobs as “critics” would be moot, wouldn’t it? He served his country as he was asked and apparently “authorized” to do by our government – his boss. Hollywood primarily makes “movies” – originally defined and intended as “entertainment” vs education. If you want political commentary, education or the dispassionate facts of a social issue aired and understood – such as the misinformation sold to our gullible voters (yeah – I call ’em stupid for missing the point that none of these Washington parasites cares one bit about them vs the PAC and corporations they derive benefit from) as “facts” used to invade a country (AKA CIA nation building and US meddling for selfish economic and power interests) – have a PBS special funded. This is Kyle’s story that he authorized to start, but unfortunately did not live to see to fruition. Vanity Fair did a great article on Brad Cooper and the making of this movie in the January issue and if one is to believe that author, Kyle’s family, especially his gritty father, was pretty skeptical and had to be won over by Eastwood and Cooper. That the movie was made, seems to indicate that they were happy with the outcome. Leave it at that. Ignorance abounds about Iraqi’s, true reasons for war and the state of our nation’s Veteran’s Affairs, but eradicating that ignorance and solving the issues is a job for WE THE PEOPLE on the REAL stage of everyday life – to get off our butts and do something about, not movies or movie makers.
So I just finished watching the “American sniper” One disturbing image that kept coming up was the marvel comic “punisher” logo. The logo was adopted by Craft international security which Chris Kyle co-founded and was president of the company.
What really bothers me, is how the movie shows images of the skull logo on military vehicles, on Kyles body armor and Kyles rifle. This only leaves me to believe that they are trying to show the public that Craft international is an extension of the military and should be viewed as such.
Why is there a need for private military and security like Craft international here in the US? Look into it and you might find things that will have you wondering. Like how Craft international where at events like the Boston marathon bombing.
Please explain to me how we got Iraq “wrong”
I made it about half way through the review before I realized it was written by a cry baby liberal who was on their special time of the month complaining about how the movie only tells the story of what happened based on Chris Kyles experiences. Well no shit bitch it’s based of the book he wrote about his experiences as a mother fucking sniper. Thank you for your time….. I gotta go take care of a contract so I can get paid
Joseph Goebbels would be proud at this cinematic achievement! Only I think he would name the film Stolz der Nation (Nation’s Pride).
I think there are 2 reasons you didn’t like the movie. I think you spent hours trying to come up with a reason to dislike it. Basically your 2 biggest complaints are as follows:
It celebreated a Murderer
It didn’t talk enough about other components of the war
It in no way celebrated Kyle, it portrayed his life the good and the bad. It stated truthfully what he had done. And in no way condoned or condemned his actions, you have projected onto the movie that it celebrated him simply because of the subject matter.
You are arguing that the movie wasn’t good because it didn’t include what you think it should have included. Your criticizing it for what it wasn’t not what it was.
“it’s no act of patriotism to celebrate, without context or discussion, a grunt’s view that the people killed in Iraq were animals deserving their six-feet-under fate.”
If you took celebration away from the scenes that depicted his true and utter lack of empathy I question if we were watching the same movie. His first kill, a child what of the scene when he confesses to his bunk mate his first kill was a child and he imagined it going down differently? What about the scenes where he is talking to his wife while he looks down the scope of his rifle? How much more context is there besides he was sent to do a job, he didn’t know them and they didn’t know him but he was there to kill and they were going to kill him? Your statement is true but the film definitely beyond the shadow of doubt had no celebration in it whatsoever.
“If Cooper, the film’s star, means what he said about its lack of politics, he fails to understand how war movies operate in popular culture. When a film venerates an American sniper but portrays as sub-human the Iraqis whose country we were occupying—the film has one Iraqi who seems sympathetic but turns out to be hiding a cache of insurgent weapons—it conveys a political message that is flat wrong.”
What about the scene with the child and the drill when the father tries to save the son? I understand what you’re saying here that we should pay more attention to the victims of the war but this seems like an intentional criticism. They made a movie about a guy in a war. Not a war and not people affected by the war. Your biggest criticism of the movie is that it isn’t the movie you would have made.
“Among other things, it ignores and dishonors the scores of thousands of Iraqis who fought alongside American forces and the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who were killed or injured in the crossfire.”
Quite the opposite really, you’ll notice in the movie they depended heavily on interpreters and all but Kyle himself were shocked at the loss of civilian life. In fact that’s a huge component of Kyle’s character being built that he does indeed not feel anything when seeing dead civilians etc.
“While it is about a certain type of bravery, the film itself is not brave.”
If any other director had picked this up, it would actually have been a Murica-esque ode to our armed forces (think act of valor). Clint Eastwood was able to portray the brutality that led to Kyle’s ptsd in stunning graphic detail. That kind of violence is not easy to push through to mainstream America despite what people think. To say this movie is not brave is plain false. Clint Eastwood portrayed a person lauded as one of the greatest US soldiers in history as an unstable and deeply disturbed sociopath. Though it has not been released it remains to be seen the American reaction to his portrayal as an anti-hero of sorts.
“One of the things it does well is highlight Kyle’s post-traumatic stress disorder. But there is no mention of the problems returning soldiers often encounter when they try to get treatment at military hospitals–even though the disturbed veteran who killed Kyle in real life, at a Texas shooting range in 2013, had been denied the care he desperately needed.”
Again you’re criticizing a movie for what it didn’t include. That would be the same as saying 2001 a space odyssey is insensitive for not discussing 9/11. Moreover I don’t think anyone who watched American Sniper is unaware of the problems veterans face.
“I’m not so surprised about Hollywood—the making of great and true movies is not a feature built into its strange operating system amid the palm trees—but I am dismayed with the reviewers who should know better. As Alissa Quart wrote for Reuters during the backlash to ZDT (full disclosure: Quart is my wife), today’s critics tend to avoid cinematic politics, in contrast to their predecessors, like Mary McCarthy and Pauline Kael. If a movie is well acted and nicely shot and carries the viewer along that is enough to earn five stars in their reviews, because history does not matter to them. They are ideology-agnostic formalists, and this hurts us.”
I agree with this statement entirely, this however was not Oscar bait.
“We got Iraq wrong in the real world. It would be nice to get it right at the multiplex.”
This in my opinion is the most fallacious statement of the review. I don’t think any other movie portrays the war with the same brutality that we as Americans find so un-palatable. I cannot comment as to the realism of the portrayal but for the bulk of the war, we were soft balled on the true nature of the fighting. Sure we saw the occasional beheading and heard of IEDS but we never really saw any of the really nasty stuff that war causes. This happened for political reasons as well as financial but to say that this is an inaccurate portrayal of the truth I disagree. The reason the movie was good was because it was a departure from the Zero Dark 30/Hurt Locker/Jar Head/Black Hawk Down’s of the world. This isn’t a story about an uncertain young man thrust into the wood chipper of war only to come home a husk of a human being longing for the battlefield. This is the story of a man who liked to kill and did it well to the point that it warped even his twisted sense of morality, and not just that but a person of extremely high profile. Consider what would have happened if he had made this movie while Kyle was alive? This certainly does not celebrate any component of War and if anything is one of the most strident and ringing endorsements of pacifism that I have ever seen. So I’m very happy you felt the need to be the dissenting review here. You’re in excellent company.
“Kyle’s memoir has been turned into a film starring Bradley Cooper and it’s an Oscar contender even before its national release on January 16. The Los Angeles Times hails its action scenes as “impeccably crafted,” while The New Yorker salutes Clint Eastwood for making other directors “look like beginners.” Unfortunately, Hollywood’s producing class, taking a break from exchanging catty emails about A-list stars, has created another war film that ignores history, and reviewers who spend too much time in screening rooms are falling over themselves in praise of it.They should know better. In 2012, “Zero Dark Thirty,” about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was lavishly praised by most reviewers, and it wasn’t until criticism emerged from political reporters like Jane Mayer and others (I wrote about it too) that the tide turned against the pro-torture fantasy at its core. The backlash, coming after the film made “best of the year” lists, was probably responsible for it (fortunately) being all but shut out of the Academy Awards. Hopefully the praise-and-reconsider scenario will recur with “American Sniper.”
Congratulations, apparently you were the only one in the entire country who thought Zero Dark 30 was over rated and only won because of a combination of Kathryn Bigelow’s cult worship and it being a slow year for Hollywood. OBVIOUSLY ZDT had an agenda; it practically smacked you in the face. How can you expect a movie about America’s only major military success of the last decade not to be a circle jerk? Do you want to see the link to my facebook review after I saw it in theaters? Usually I don’t criticize people personally when I disagree with them but you included yourself in the article and opened it up for me.
My heart belongs to Roza Shanina aka. “the unseen terror of East Prussia”. Such a lovely girl, such a sweet smile.
Sorry, Lyudmila Pavlichenko.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roza_Shanina
Pavlichenko was later invited by Eleanor Roosevelt to tour America relating her experiences. While meeting with reporters in Washington, D.C. she was dumbfounded about the kind of questions put to her. “One reporter even criticized the length of the skirt of my uniform, saying that in America women wear shorter skirts and besides my uniform made me look fat”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko
Google “I got a feeling of horror. I never did the arithmetic.”
You know what makes me sick is how easy it is for a lot of you people to talk shit on our military. These men and women give their lives so you can go to the movies and talk shit about the very movie you actually are. Whether you agree with the war or not don’t forget about our soldiers. There are a lot of ignorant people on this website including the man who wrote this. Our founding fathers would be sick, absolutely sick, about how this country is turning out.
Sorry this was well written, however, It’s just a movie. Everyone & everything doesn’t have to include politics. If someone wants they can make a movie about the Iraqi sniper. If you want to talk about the injustice with the VA make a documentary about that as well. A movie can just be a movie.
Another far left hater of war.
WHAT??? Does one have to be “far left” to hate the destruction of war?
And please, this left-bashing is really old. Seeing the challenges we face: a) there’s plenty of blame to go around and b) we’d better all start working TOGETHER.
Yeah. A film only deserves 5 stars as long as it corresponds with a far left America hating marxist message.
You failed to thank the “veteran” at the end of your article for sustaining the right to be able to print your “opinion”.
Because Saddam Hussein was really close to taking away the American Bill of Rights.
Kyle was awarded 2 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Medals, a Commendation Medal, 2 Achievement Medals and 2 Purple Hearts. His funeral procession stretched over 200 miles. Why do you want to trash this man? Obviously you are a run-away-to-Canada kind of a$$wipe. Patriotism is not evil.
lets face it, chris was and is a true hero. he was sent to a war ( right or wrong ) and did his job. he protected us forces and was the best at what he was trained to do. kille terror mongers and rescue people. if you want to blow the prez and dem party and praise hollywood go right ahead. you can hate this country, but remember this because of kyle you can be a coward and blow the dems all you want
Just like Clint Eastwood did with Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, I’d like to see a movie portraying the other side of the Iraq war. Then all the criticism about American Sniper would be made irrelevant. More generally, movies depicting historical events should always be taken very carefully as they are rarely accurate anyway.
More shades of a totalitarian system. Glorify and venerate the members of the military as heroes while in actuality treating them as cannon fodder for the criminal ruling elite.
Move over there then. You don’t deserve this country
Move over there then. You don’t deserve this country
Thank you for your service…now go live under a bridge.
There’s the good, the bad, and this.
Can somebody tell me what the point of this article is? You’re upset because muslims are savages? Or that he said muslims are savages? Why are you leftists such degenerate Islam loving fkta rds. Somebody tell me. Ever since Hitler polished their knobs, you haven’t missed a beat.
ALL MUSLIMS ARE SAVAGES. If you haven’t figured that out yet, then you(or they) are the definition of ignorant in every respect.
Clint Eastwood is an amazing man and I thought the movie was good. Why do we need a fucking metaphorical “shout out” to the people of Iraq? It’s Chris Kyles story and however he saw it, is how we should see it. I know not all of the people over there are not bad and most educated or even half witted people do. But I can agree with the American pride of the movie.
How can your critique be taken seriously when you so obviously have an agenda of your own–you came into the review with your logical fallacies–note your words I’ve capitalized: “after America INVADED AND OCCUPIED Iraq, and long after we realized the WAR’S FALSE PRETENSE and its horrific toll, we deserve better.” Clearly you’re not viewing the film with an open mind, but rather with a jaded, leftwing, smugness.
How can your critique be taken seriously when you so obviously have an agenda of your own–you came into the review with your logical fallacies–note your words I’ve capitalized: “after America INVADED AND OCCUPIED Iraq, and long after we realized the WAR’S FALSE PRETENSE and its horrific toll, we deserve better.” Clearly you’re not viewing the film with an open mind, but rather with a jaded, leftwing, smugness.
How can your critique be taken seriously when you so obviously have an agenda of your own–you came into the review with your logical fallacies–note your words I’ve capitalized: “after America INVADED AND OCCUPIED Iraq, and long after we realized the WAR’S FALSE PRETENSE and its horrific toll, we deserve better.” Clearly you’re not viewing the film with an open mind, but rather with a jaded, leftwing, smugness.
How can your critique be taken seriously when you so obviously have an agenda of your own–you came into the review with your logical fallacies–note your words I’ve capitalized: “after America INVADED AND OCCUPIED Iraq, and long after we realized the WAR’S FALSE PRETENSE and its horrific toll, we deserve better.” Clearly you’re not viewing the film with an open mind, but rather with a jaded, leftwing, smugness.
As a Marine who did 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan I am not surprised by this article or the many ignorant comments. This is a story of a man who saved many of his fellow marines and seals. This is not something that most liberals would understand because you choose not to serve and hide your cowardice under the guise of intelligence and empathy. When Kyle uses the word savage he is not referring to the Iraqi people. He is referring to the mujahideen that killed hundreds if thousands of there own people including women and children due to ignorance. His experience is not something most of you would relate to nor do is expect you to. I always find it remarkable how the liberals are supposed to be tolerant and understanding when in reality their anger is just as virulent as the mujahideen that Kyle and myself experienced. The mujahideen in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan and even Osama bin laden himself stated what Ho Chi Min said over 45 years ago, the American people do not have the will to win this war. I know in my heart that Chris Kyle and other men I have served with have the will to protect this country and we will continue to lay our lives down for the people who hate us for it.
As a Marine who did 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan I am not surprised by this article or the many ignorant comments. This is a story of a man who saved many of his fellow marines and seals. This is not something that most liberals would understand because you choose not to serve and hide your cowardice under the guise of intelligence and empathy. When Kyle uses the word savage he is not referring to the Iraqi people. He is referring to the mujahideen that killed hundreds if thousands of there own people including women and children due to ignorance. His experience is not something most of you would relate to nor do is expect you to. I always find it remarkable how the liberals are supposed to be tolerant and understanding when in reality their anger is just as virulent as the mujahideen that Kyle and myself experienced. The mujahideen in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan and even Osama bin laden himself stated what Ho Chi Min said over 45 years ago, the American people do not have the will to win this war. I know in my heart that Chris Kyle and other men I have served with have the will to protect this country and we will continue to lay our lives down for the people who hate us for it.
Please understand the magic of hollywood, movies are meant to captivate viewers and impress them. This movie is the magic of the cinema and exactly what a MOVIE should be expected to be. If your looking for historical accurateness and education on the war along with insight on political agendas go watch a documentary on the History channel.
Its very disturbing but gratifying to see all the different opinions being shared on this post. What many here forget to see is that these men especially men like Kyle who volunteered to fight so that you may say anything that wish. That freedom which so many of you take for granted and which even today people around the world “France” are dying because of the “religion of peace.” Freedom comes at a cost and until that freedom is taken from you or you have someone take loved one of yours then you can never really understand it. Im sorry that you left wingers are upset that hollywood made this movie because it doesn’t fit into your agenda of wars but obviously the american public in general loves to remember an AMERICAN hero. I am grateful to live in a country where a man stands up and volunteers to fight for his country and would give his life so people like you all can dishonor him after death. If anything call your congressman senator and President and tell them to leave the war zones but to say Kyle was a grunt and followed blindly is just ignorant. All i can say is that being a pacifist works in theory until the other person flies a plane into your building and tries to blow you up, then you all will be begging for men like Kyle to come and rescue you. I am proud of our military members and honor their sacrifices that they make for us daily, some making the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless all those in uniform and God bless the Unites States.
Still linking the Iraq war to 9/11? Cute.
As long as the entire Entertainment and U.S. Media Organizations are owned and controlled by Zionists, what the hell do we expect? They will demonize all Muslims, in all situations. How else will Israel be able to complete the total Genocide of Palestinians? It’s an information war.
I didn’t believe this until I spent six years trying to build a website and saw that the sites that were allowed to grow by Google were owned by people of Jewish descent. Just look at what’s gotten big these last eight years.
No, they are controlled by corporatists. There’s as many with a Klan mentality as there is a Zionist mentality.
Exactly! As long as israel, the main terrorist state is financed and backed up by its uncle sam, one cannot expect anything!!
“As long as the entire Entertainment and U.S. Media Organizations are owned and controlled by Zionists, what the hell do we expect?”
Er…. the movie adaptation of the biography to accurately reflect the biography?
WTF do Zionists have to do with it unless you’re a bigot?
I think Eastwood is a great director, but in no way I will see this movie.
The guy joins the war because he openly despise Arabs. He gets a powerful long range weapon for a urban warfare where the enemies don’t wear uniforms. Then we set the records for kills… And the film is about his phycological dramas, seriously? How about the other end of the bullet? If the film confront both sides emotional struggles, then it would be fine.
P.S.: suggestion for the intercept: there are accounts of that period of families in Ramadi/Fajullah that couldn’t go out for food because of the snipers shooting them down.
So you are implying that American Sniper might in fact have shot a lot of innocent civilians in his zeal to get as many hits on “savages” as possible? That he might simply be a mass murderer? After all, the concept of savage is about the culture the person comes from, and that would make none of them “hors de combat”. After all, how do you stop being a savage so he won’t shoot you? You don’t. Perhaps we could look on the sniper himself as a “whore de combat.” I know I do.
It’s been said many times before. All purported anti-war movies from at least “Platoon” forward are actually pro-war. And they do it by telling lies.
i saw ‘Patton’. touted as pro-war in a double feature with ‘MASH’, touted as anti-war Enlistment seemed a .better option after ‘MASH’.’ But not enough.
It’s been said many times before. All purported anti-war movies from at least “Platoon” forward are actually pro-war. And they do it by telling lies.
I can understand what the writer of the article is addressing. Now there may be some conflicts we shouldn’t have gotten involved with, others we should. But always remember this, and history as my evidence. Your either conquering or being conquered. You cant sit in a bubble and think someone isn’t going to come and try to take all your shyt. So I support America as the world police, I support the efforts of the military, who although may not always get it right, Keep us as number 1. Cause i rather be wrong and number 1, than right and number 2. Now just as the writer of this article along with all others posting here im going to go enjoy my American life, In the greatest country in the world. Where i can comment on an article about a movie on the web sipping on some gin and juice knowing the American Military is out there kicking azz. And those taking the azz whoopin let me say this to you. Better you than me. cheers. :0)
I can understand what the writer of the article is addressing. Now there may be some conflicts we shouldn’t have gotten involved with, others we should. But always remember this, and history as my evidence. Your either conquering or being conquered. You cant sit in a bubble and think someone isn’t going to come and try to take all your shyt. So I support America as the world police, I support the efforts of the military, who although may not always get it right, Keep us as number 1. Cause i rather be wrong and number 1, than right and number 2. Now just as the writer of this article along with all others posting here im going to go enjoy my American life, In the greatest country in the world. Where i can comment on an article about a movie on the web sipping on some gin and juice knowing the American Military is out there kicking azz. And those taking the azz whoopin let me say this to you. Better you than me. cheers. :0)
To see half of what you people wrote about the negatives of this movie is disgusting to me. This is about what Chris Kyle personally went through, and anybody who doesn’t know about the horrors of war or ever been to war need to keep their mouths closed. For those of you who point out nothing but him sayin these people were savages or he killed many innocent people…..guess what…his job as a sniper is to protect the troops who couldn’t see the roof tops or what’s around the next corner or they would be the ones who are killed. If he takes out innocent people unfortunately it’s how war is. If Chris saw something in his eyes that would cause harm to troops on the ground he took his shots no matter the cost to protect those guys. You think Al Quaida gave a shit about innocent people when they attacked the World Trade Centers aand Pentagon? Fuck No! But nobody mentions that shit. We were over there in war with those ass holes because of what they did. So fuck what yall say about innocence. This movie is simply about a man and his experience in war and what war can do to a person mentally. It’s never pretty. War has never been. Nobody gives a fuck about the fact that many of us are killed over there, and for some of us to see what we see and do what we do and be expect us to come back normal. Those of you who are flapping your gums about it I sincerely hope you have been to war and actually fought….if you haven’t you turds shouldn’t have any right at all to say what you are saying because YOU don’t know what it’s like. And for those of you wondering…I’m a 15 year vet with 5 tours….2 Iraq and 3 Afghanistan and I’ve seen the worst of these wars. I know exactly where this movie is coming from. The politics bullshit from some of you idiots is mind boggling ignorant.
If your so upset with America I don’t understand why you don’t move? I’m not argguing that American imperialism has not occurred, but am arguing your love for this country. History is written by the victors and if you wanna change history quit your shitty Dominos job and move out of your moms basement. Move to a mud hut in the mountains of Afghanistan and Iraq and start working Isis. It won’t be long until a predator drone destroys you and your goats. After the public be headings of AMERICAN journalists , it is truly unbelievable to read that others have sympathy for the tourtute of leaders of terror organizations.After reading some of these other comments about talking about the need to praise the work of the ING is kind of absurd. I am sure some of these men truly did fight to bring peace and an end to conflict in Iraq but the ones who turned the gun around and started killing american troops shows that as a whole they could not be trusted. The old saying if you want something done right do it yourself truly comes into play. There will always be a tainted version of the truth reported on every war. Big businesses do run the world and capitalism should always flourish. Money is the motive and that’s why you and me wake up every morning and go to work. This is a movie and was made to generate revenue. People don’t spend millions of dollars for shits and giggles.There will always be historical inacuaracies in movies, and you have the choice to watch this film. Please don’t think that some conservative redneck wrote this because he hates Mr.Obama and likes to drink beer and dip Copenhagen. I am all for political change in this country but when you have a president that promises EFFECTIVE change and doesn’t deliver it is hard to not to be upset. In order to create change in the culture of this country we should discuss how mental illnesses are affecting our citizens. we should start by fixing out VA. To hunk that guns are the problem is absurd. To sue the manufacturers of firearms is also absurd. They did not provide manuals for mass murder when these weapons were sold but only for enthusiasts who like to hunt or shoot for recreation. Healthcare should be available for everyone but not at the cost of those that are more successful. We are both presented equal foundation education in this country. Just because I obtain a degree more practical than doesn’t mean I should pay for your medical bills. Kids should be encouraged to enter trades and obtain degrees that you can sustain a family on. I have only met a French horn major once and it was while I was working a minimum wage job when I was 17. If you want to get a degree in music or art theory do so at your own cost and has a hobby to further your intellectual knowledge. Kids should not be discouraged from being blue collar workers. I would rather give my hard earned money to someone trying to start a family that works in a trade than a loan for your dumb college degree. This country has far greater problems than to slander a man like Chris Kyle and fellow members of American forces. He joined a conflict that he had no control over and did what he was told. I don’t know about you , but I would shit my pants if Seal Team Six busted down my door at night or if a convoy of Army Rangers came through my town in the middle of broad daylight. The sacrifices of not only these men but the ones that weren’t fortuante enough to come home prevents groups of radicals from any religion or race to come marching through your home town and pillaging your neighborhood. I am PROUD of the sacrifices that my forefathers have made for me from the revolutionary war all the way up to Korean War. I will gladly answer the call for this great nation if needed. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Because of all them putting their lives on the line you face tarde are able to post all kinds of stupid shit. So Thank a moth a fucken Veteran! If not you would be dead just like in Paris!
Come on, guys, please stick to writing good investigative stuff instead of just bitching about movies and podcasts that other people like…and you think they shouldn’t.
Yes, it ignored the entire context of the war and stuck to telling a single story. I am fine with that. And before you shit all over Clint Eastwood, maybe you should remember Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, which told the full in-context story of BOTH sides! He directed an entire movie in Japanese just so he could authentically tell a story from the point of view of America’s enemy in the deadliest war in our history! This is not a director who is in the propaganda business.
I agree with you. This is a terrible review. This was one mans story in war. This wasn’t a documentary on the iraq war. What this author doesn’t under stand evidently is that the movie was about Kyle’s limited comprehension of what was happening and his views on war. The author here also disregards multiple times in the movie where other soldiers question the war and why they’re there. This movie was about Chris Kyle not about iraq/american politics.
That’s just a function of time. If WWII were still going on, no way in hell would Eastwood make, or want to make such a film. And today, there’s no way in hell he’d want to make one showing suffering of the Iraqis, much less character studies of the “insurgents” who fought the US (the comparison to the films you cite). Right now though, he’s definitely part of the Hollywood War-on-Terror propaganda machine. As for your first part, everyone has the right to like or love good propaganda movies. The unfortunate thing is when they don’t realize that’s what they’re watching.
That’s cause nobody would watch it. …movies need to make $$$…what don’t people get about that
Not in the propaganda business? You seem to have forgotten his conversation with a chair at the Republican National Convention.
Right. His speech to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention a few years ago had NOTHING to do with propaganda.
Hold your horses Peedham.
First of all, did you know that 60% of folks over the age of 80 have some form of dementia. Nevermind.
Secondly, the chair was not “empty.” That was ‘invisible Obama’ in that chair. Who else could have made Obama the star of the Republican National Convention, huh?
Here, cenk sums up my thoughts nicely … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlZhEvsQmWQ
I thought his colloquy with the chair was schtick, not propaganda. Frankly, Fred Astaire could have done a better job.
To understand the chair skit you need to see his “Absolute Power” and consider role of the “voyeur’s chair” in that film. It was really quite a subversive thing he did up on that stage.
Ark:
Thanks for trying to enlighten some of the people on here who can not seem to get over themselves.
Well said.
let me see if I can sum up the gist of this article; The writer is upset because someone in Hollywood didn’t make the movie he wants made about the war. Well, boo hoo.
Clint Eastwood took some liberty with the truth with regards to the target of Chris Kyle’s 2100 yd shot, for the purpose of finishing the long arc of killing an arch villain in the guise of a counterpart sniper. The writer would have him totally fabricate stories to make a political statement regarding lack of mental health treatment for veterans.
Go ahead and complain about Hollywood’s inability to encapsulate the horror of the Iraq War and its aftermath back home but this was a movie made from a narrow point of view because it was an adaptation of Chris Kyle’s personal story. Turning it into a Ken Burns documentary addressing a wide swath of issues and history of the war is another movie.
Next time you write an article we’ll be sure to remind you how you ignored three or four issues that don’t support your central theme but are valid points you should have covered anyway.
Art is so right!! Besides, movies are for entertainment. Look at our news media instead! They don’t give Americans the true facts and cause more conflict amongst Americans in America. And the news is suppose to be factual!! Yeah, right.
If your so upset with America I don’t understand why you don’t move? I’m not argguing that American imperialism has not occurred, but am arguing your love for this country. History is written by the victors and if you wanna change history quit your shitty Dominos job and move out of your moms basement. Move to a mud hut in the mountains of Afghanistan and Iraq and start working Isis. It won’t be long until a predator drone destroys you and your goats. After the public be headings of AMERICAN journalists , it is truly unbelievable to read that others have sympathy for the tourtute of leaders of terror organizations.After reading some of these other comments about talking about the need to praise the work of the ING is kind of absurd. I am sure some of these men truly did fight to bring peace and to bring an end to conflict in Iraq but the ones who turned the gun around and started killing american troops shows that as a whole they could not be trusted. The old saying if you want something done right do it yourself truly comes into play. There will always be a tainted version of the truth reported on every war. Big businesses do run the world and capitalism should always flourish. Money is the motive and that’s why you and me wake up every morning and go to work. This is a movie and you have a choice to watch it. The motivation for every movie is for profit , nobody just fronts millions of dollars for shits and giggles, and if they did so movies would be days long and nobody would watch them. There will always be historical inacuaracies in movies but to slander a man like Chris Kyle and fellow members of American forces is absurd. I don’t know about you , but I would shit my pants if Seal Team Six busted down my door at night or if a convoy of Army Rangers came through my town in the middle of broad daylight. The sacrifices of not only these men but the ones that weren’t fortuante enough to come home prevents groups of radicals from any religion or race to come marching through your home town and pillaging your neighborhood. Please do not think that some conservative republican wrote this because he likes to drink beer and hunt. I am about change in this country , but when you elect a president that promises to make change to this nation for the better and does not live up to that promise I do believe that is absurd. I don’t hate Mr.Obama because of the color of skin , but for what he has not done to change this country. When you have a partisan congress you should be able to make change. That biggest change should be to the VA and should be to support those who truly need help for PTSD and other mental illnesses.To say that guns need to be taken away from Americans is ridiculous . Young adults should be taught the correct way to handle firearms and encouraged to give a fuck about politics. Gunmakers should not be sued for the mass murder of people, they created these guns for enthusiasts and did not provide manuals for mass murders. Healthcare should be available to everyone but not at my cost, why should I pay for someone else’s medical bills when we have both been given the same opportunities as each other. College is expensive but in order to be susseful you must obtain a practical degree. Encouraging kids to get degrees in fields they love is stupid unless it is a practical occupation. I have yet to meet someone who has a music theory degree that has obtained a job that could sustain a family’s needs. There is nothing WRONG in being a blue collar worker. I would rather have the government give loans to people who want to build a family than for some kid to get a degree in exersise science that will be up to his neck in debt for the next ten years. If you truly love music or nutrition you should get that on your own dime and after you’ve become established and do it further your intellectual knowledge. All the people who I have met with degrees in the French horn or general music degrees have been while I was working for minimum wage jobs. The sacrifices that my forefathers made from the revolutionary war all the way up to the Korean War will always be something that I am proud of. If you are ashamed of American history please leave this great country. GOD BLESS AMERICA
This depicted the story of one man…nothing Hollywood ever makes is accurate. How convenient it is for you the writer sitting in your cushy office to discuss politics and state that the true history was ignored. It is a movie! It is based on his life, but what you fail to get even with your education and background is that in war you have to make choices you would not make in your home life. The united states makes you sign a paper when you enter the military and you are for all intents and purposes government property. He had no choice, but to shoot and protect his comrades in arms. The Iraqis that you keep whining about alot of them were against our military and this film doesn’t work if you were to have included that sequence this was a man who shot and killed men trying to kill our guys. War is not pleasant but I love this movie because it doesn’t shy away from how he feels during all of this. I feel closer to the protagonist in the film when he is expressing how he really feels. We all have a different face in our own private thoughts and I think we would all be lying if we didn’t hate or want to hurt those who downed our world trade center and killed innocent people. Keep talking but honestly you enjoy that freedom because of these men and their bravery. You are way off on this review man….
Peter, if you want a history lesson about Iraq, clearly this was not the movie. I don’t think Mr. Eastwood intended it as such. So the premise of your article takes on its own “tone” by attempting to discredit the film with a make believe scorecard! Obviously you can’t publish every quote a single human ever said. Your dislike for American military might is evident. Perhaps you could get some funding from the Islamic community and do your own film and set the record 100% straight… historically speaking of course.
Another patriotic propaganda bullshit movie from an old lunatic. “Oh, look at the poor poor Chris Kyle. A true American hero and patriot who went through so much suffering and struggling for our freedoms.” Fuck the fact that the arsehole shouldn’t have been in Iraq in the first place. Fuck the fact that this idiot was shooting innocent people who was defending their sovereignty. No, fuck these ‘savages’ because everyone knows that only true Americans are real humans and know what suffering means. Why does this mindset sounds so familiar? Oh, yes. It was the same indoctrination that Hitler used on the German Nazi’s. That bullshit of exceptionalism that they are been brainwashed with. Hollywood is good with that kind of shit. The old propaganda factory.
You my friend are a dumbass. Regardless of why we are in a war you should never go after those who serve our country. Calling him an arsehole shows you’re an ignorant buffoon. We need to send nutcases like you over to Iraq, so hopefully you don’t make it back. Also way to call the American’s the Nazi in this “War on Islam”. Meanwhile ISIS/ISIL goes on a purge through the middle east killing thousands of people.
No fuck you bitch, thay should have dropped a nuke over there and killed every fucking body. Or just captured and tortured everyone all the way down to the children
Hold on. Hwhat??
That is some of the most asinine crap I’ve read in a long time. You clearly have no idea what you’re taking about and should be better off moving out of our country if you reside in America.
Troops volunteering their services, their lives to protect America should be respected for what they do and the sacrifices they and their families make. Chris Kyle didn’t make the choice to go into Iraq and shoot people, he made the choice to enlist earlier and then go do his job when it was time.
You should hang your head in shame and start thinking for yourself without regurgitating some bs you heard from some other idiot.
Funny, though. The only idiot that is repeating bullshit generic propaganda, is you.
To all you bunch of patriotic wankers that replied to my post. If you really stand strong in your believes you don’t have to hide behind gun or suicide bombs that is strapped around your body. Isn’t that exactly what you are fighting against? These cowards that shoot at women and children and blow up innocent people. So how the fuck are you anything different if you yourself is hiding behind guns and drones and other weapons of warfare?
Chris Kyle himself was a wanker who hid behind a weapon and killed women and children. If that for you is what a hero is, I’m afraid to say that you are fucked in your heads. Brainwashed idiots who blindly believes that your government is the representatives of their citizens, although all the facts out there clearly shows that they couldn’t care less for you. They represent 1% and people like Chris is just cannon fodder for them. As easily replaceable as a light bulb.
” if a lie is told many times, it becomes truth” goebbels and uncle sam have so much in common…
Lies, lies…nothing but more lies! From the “core of demon-crazy”, it reaches the ridiculuous level! Just like the mainstream news these days, again “terror, terror, terror”, everything is “terror” as long as it not belongs to the action from zionists and the us…” if a lie is told many times, it becomes truth” goebbels and uncle sam have so much in common…
You can always but a ticket and get the hell out. I am just grratful we have people like Kyle. Now it the time for all man to come to the aid of there Country. GO Army
Nothing you say online matters stop wasting your life on the message boards. Go join the military you coward
Are you kidding me?! This is honestly what you think of the brave men and women that fight to defend your right to come on to this website and bitch about everything you don’t have the brain capacity to understand? Chris Kyle and every person who stands beside him to protect an a-hole like you is a true American hero and deserves respect. Especially from those who don’t have the balls to stand up for what they believe in unless sitting in front of a computer screen. You have no right to put down what these brave men and women do.
Wow, just wow….. Like you knew him? What the fuck do you know about saving your fellow brothers lives? Are you in the business of shooting to kill? Probably not, so you probably better just stfu about an INDIVIDUAL person in what was a messed up and sticky situation. Did the movie have to be made???? most likely not, if it weren’t for self proclaimed heroes like Jesse “the body” Venturea! I can’t believe that wasn’t even stated in the original post! The man is in a lawsuit for the estate of Chris Kyle. The mans wife and children are still living this, in real life! Most of you are bling to that fact and why this movie was probably even made…. Again, smfh at the 99% of you.
” Fuck the fact that the arsehole shouldn’t have been in Iraq in the first place. ”
Can you explain what this is supposed to mean in the context of someone making a movie based on someone’s biography?
Does your 9/11 film resemble “Comedians in cars getting coffee” if we take out the part that wasn’t warranted?
You are one stupid sum beach. 1st in any war on any side teaches you the other isn’t human it makes it easier to kill someone. 2nd he was a hero plain and simple he was fighting to save lives not only in America but in other countries as well. If these ppl that strap bombs on themselves and kill innocent ppl in the name of Alla are human then I pray God takes me now. Cause that isn’t a world I want to live in. And oh plz go die in a fire you aids grenade piece of sh*t.
Jesus, do you ever for one moment stop and think, ‘fuck-it. I’m a fucking mental case with probably less of an IQ than my age? No, probably not. because that would take actual brainpower.
I think its time that we stop idolizing military commandos.
Bingo!
Of the true motivations for the war in Iraq which the establishment types never used to sell the war (oil, profit, instability, Israel, etc.), the one that was alluded to (the false links claimed between Saddam and al Qaida) , but not directly argued due to its’ violation of Christian teachings was revenge.
Whether or not revenge is what triggered the cheering in the theatre when the “”bad guy” is killed can be debated, but it’s likely a primary justification many Americans use to accept the massive killing of Iraqis in our names.
The estimates vary, but with roughly 300 Iraqis losing their lives for every victim of the Sept. 11th attack despite no involvement by Iraq in the attack, I have to agree that some politics and historical accuracy/context is necessary… and the claims of the director, producers and screenwriter are hollow and immoral.
Yes, but you can’t claim that all 300 of those lives are at the hands of America. How many of these 300 iraqi’s would’ve died regardless of American Involvement? Most likely a vast majority seeing as Muslims continue to kill each other.
Most likely not actually.
But if you want to believe that this fantasy washes away the guilt, I doubt I can convince you otherwise.
This is why you’re not directing movies. You are what’s called a hater who is jealous of the pathetic life you live writing shitty articles. As Cris Carter would say C’Mon Man. Find something else to do beside critiqueing movies you wish you were in. Go back and even try to walk a day in this guys shoes. He pretty muched lived two different lives in which he even had a hard time opening up to about the ones he loved the most. We take so much for granted including myself. Just enjoy this movie like all the Clint Eastwood movies and try to have an open mind. Having kids changes your life and makes you appreciate the freedom we have in America even more. Find a better job buddy because your “shock value” writing is pathetic.
What the fuck are you rambling about. I’m guessing you’ve been brainwashed while serving in the military. I pity your children if having them has not enabled you to have compassion for children swept up in war as this movie depicts. The prick shot children younger than those who reached the age of reason. Go read a book or 300 and expand your world view and mind.
The subject of this movie is a good shot. An excellent shot, but that’s the only positive thing you can say about him. He was an a–hole when he went to Iraq, he never thought for 10 seconds why he was there, the experience made him a bigger a–hole, he treated his wife and family like s—, and was finally killed when a slightly more deranged vet shot him. Of course, he’s a Bush-Cheney victim, almost as much as the people he killed. And we can regret that he was sent there to do terrible things and try not to let it happen again. But don’t make this mook into a hero.
What’s a mook?
The subject of this movie is a good shot. An excellent shot, but that’s the only positive thing you can say about him. He was an a–hole when he went to Iraq, he never thought for 10 seconds why he was there, the experience made him a bigger a–hole, he treated his wife and family like s—, and was finally killed when a slightly more deranged vet shot him. Of course, he’s a Bush-Cheney victim, almost as much as the people he killed. And we can regret that he was sent there to do terrible things and try not to let it happen again. But don’t make this mook into a hero.
The only thing he did wrong is not kill enough of them. I would like him better if he had a 1,000,000 kills
The only thing this man did wrong is not kill enough of those fuckers. I wish he had a 1,000,000 of them
Mister P, you are mistaken. Chris is a hero too many. He enlisted to help save other American troops and, from what he believed, he was helping keep you safe at home. He felt he was taking the fight to them instead of letting it come here. I have many friends that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Regardless of what the outcome is of these wars, those individuals had the bravery to risk their lives to do what they believe in. That is more than I can say I have ever done and for that I have endless respect. This book and movie do not glorify war. If anything, this is one of the very few that did not make me want to enlist.
The sheep dog speech from his father in the beginning describes what the entire movie is showing about his personality and then ultimately shows the effects of what he had been through from taking on being the protector.
“The subject of this movie is a good shot. An excellent shot, but that’s the only positive thing you can say about him.”
You can say as much or little as you like after watching the film that concludes with the American public lining highways to honor his funeral procession.
Your opinion isn’t relevant.
Dude the movie was meant to tell the story of one soldier, not provide an entire synopsis of the Iraq War. Sorry the movie wasn’t tailored to your political ideology and opinions. Are you gonna bitch and moan and kill people because you don’t agree with the movie? Probably not, but we’ve seen radical Muslims do this on multiple occasions.
Oh…the movie wasn’t about a hater. Got it.
The only hater on this comment thread is you.
Just want to say I have never been to this site but, wow, is it filled with know it all haters. Glad most of you weren’t around when Germany was taking over all of Europe. And it’s funny how all the haters must be okay with all the atrocities committed in the Middle East. And for the record, I also say we get the hell out of there. Let them kill each other all they want, they have been pretty good at it for thousands of years.
What a load of brainless drivel. What freedom? To choose between Taco Bell and McDonnalds? You don’t have a fucking clue what freedom means and that’s one of the main reasons for your ignorant arrogance. To think that every time you get criticized is because of jealousy is kindergarten naivety. A homeless fucking person can have kids. Terrorist have kids. Doesn’t mean shit. You don’t suddenly becomes wise just because you have kids. You yourself is still a fucking kid with that bullshit mindset of yours.
Americans, you are so sad….that is why you will always collect what you sedd…Ignorance and Hate! Killed tens of millions of innocents in your genocidal history, ohhh, how glorious…tell that to mexico, el salvador, panama, granada, chile, south american dictatorships, irak, afghanistan etc etc etc etc etc…
and that is why people from all those countries are running and begging to come to the US of A right? because we are so horrible? Funny part is most of the world if not all would be under a dictatorship today if it wasn’t for the us but guess you forget to mention that. Maybe a nice nazi flag would have changed your mind??
Roberto, you can straight back to that Mexican sun that obviously fried your brain….. To say the U.S. has the mindset you stated, maybe? But remember you have hundreds dying on streets daily too either deal with the U.S., get into the U.S., be a part of the U.S……. Mexican politics are so corrupt that you can’t make up lies and untold stories as such. #LETTHOUSANDSDIEYEARLY
Thought the author missed the point of the film… It’s a biopic not a war film. Of course it’s going to be biased because the source material is inherently biased. I thought this was not trying to make some greater claim about the reasons or lack there of for the Iraq war and didn’t need to make that claim to be a successful film
You’ve misunderstood the point of film criticism, and even more importantly, the urgency for critical thought. Criticism worth reading isn’t going to sound like it came from the mouths of paid publicists. Whether the film is “biased” is not being contested. Also, what do you mean by successful? What are your criteria? Successful for whom, the pro-war, genocidal, Islamophobia-promoting imperialists?
See also
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/1998/07/ryan-j31.html?view=anniversary
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Media/PrivateRyan_War.html
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/11/01/fury-n01.html
You’re right. It’s as simple as that: the author of this piece completely missed the point of the movie. And because it didn’t address what he wanted it to address, in the manner in which he wanted it addressed – must be a bad movie. Which it clearly wasn’t, to an overwhelming majority, including the “critics”. Ah well. Maas is happy in his bubble.
As tee lee says in this thread, “There are millions of Americans who do share similar political views as Mr Eastwood but when we watch a movie we’re not so pretentious as to tear it apart because it may not further our twisted liberal agendas.” As you say, “It’s a biopic, not a war film” but it’s not an anti-war film either.
Wow.There are millions of Americans who do share similar political views as Mr Eastwood but when we watch a movie we’re not so pretentious as to tear it apart because it may not further our twisted liberal agendas. Get a life.
Yes, I’m QUITE SURE that when you watch an anti-war flick, you just enjoy the movie, and you don’t get pretentious.
Oh, you don’t watch ‘those kind’ of movies? Got it.
I recently watched the movie and there is no way this was a pro-war movie. The “hero” aspect I understand, but pro-war. I really enjoyed the killing of the boy and woman….made me sick.
you mean like full meta jacket and jar head?? yes it just a movie get a grip man. Sorry its breaking all kinds of box office records. Guess america is on our side on this one
Review summary: “This movie is not about what it is not about. It is also not about what I want it to be about. Therfore . . .bad movie.”
Ha ha ha… Perfectly said!
Cry me a river… Sorry the movie was made for you personally. Sounds like a real shame. I wouldn’t be surprised if next you’re going to write an article about how it stereotypes Islam and that’s it’s the religion of “peace”. Tell that to your peers in France who were murdered by these peaceful worshipers. Next time you’re in a staff meeting remember that’s how they died.
Hey Chris,
Psst! “Your government is collaborating with right wing, repressive regimes.”
Look: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/07/25/nsas-new-partner-spying-saudi-arabias-brutal-state-police/
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/28/us-takes-break-condemning-tyranny-celebrate-obamas-visit-saudi-arabia/
From 13 years ago:
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/10/saud-o29.html
The You-Ess-Ay ain’t the beacon of freedom and sunshine that you seem to think it is.
The ugly truth is that super-rich people, and the politicians that serve the super-rich people, have long been murdering and butchering and torturing and terrorizing innocent, peaceful people.
Hell, Uncle Sam trains people in the science of torture and death. Haven’t you heard of the School of the Americas/WHINSEC? Haven’t you heard of how Washington has directed, organized, funded, sponsored, armed, right wing terrorist groups that target civilians and hurt those who are hurt those who are trying to throw off the yoke of imperial rule?
Look at this list. It’s incomplete, and only covers the post WWII era.
http://williamblum.org/essays/read/overthrowing-other-peoples-governments-the-master-list
If you were to learn about US expansionism and colonialism in the late 19th century, and the real history of US foreign policy in the 20th century, your understanding of who is doing what to whom, would change. You wouldn’t speak so ignorantly about Muslims or Islam. You might be upset at the Democrats and Republicans in Congress and the WH and the liars of the corporate media, who repeatedly demonstrate how little they care about the lives of the 99%, and who only have contempt for the vast majority of civilians in America and places not called America.
Civilize yourself, brother. You’re not even aware of how your mind has been hijacked by the ruling class. The enemy is the 1%. “No war but the class war.”
Whille that horror in France was going on, some white terrorist in Colorado bombed an NAACP office. He was so inept that the bomb didn’t ignite the can of gasoline beside it.
Like a few weeks ago…one guy in Australia held hostages, and was killed when the cops stormed the place, along with two hostages. Don’t know whether the hostages were shot by the cops incidently…and at the same time, some war vet kills six people…GUESS which got most coverage!
You’re just a stooge.
Nate, please don’t talk about media bias. There is no way you are going there. That will be a losing battle. You seem intelligent and informed but that’s grasping for straws. And you just grabbed the short one.
Peedham, oh yeah those white terrorist…they are just all over the world beheading people… Keep blaming white people, maybe the world will be ok once they are gone.
So all 1.5 billion Muslims are responsible for what those 4 individuals in France chose to do in the name of their prophet? Do you realize that the majority of Muslims live outside of the Middle East in pluralistic societies, living peacefully side by side with individuals or many different religions? Of course you don’t, because there’s nothing sensational in that to grab the attention of cable news.
Charlie Chaplin final speech in The Great Dictator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcvjoWOwnn4
Peace on Earth folks, let’s escape from the cave once for all ;)
Charlie Chaplin final speech in The Great Dictator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcvjoWOwnn4
Peace on Earth folks, let’s get out of the cave once for all ;)
To admit to being wrong in Iraq, means telling the truth, which is anathema to the American war mongering elite and their government.
Why would they end the “perception management ” game and hurt their historic profits from mayhem.
Perish the thought.
So in your eyes we shouldn’t have stormed the beaches of Normandy? Actual, I do agree with the fact we need to get out of the Middle East. They are a complete lost cause. Killing each other for thousands of years and nothing has changed. Not worth another American life in that hell hole.
Was a great disappointment. Not what you would expect from the previews. Wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends.
You are mental
This movie was a great disappointment. Not what you would expect from the previews. Wouldn’t recommend spending your money to go see it.
This movie was a great disappointment. Not what y I u would expect from the previews. Wouldn’t recommend spending your money to go see it.
This movie was a real disappointment. Not what was expected from the previews. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I think this article is somewhat flawed in that the author is requiring the film to include historical perspective in a way that would seem cursory (in a movie that is 2:15 in length already). Poll after poll (a major one was released within the last two weeks) indicate that soldiers support an aggressive approach to military engagement, even though to the rest of us it certainly seems counter intuitive. Yes the film probably focused 2 hours of the 2:15 on bullets being shot, less time on his transition back, but had we not “seen” what he saw, had we not had experienced a degree of anxiety, would we appreciate his difficulty adjusting? I thought the scene in his first kill when he says don’t touch me showed the complexity of emotion he was feeling. I thought in the scene when the enemy sniper leaves his wife and child (she may have been pregnant, I don’t remember) it showed he had a life and was human too. I think the film was largely silent on the politics with a slight neo-con nod to the “We are fighting them here so we don’t have to fight them at home”. I also thought it was a nod to the more progressive element when it showed the neighborhood holding up the man killed in the doorway of the restaurant as it showed we made many more enemies by killing some militants. There is no doubt that Eastwood has a particular world view that he doesn’t run away from. However, I hardly think he allows it to take away from the movie.
I’ll try and be brief. The title of the movie was “American Sniper” based on an autobiography. So therefore we are viewing a first person perspective! Of course it will be somewhat biased from the viewpoint of an American audience since an American wrote it. It is also interesting how you make no mention of how Marc Lee’s inspiring final letter was mentioned in the movie highlighting how some (he) were questioning our national self righteousness. …. anyone can see anything they want to. The only thing that is original is perspective
Pretty bizarre that Hollywood wants to portray Navy Seals as pathetic sneaky cowards. In Zero Dark Thirty they kill an unarmed old man, and in this they evidently hang out miles away and pick off people from a distance (as though bravery is involved in either!)
Perhaps they’re priming people to stupidly praise drone strike operators, who are of course nowhere near the action at all (they even get medals, I’m told).
You were probably pretty young when Bill Maher lost his network show, “Politically Incorrect,” for suggesting shooting cruise missiles at people was more cowardly than being a suicide martyr for Islam. Muricans can be mighty unfriendly when confronted with their hypocricies, especially about the warfighters they refuse to properly care for after injured. An assertion this country is far better than others at emotionless killing of innocent people “from a safe distance” is very valid though. (This grandpa loves Tool’s “Vicariously”)
A couple of other thoughts, friend Cindy, about drone operators. I’d bet very few wanted to be serving their country in that way – and I can almost guarantee fewer are ever allowed to decide when to pull the trigger on a Hellfire Missile. For the most part they’re probably not trained military pilots that knew they’d be asked to kill, but computer people – unprepared for murder. My guess is the medals they started a couple years back were always an effort to improve morale and prevent drone operators’ suicides. Just some food for unpleasant thoughts…
Bill Maher, you are correct, has always been an idiot in my view. I am indeed young, but not as naïve as my bad temper suggests.
That laudable statement of his must have been before he submitted before the sickly-charismatic Obama and changed his (Maher’s) Zio-flexible mind about remote killing.
Thanks for calling me ‘friend.’ I’m pretty sure I don’t belong here, but I can’t seem to stay away!
Your reaction to being in prison is quite similar to mine.
Once you realize that no one else wants to be here either, you’ll feel much more at home.
Au contraire; Ms.Contrarian. You belong here — as much or more so than the multitudes of ‘tribal’ sycophants that reside herein..
We are all better off for your presence!
A grandpa that loves Tool……Awesome
Hollywood has been getting things wrong since the beginning. It has shown the rebel cause in the Civil War as a Gallant Lost Cause (with a few exceptions, see, e.g., “Glory”), it usually didn’t address sex and gender without checking with the Hays Office, it consistently defamed LGBT people (see “The Celluloid Closet” for more on this) and of course there’s the Western, particularly regarding depiction of native peoples. I’m a little surprised at Eastwood, though, after his Iwo Jima movies, doing this, but hey, it’s show business.
“When the movie’s villain, an enemy sniper named Mustafa, was killed by Kyle, the crowd at the theater where I was watching broke into applause.”
Thanks for spoiling the whole movie without warning – I can really see that you’re a seasoned reviewer and I will most definitely take your words seriously.
As a plot point, it was very predictable from the first time Mustafa appears in the film, so I don’t think I gave much away. I’m pretty sure that anyone who is inclined to cheer about Mustafa’s denouement will do so whether or not they know what’s coming.
I don’t see why that had to be included. It just seemed like an unwarranted spoiler.
Thank You! – This was totally uncalled for. Not only do they, not like the movie for not being about what they think it should be about, they then decide it’s OK to spoil it for us because they don’t like it. – worse than a 2 bit blogger.
“When the movie’s villain, an enemy sniper named Mustafa, was killed by Kyle, the crowd at the theater where I was watching broke into applause.”
Tell me this isn’t the climax of the movie- Tell me you didn’t just ruin the whole movie without a hint of a spoiler alert? I’m going this weekend and if this happened in the final act I’ll be back here on Monday ripping you a new one.
In life you have to find a balance. Wars are dirty and traumatizing, so films have to glorify them.
Imagine if you took a miserable situation in real life and depicted it as miserable in a story. First, it would be an utter failure of imagination. To depict reality is something to which not even a journalist would aspire. Second, it would be utterly unpopular. Nobody goes to the theatre in order to feel miserable. I know there are people who read The Intercept merely for that experience, but films require a larger audience.
In addition, it seems Eastwood was probably targeting the movie more towards an American audience than an Iraqi one. Americans would sympathize with the character’s plight of being forced to fight in Iraq. For inflicting that fate on him, it is only right that some Iraqis should be punished in the movie.
That desperate act of insight should get you a job as a movie reviewer for the CIA internal magazine. Well done, sir!
All very true, although as to point two, anybody that went to see “Last Year At Marienbad”, “Heaven’s Gate” or “Dumb and Dumber To” probably didn’t think it would involve as much anguish as it did. Still, as you note, Eastwood knew that Americans have a different way of viewing things, and it helps if’s more upbeat, and this film might have been better as a musical, “Springtime for George W.,” maybe, or “Broadway Melody of 2003.”
Hollywood is up to the challenge, Duce. If they can romanticize the siege of Atlanta, depict the Alamo as something other than a complete debacle, and make George S. Patton a hero, they’re up to this challenge. Someone should option “Oh, What a Lovely War” for a remake set in Baghdad.
“When the movie’s villain, an enemy sniper named Mustafa, was killed by Kyle, the crowd at the theater where I was watching broke into applause.”
Please tell me you weren’t surprised by the audience reaction. While I had no sympathy in my heart when the news of Bil Laden’s death was reported, on the other hand, I wasn’t cheering either. Does that make me better than the cheering section? No, but it points out the battlefield isn’t just in some foreign land but right here in our collective mind. Until we can win that battle we’re doomed to endless armed conflict. Speak up people.
To be fair, I have not read this article yet but isn’t Clint Eastwood the man that talked to an empty chair not so long ago?
But surely talking to am empty chair takes more creativity than commenting on an article you have not read!
Nice line But reading the words “Clint Eastwood” from the title hardly requires reading the body of the article before asking a question pertaining to the title rather than the article content.
So, is he the man that talked to an empty chair?
Google is a great resource.
I can’t help thinking that the sniper’s death at gunpoint seems a fitting end to his story.
The points you make are interesting and probably should be made, but the supercilious attitude I’ve seen journalists such as yourself and others take towards Chris Kyle is inappropriate (“Kyle’s crude language,” “limited comprehension of what was going on,” “blinkered attitude”). You may think for some reason that you are better than Kyle, but it is a view I can assure you that is held most prominently in your own worldview and that perhaps of other journalists.
Here’s a difference. You covered soldiers doing the fighting. Chris Kyle was kicking in doors and going in first with the marines to show them how to enter houses more effectively after Kyle got tired of holding bleeding young marines who had been shot in Iraq.
Journalists tend to hype war and violence, and profit from the resulting ratings, often from a nice safe desk somewhere. Is that morally superior to the guy ordered to go over there and fight and who put himself on the line countless times to protect fellow soldiers?
Which is better, which is worse?
I know you have gone over to cover these wars which gives you more credibility than the average journalist, but this implicit or explicit view many of you in journalism seem to hold that you’re somehow smarter, more informed, or more “right” than guys like Navy SEAL Chris Kyle or other soldiers is just incorrect.
Thank you, Robert.
You said so well what so many of us were thinking.
God save us all from Self Righteous Idiots like Peter Maass.
Thank you, Robert.
You said so well what so many of us were thinking.
God save us all from Self Righteous Idiots like Peter Maass.
I worship a different God ;)
Let me ask you a question: How would you feel about the man who invaded your country and “effectively” kicked in your door? Would you care that he was kicking in your door and terrorizing you for what he perceived to be “good intentions” or to ensure fewer of his fellow door kicker-inners didn’t get shot or to do it “more effectively”?
I’ll tell you who is “morally superior”–any man who doesn’t subsume his willingness to become knowledgeable about the reason(s) he is asked to follow orders blindly and who doesn’t in fact join with any organization that requires him to subsume his moral integrity to kill on command. “I was just following orders” is the most despicable attempt justification, in moral terms, for any activity whatsoever that man engages in.
What’s “better” in moral terms, is that human beings refuse to kill other human beings except in defense against imminent attack upon their homes, communities and physical borders of their nation. Not killing other human beings for some perceived “right” to an economic “way of life”, or for “economic/geopolitical advantage”, or for “regime change” of a regime that isn’t directly an imminent threat to our nation, homes or communities. And most importantly, not for an “ideology” (except to defend yourself, your loved ones, your home and community from imminent or ongoing attack) and fer fuck’s sake most certainly not for “glory”. Because here’s a newsflash, I was employed by the VA putting a dollar figure on veterans blown up lives, and trust me there is no “glory” in having no legs, arms, eyes or shitting into a bag from a wheelchair for the remainder of one’s life for your or another man’s “ideology”..
How “smart” a man was “a guy like Chris Kyle” (who reenlisted multiple times) if he didn’t take the time to understand who or why he was fighting and/or the reasons he was required to assassinate and murder other human beings on their lands for a monumental LIE that millions of other people all over the globe recognized the minute it was peddled?
What I find “incorrect” is people like you who think any man who subsumes his moral integrity by being willing to kill on command is a sympathetic figure, who fails to understand precisely “what and whom he/she is fighting and killing others for” is “smart”, and people who believe it is “impolite” or “unpatriotic” to question everything about such a person and the people who overtly and tacitly make it permissible for that person to kill other human beings in/on their lands for a small group of peoples’ ideology, economic, or geopolitical interest.
In fact, anyone who defends another man’s killing of other human beings on the dubious morality of “he was just following orders” makes me sick to my stomach.
rrheard-Outstanding response. they didn’t have any ‘like” buttons, so I just had to give you thumbs up on your comment!
“I was just following orders” is the most despicable attempt justification, in moral terms, for any activity whatsoever that man engages in.
Might be my new email tagline.
A wonderful response, and entirely on point, especially when you make this point –
“… any man who subsumes his moral integrity by being willing to kill on command is a sympathetic figure, who fails to understand precisely “what and whom he/she is fighting and killing others for” is “smart”.
The problem here in America these last few years is too many are willing to “subsume their moral integrity”
We see it in individuals constantly, and insofar as corporate America is concerned, “moral integrity” simply does not exist, and its practice, from the corporate viewpoint, is idiocy…
Excellent post. Kudos to you. I have nothing to add on the subject – you said it perfectly.
the ‘p-town flash’, lives!!
donger very much..
a p.b.r. on tap production
i vote “LIKE” comment of rrheard!
i vote ” LIKE” comment of rrheard!
@rrheard-how do you expect anyone to give you any time or energy to read your diarrhea when you don’t believe that people don’t have the right to be a parent and/or kids don’t have a right to their parents?
It’s not about who is “better” or morally superior. Different skills and different experiences, that’s all. Soldiers laughed at me for not carrying a weapon in a combat zone. I don’t think they considered me lesser for it (just crazy). I didn’t consider them lesser for not knowing what was happening on the other side of the wire. We had different jobs.
Just another instance of Hollywood fulfilling its role as the propaganda mill for the US government. There is a long history of that, even when they are supposedly being truthful to history. So we should not look to Hollywood to be informative – really it is not even their job – and just look to them for entertainment.
I disagree. This is a movie. If we’re ever going to get it right, let’s do it in the real world.
I disagree. Let’s do real life as a movie first. Now maybe “Operation Iraqi Freedom”, as a movie, might still go over-budget, over-acted and unpopular on DVD, but it might have had better testing with preview audiences and maybe gotten re-written or simply cancelled in pre-production.
Dude the movie is not about the whole Iraq war. It’s Kyle’s story as he knew it. To get into something other than his view or thoughts is not what the book or movie is about. They have no right to ruin Kyle’s own words with someone’s else view or politics of the war.
Well why take Chris Kyle’s “words” at face value in the first instance? Jesse Ventura demonstrated in a court of law, to a jury, that Chris Kyle’s “words” about him were a fabricated lie. And if Chris Kyle would lie about that event, why should I believe a single word Chris Kyle says on any topic?
Nobody is requiring this of you. What we are requiring of you is that when you hear a movie has been made about a biography and someone criticises the movie for not including someone else’s POV, to call BS on that simple ass BS.
There might be 1 person living who is surprised that when Dick Cheney’s autobiography is made into a film that it doesn’t stray much from Dick Cheney’s world view as portrayed in his autobiograhpy. But that 1 person is either genuinely a moron, or just uninterested with the obvious because they want to tell us what they think should be what is shown in cinemas.
Dude the movie is not about the whole Iraq war. It’s Kyle’s story as he knew it. To get into something other than his view or thoughts is not what the book or movie is about. They have no right to ruin Kyle’s own words with someone’s else view or politics of the war.
Peter Maass is just another anti-American radical, whose arguments are fueled by some strange sense of guilt and illogical emotion – so common within their Leftist, politically correct circles – rather than by objective analysis and fact. Mr. Maass and his wife are your typical overpaid, elitist snobs who would not dare associate with the so-called victims and downtrodden they claim to defend, but instead take advantage of the great American capitalist system they claim to despise, laughing all the way to the bank. Simply put, they are dangerous hypocritical subversives, armed just like their tenured college professor comrades sitting around faculty lounges, with the power of the pen and bully pulpit. Sadly, they pray upon a largely uninformed audience, willing to be spoon fed their dangerous, subversive propaganda and outright lies. The author and his ilk abhor any notion of American Exceptionalism and/or traditional values. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he and other apologists for Islamic terrorism will find all kinds of fault with such wonderful movies as “American Sniper” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” These movies clearly and accurately draw a sharp contrast between good and evil – in both cases, the good being American power projection used to destroy tyranny and protect our national interests (represented by the brave, heroic and lethal U.S. Navy SEALS) and the evil (which does not even begin to define the medieval, murderous and cowardly atrocities commited by the global Islamic jihadists movement). What shocks me is how any sane individual can even begin to place blame on America and the West, when the clearly stated goal of this global menace is the creation of a new Islamic Caliphate, where Sharia law is enforced and all so-called infidels, which by the way would include our dear Mr. Maass, as well as most of the anti-U.S. loudmouth, know-it-alls who have spewed their dribble on this page, would be immediately beheaded for all to see on the Internet. It is high time that we wake up and realize that we are fighting World War III and that the future of Western civilization and all freedom loving people depends upon us being victorious against the international Jihadists movement and their apologists/supporters, whomever they might be. This global threat is no less evil and dangerous than that posed by the Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy during the Second World War. If you really need a recent example of their international reach and savagery, just take a look at this week’s terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris, a city where government “leaders” have allowed whole neighborhoods to be taken over and controlled by radical Muslims who have NO desire to assimilate and who show nothing but pure hatred towards their good intentioned, yet foolish hosts. So, for all you radical Muslim cowards out there who want to see Americans die, I just love the idea that so many of your useless, evil lives will so suddenly be extinguished…everything will just go black as you descend into Hell…nanoseconds after the bullet from a U.S. Navy SEAL’s high-powered sniper rifle tears through your warped brain or darkened heart. One by one, cell by cell, group by group, brave American men AND women will hunt you down until you are all exterminated from the Earth like a plague!hing all the way to the bank000Simply put, they are dangerous hypocritical subversives, armed just like their tenured college professor comrades sitting around faculty lounges, with the power of the pen and bully pulpit. Sadly, they pray upon a largely uninformed audience, willing to be spoon fed their dangerous, subversive propaganda and outright lies. The author and his ilk abhor any notion of American Exceptionalism and/or traditional values. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he and other apologists for Islamic terrorism will find all kinds of fault with such wonderful movies as “American Sniper” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” These movies clearly and accurately draw a sharp contrast between good and evil – in both cases, the good being American power projection used to destroy tyranny and protect our national interests (represented by the brave, heroic and lethal U.S. Navy SEALS) and the evil (which does not even begin to define the medieval, murderous and cowardly atrocities commited by the global Islamic jihadists movement). What shocks me is how any sane individual can even begin to place blame on America and the West, when the clearly stated goal of this global menace is the creation of a new Islamic Caliphate, where Sharia law is enforced and all so-called infidels, which by the way would include our dear Mr. Maass, as well as most of the anti-U.S. loudmouth, know-it-alls who have spewed their dribble on this page, would be immediately beheaded for all to see on the Internet. It is high time that we wake up and realize that we are fighting World War III and that the future of Western civilization and all freedom loving people depends upon us being victorious against the international Jihadists movement and their apologists/supporters, whomever they might be. This global threat is no less evil and dangerous than that posed by the Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy during the Second World War. If you really need a recent example of their international reach and savagery, just take a look at this week’s terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris, a city where government “leaders” have allowed whole neighborhoods to be taken over and controlled by radical Muslims who have NO desire to assimilate and who show nothing but pure hatred towards their good intentioned, yet foolish hosts. So, for all you radical Muslim cowards out there who want to see Americans die, I just love the idea that so many of your useless, evil lives will so suddenly be extinguished…everything will just go blacPeter Maass is just another anti-American radical, whose arguments are fueled by some strange sense of guilt and illogical emotion – so common within their Leftist, politically correct circles – rather than by objective analysis and fact. Mr. Maass and his wife are your typical overpaid, elitist snobs who would not dare associate with the so-called victims and downtrodden they claim to defend, but instead take advantage of the great American capitalist system they claim to despise, laughing all the way to the bank. Simply put, they are dangerous hypocritical subversives, armed just like their tenured college professor comrades sitting around faculty lounges, with the power of the pen and bully pulpit. Sadly, they pray upon a largely uninformed audience, willing to be spoon fed their dangerous, subversive propaganda and outright lies. The author and his ilk abhor any notion of American Exceptionalism and/or traditional values. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he and other apologists for Islamic terrorism will find all kinds of fault with such wonderful movies as “American Sniper” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” These movies clearly and accurately draw a sharp contrast between good and evil – in both cases, the good being American power projection used to destroy tyranny and protect our national interests (represented by the brave, heroic and lethal U.S. Navy SEALS) and the evil (which does not even begin to define the medieval, murderous and cowardly atrocities commited by the global Islamic jihadists movement). What shocks me is how any sane individual can even begin to place blame on America and the West, when the clearly stated goal of this global menace is the creation of a new Islamic Caliphate, where Sharia law is enforced and all so-called infidels, which by the way would include our dear Mr. Maass, as well as most of the anti-U.S. loudmouth, know-it-alls who have spewed their dribble on this page, would be immediately beheaded for all to see on the Internet. It is high time that we wake up and realize that we are fighting World War III and that the future of Western civilization and all freedom loving people depends upon us being victorious against the international Jihadists movement and their apologists/supporters, whomever they might be. This global threat is no less evil and dangerous than that posed by the Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, Japan, and Italy during the Second World War. If you really need a recent example of their international reach and savagery, just take a look at this week’s terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris, a city where government “leaders” have allowed whole neighborhoods to be taken over and controlled by radical Muslims who have NO desire to assimilate and who show nothing but pure hatred towards their good intentioned, yet foolish hosts. So, for all you radical Muslim cowards out there who want to see Americans die, I just love the idea that so many of your useless, evil lives will so suddenly be extinguished…everything will just go black as you descend into Hell…nanoseconds after the bullet from a U.S. Navy SEAL’s high-powered sniper rifle tears through your warped brain or darkened heart. One by one, cell by cell, group by group, brave American men AND women will hunt you down until you are all exterminated from the Earth like a plague!
In other words, this movie does not agree with your liberal world view, and so it must be castigated. All movies must agree with they way Peter thinks, or he will deride it. The key quote, “long after we realized the war’s false pretense and its horrific toll.” What a giant load of crap. If you want to take a look at a horrific toll on human life, simply look where the American forces have left.
Fast Eddie, I’m sorry you haven’t had a chance to read about WHY the American imperial forces have been sent to invade, attack, pillage, rape, destabilize, burn, bomb, resource-rich country after country.
Would you like a reading list?
– John Pilger, Paying the Price for the Gulf War
http://members.tripod.com/alabasters_archive/paying_the_price.html
Heard of Operation Cyclone, Eddie?
– John Pilger, “What Good Friends Left Behind”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/sep/20/afghanistan.weekend7
Hey, Eddie:
What will happen to your fragile and fallacious worldview upon learning that Washington and the US capitalist class love right wing terrorist groups and repressive regimes?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/al-qaeda-u-s-oil-companies-and-central-asia/762
Vivek, where have you been all along? Take ’em back to the classroom…
Bravo Vivek!
Excellent posts, Vivek. A pleasure to read.
I appreciate it, folks.
You may also like:
The US-Al Qaeda Alliance: Bosnia, Kosovo and Now Libya. Washington’s On-Going Collusion with Terrorists
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-us-al-qaeda-alliance-bosnia-kosovo-and-now-libya-washington-s-on-going-collusion-with-terrorists/25829
The Three-Decade US-Mujahideen Partnership Still Going Strong
http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2010/10/13/friends-enemies-both-our-foreign-policy-riddle/
So next you are going to tell us that all this oil the us has found by fracking lately has been a way to do what…….? We are running the middle east dry of funds on oil but didn’t see you saying anything about that. Look up how much each of those countries needs to break even on oil and how much the price is down because the US started drilling and pumping its own oil. Again showing one side of the story is always amazing. When one of your family members gets killed like mine did on 9/11 then you can come talking.
The civil war between Shia and Sunni was triggered by the American invasion.
The title of this article is wrong.
Eastwood and his associates are not so much ignoring history as they are choosing to re-write historical facts
to the point where a mass murdering imperialist’s own savageness is portrayed as if honorable and sensitive.
Fascism is working well for Hollywood.
By that logic, the Godfather should not have been made, as well as hundreds of others.
The “Godfather” was a brutally disturbing portrayal based upon a fictional novel.
This film is deliberately taking a non-fictional predatory imperialist and trying to get people to see him as a victim.
Your kind of “logic” would have us believe that petroleum and piss are the same thing because they are both fluid.
zzz… we get it. you’re a liberal and you going to make every effort to pick apart any book, movie, etc… that portray the US military in a good light. so I guess the word that best sums up your piece – predictable.
Wait, what?
First, your unwarranted labeling of Maass as a “liberal” doesn’t work as a smear and isn’t supported by anything Maass wrote. There’s nothing “liberal” about criticizing propaganda.
Imperialist aggression has been carried out by supposed liberals. For example, these are all war criminals: Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Obama, etc. Many in the American public who consider themselves liberal, are pro-military, meaning, that they uncritically support and endorse the ruling class’ violence and terrorism against our brothers and sisters around the world. Liberals have long been collaborators with the more overt right wing and so-called conservatives.
Is it that you have a beef with “critical thinking” (picking apart media and texts)?
Do you not understand that the military is an institution of violence, terrorism, oppression, and injustice which serves the 1% and corporate power–and not a instrument of peace, democracy, human rights, for the 99% as is advertised?
@Vivek Jain
Excellent post!!
You should check out:
http://no2party.freeforums.org/index.php
There are many discussions about the MIC (Military Industrial Complex) going on.
Bravo once more. You are needed all over the comment world.
Or if Fast Eddie needs a self-proclaimed Republican to help him see a few points, there’s always Lerry Wilkerson … http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=6873
zzz- You shouldn’t try to squabble with people who have IQs 10 to 20 notches higher than your own. It only demonstrates how clueless you are!
Everybody should be aware by now that we have a corrupt Government.
We need change in our political system. The 2 party system is enslaving us. It is time we register Independent / Unaffiliated. Time to send a message to both parties.
We are not a democrat/republican/libertarian site. We are independents trading ideas, solutions and info.
We support how this nation was founded and designed with no national/nationalist parties and where the States were the biggest factions.
The only thing wrong with our Republic is the operators called democrat/republican.
We are Americans, no hyphen required.
We need change. Freedom can not be defeated but you can surrender yours and join those who steal it and oppress your Liberties.
So join us at http://no2party.freeforums.org/index.php
We (our culture) humiliate ourselves not just by our ignorance but also our incuriousity.
you may like John Pilger’s work, for example his film “The War You Don’t See”:
http://vimeo.com/67739294
Or Fast Eddie could check out Perkins’ “Confessions of an economic Hitman” to see what the US and the financial elite do to struggling economies and countries .. all to make rapacious capitalism even function http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/0452287081. Or any of David Kay Johnston’s books … http://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=David%20Cay%20Johnston&search-alias=digital-text Crack a book, man … find out what it takes to make our current systems go. It ain’t liberal and it ain’t conservative, it’s knowledge …
Confessions of An Economic Hitman was a book by a guy who claimed the NSA was involved in doing things they aren’t and entire other organisations are responsible for. It’s like reading a book about how the Dept of Agriculture keeps bombing targets in Yemen. Convincing if you’re extremely gullible.
His prior writings were about what awesome spirit animals you see when you do lots of shrooms. So, you know….
I was partial to Perkins’ “Confessions of an Economic Hitman”, all about how the US pressured countries/struggling economies with many tactics, all to make the hypercapitalistic system run. http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/0452287081 Here’s a hint, if you need to coerce nations, propagandize your own population, and use the largest killing force ever assembled to MAKE YOUR SYSTEM WORK, the system is broken. we’re frikkin’ human beings …
Hollywood: Dehumanizing, Other-ing, and Baggin’ Injuns, Blacks, and the New Injuns since… well, forever.
Isn’t this film an expression of imperialism’s need for self-exalting myths, its cheap valorization of those who do Empire’s wetwork, its conflation and confusion of victim and victor, its sanctification of self-righteous asymmetrical violence? Don’t such films, er, propaganda, pre-empt and forestall the public’s disgust at the ruling class’ unabashed violence, attempt to render cool the “spectacle of slaughter” (h/t Tom Engelhardt, the End of Victory Culture <– a great book, highly recommended).
Also, is Brad Pitt the new John Wayne?
Everyone, check out the film criticism by David Walsh and Joanne Laurier of the WSWS.
http://www.wsws.org/en/topics/artsCategory/films/
See also:
The global scale of US militarism
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/01/03/mili-j03.html
“Isn’t this film an expression of imperialism’s need for self-exalting myths”
No. It’s a film based on a book. Read the book if you’d like to have any opinion about whether it’s an excellent portrayal or a poor one. That’s literally the only relevant reference.
If a documentary left out historical details, that’s a legitimate complaint and valid criticism of the work of the filmmaker. This is not a documentary, and it sounds like it’s in a genre of film you don’t care for due to your profession. Is the score decent? Is the film well-acted? Does the script work or is it amateurish and cliched? These are the points of criticism that should be the determining factor in granting awards for filmmaking. I’m going to go watch this at a business that reeks of fake butter and faker (it’s a word) nacho cheese, not sit down in front of a PBS broadcast or attend a college lecture. I enjoy this genre of US-centric, patriotic war movie that exemplifies bravery, skill, and discipline in unbelievable circumstances, and I don’t care if it’s historically accurate or not. I want to see a good movie, full of drama, with a protagonist that overcomes every obstacle thrown at him. The trailer looks promising, and I’ll be in line when it opens to see if Eastwood and Cooper deliver. I don’t agree with you that being ideology-agnostic hurts us when it comes to entertainment. When I see a movie, I want 100 minutes away from journalists like you, network news stations, moralists, and academia. I work. I pay my taxes. I stay out of trouble. I paid my admission. I earned it. Don’t judge.
LOL @ the suggestion that PBS or college lectures teach critical thinking.
Lol teaching government propaganda is more like it.
translation of steve:
i’m an authoritarian, and i don’t want to know what is just and right, i want to get off on war porn…
now, shut up about Empire being bad, and pass the bullets, er, popcorn…
Understand. When I go to certain movies, I want to escape, too. But this kind of movie, this movie–well, I have different expectations. What happened in Iraq means too much to me to be turned into entertainment that denies or dishonors important realities that I believe our society should come to grips with.
please see: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Media/PrivateRyan_War.html
Hear hear!!!!!!
I was going to post something similar but Steve’s post so brilliantly stated my sentiments that I’ll stick with “ditto.”
With that said, I also appreciate Peter’s article. It is a good companion piece even if I prefer a break from political messages, especially if they feel forced upon the viewer, in movies. Peter’s having been in Iraq, I can understand his desire for authenticity and fear that viewers will watch this movie as if it is some video history.
If only there were sites with movie reviews out there that didn’t deal with the headache inducing politics involved.
Ignoring your sarcasm, one of Peter’s major points was that there are TOO many sites that don’t deal with the politics of these types of movies. I believe that is a myopic viewpoint. Film critics often have different standards to review movies than some critic whose emphasis is on political messaging. If I want to talk politics, I’ll come here or to Reddit or the countless other sites I frequent. I don’t need it inserted into every facet of my life, and especially not at the movies.
Actually, I think I agree with you. If people want to read movie reviews or movie articles that don’t engage the politics of the movies, they have lots of places to go. If they want to read about the political or historical implications and accuracy of a movie, they can, when we run these kinds of articles, come to the Intercept.
“It’s not a documentary.”
Nah it’s just a biographical action film. If you don’t know what these are, do some research. This movie does not claim to be a work of complete fiction.
If you want to remove reality from the equation and just get the bare movie criticism, surely you know that this here is NO rotten tomatoes… right????
A Poem from a Pigeon (based on an original post by Steve):
Don’t judge me, bro!
Thinkin’ is hard, dusty work.
I deserve my escape!
I deserve to be happy!
I have earned the right to my fantasy because I followed the rules.
I am young and loved and where I belong!
This is my ideology and I am lost without it.
It is my sword, my shield and my blanket.
I agree. If I have to be forced to listen and comply with some pro-Gay Lesbian BS, then I should have the right to watch what I want to watch. Also it’s funny how the same Liberal Journalists who are crying shame on us for watching this way are quiet on the Terrorist attacks committed by Muslims.
There is something very creepy about Eastwood as a director. I don’t usually watch his films but I saw Million Dollar Baby. The film seemed to be about a woman’s struggle, and it was advertised that way, but it slowly dawns on the viewer that the woman is only there as a prop for the male lead to work through some shit. By the end of the film, I was miffed that I had been tricked into watching this woman’s throwaway character go though some horrible things. It was really appalling. Emblematic of Eastwood’s bizarre blind spots.
In an article I completely disagree with, this is still spot on. If you have a couple of beers with friends and come up with alternative titles for Gran Tourismo based on the premise, I think the answer will appear.
The only time I would have stood up and applauded , would have been if they had shown this psychopathic killer getting his head blown off at the shooting range.
The real psychopaths are kept out of the view and awareness of the American public. The totalitarian agenda of the imperial policymakers and ruling class is obscured, and instead, Americans are fed fictions about how the world works. We’re told lies about the past. The ruling class expends great effort to obfuscate power and reality for the masses.
“Those who hold the clubs,” Chomsky says, “insist on historical amnesia.”
see “Engineering Empire”
http://www.hamptoninstitution.org/engineeringempire.html
Also, if you haven’t already, see Mark Curtis’ books “The Great Deception”, “Web of Deceit”, and “Secret Affairs”, and John Pilger’s “The New Rulers of the World.”
Two other books: Paul Street’s “They Rule: The 1% vs Democracy”, and Michael Parenti’s “Contrary Notions”
Sick! Paranoia is alive and healthy
I believe he was assasinated.
You’re an ass
Coward
Are you a soldier! ???how dare you !!
This movie makes a perfect pairing with Clint Eastwood’s Vietnam movie — the one about how Vietnam was hard on the white soldier who had to go there, and made him cold and grumpy, but then in the end he’s really a good person who comes to the rescue of his Vietnamese neighbors through an act of supreme self-sacrifice.
This one is about how killing Iraqis was hard on the white soldier who had to do it, and made him troubled at home, but in the end he’s a good person who dies trying to help another troubled white soldier.
In the first one the brown characters are mostly lurid racist fantasies (the very cute teenage Vietnamese girl whose rape by brown men is avenged by Eastwood, the teenage Vietnamese boy who needs him as a father figure) and in the second one, pretty much absent.
White American audiences mostly eat this stuff up with the biggest spoon they can find.
You do mean Korea right? The character fought in the Korean War. I am no fan of Eastwood’s politics, but Gran Torino was an excellent movie, you failed to see how the man moves from his racist views throughout the movie and in the end learns to love again, even people that he once hated based on their race. It was a good movie. It sounds like your a racist.
It’s a movie. It’s a dramatization. Based on Chris Kyle’s frame of reference, it may be a true story. If Peter Maas or you don’t like it, make your own movie. Your problem is either: (1) you don’t give me enough credit for knowing the difference between a movie and truth, or (2) you don’t know the difference.
Private Ryan Saves War | Howard Zinn (1998)
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Media/PrivateRyan_War.html
And do you believe that if a movie were made from the frame of reference of the victims of Chris Kyle, it would ever make it to the big screen in this country? Somehow I doubt it. Do you really think that the majority of people who watch the movie will know the difference between the movie and truth? I also doubt that.
Why don’t we wait for the movie about Kyle’s victims. Then we can pen an essay about how they didn’t consider geopolitical factors to our liking before being shot dead.
I don’t know whether Charles Hebdo’s comment is satire. Which is why it’s perfect.
In any case, who here has heard of the Creel Committee or the Four-Minute Men? The ruling class has very consciously and deliberately promoted lies and illusions. It understands how public opinion works, and how to mold, shape, and manipulate public consciousness and imagination.
The ruling class has had over a century of experience in psychology, mass comm, advertising, public relations, etc. The public still doesn’t know what time it is, and this susceptibility, this softmindedness, is one way by which the ruling class controls public thought and behavior.
Hi Vivek Jain and everyone –
“The ruling class has had over a century of experience in psychology, mass comm, advertising, public relations, etc.” I’d like to pick up on that theme just a bit even if it may seem a bit OT (and I did find your article quite good, Peter M.).
I watch too much tv (I know, I know…) and it seems that the commercial time is just expanding exponentially. I can remember when an hour-long program was interrupted for commercial breaks three times – the 1/4 mark the 1/2 mark and the 3/4 mark (at least I think that’s how I remember it). Now it seems there are more breaks. Last night and today I seemed to count only 8, maybe 9 minutes of actual show between breaks in some hour-long shows I had on.. It’s harder and harder to enjoy shows that are so chopped up.
Before you all say “Oh, that’s just feline16 whining.”, there are other factors here: What, if anything, is this doing to our attention spans? What does it do to us psychologically to be subjected this level of sales pitches? And that’s not all. There are ramifications for our “democracy” (what’s left of it, anyway). The fellows who wrote the book, “Dollarocracy” found that spending on political ads has mushroomed, while news stories of political races has decreased. They point out that it seems that most voters are getting their info from ads. What does this mean for us?
So – any thoughts, resources – or ideas to help combat this (other than turn off the tv – and computer as internet ads are pretty bad, too) completely?
I also sent this idea to Mr. Foomkin and hoped he might pass it on if it wasn’t right up his alley. So I’ll also throw this out to TI reporters/writers: material could be found for a good article about this issue – or maybe even a series.
Happy Weekend, everyone.
Well stated sir !! Thank you !
Most sentient beings were clued in to the empty-brained chickenhawk posturing of this dog when they noticed the “by Clint Eastwood” part. The guy is like a 2-D doppelganger of everything crummy about the Bush regime, a wizened old hate-addict who believes the anti-war movement of the 70s was a media invention that never happened and that Uncle Sam still goes to war to prevent genocide rather than commit it in the name of corporate profiteering. The end goal, of course, is to lure in more young recruits, who will, the boo-rah crowd hopes, see themselves as Bradley Cooper instead of their true Larry the Cable Guy selves.
I read through enough of Kyle’s book (over an hour or so in the bookstore) to see that the author was completely ignorant of the facts of the war beyond what happened to be right in front of him (whether this was due to willful ignorance or not I can’t say). I wasn’t surprised to see the book made into film but was surprised and disappointed to see Eastwood make this movie. I thought ‘letters from Iwo Jima’ and ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ were great anti-war war movies. Maybe Clint was pushed into making this by a studio. I feel bad for the ignorant kids that watch this movie and are inspired to join the military (much as I did nearly 20 years ago).
If you read the book the film was based on and found the subject to be ignorant of the larger questions of the Iraq war, I assume you’re here to criticize the author of this article who somehow cites this as a surprising omission?
Seriously, what is the fking point here?
You are literally complaining that the film made about the guy from Texas who didn’t care why they were in Iraq or about ice hockey who got a film made about him, didn’t include anything about the reasons for the Iraq war or ice hockey.
What are you telling us other that you are a fkn thick cnt ?
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It’s truly unfortunate that in order to live in some form of peace with our ‘fellow’ man that we have to take up arms of any sort to just to live. That I’m afraid will never end so what are we as a society to do with that kind of reality. If you revisit our history as a species from whatever source you see trustworthy you can find a common thread that calls for some form of self protection. Protection from what you say…our own species. The compromises (to your understanding of a moral code) made on a battlefield are tragic, even more so on the battlefield of our own hearts on a daily basis. I think Chris fought and died for a belief that guided his walk, is he to be judged by that? If so, who are you to be the judge and what makes ‘your’ morality superior or correct over his?
Understood but I don’t think I was making a judgement on his morality as a sniper (that would be a different story), just his political understanding of the country he was in and the war he was asked to fight in. Mainly I’m concerned not with what he understood/misunderstood, but how the movie framed Iraq and reviewers reacted to it.
Kyle’s book, and presumably the movie as well to an extent, contain some, shall we say, disputed facts. His fistfight w/ Ventura literally never happened, and Ventura has won his libel case against Kyle’s estate. Kyle’s claim to have been “sent to New Orleans after Katrina” where he “shot 30 looters” is utterly unsupported by any evidence, but I’m sure for his fans it’s the thought that counts. Wonder what color the imaginary looters were….
Lastly, the Pentagon seems to have declined to confirm Kyle’s “kill total,” meaning his “deadliest sniper” claim is probably itself bullshit. But again, it’s the thought, that psychopathic racist urge, that counts to his fans. Personally, I’m gonna go take a shower now.
There really isn’t anything that Peter writes that I disagree with, except that he is talking about a movie.. Most movies are made for one reason – to make lots of money. The industry many have a political motive, but it is still a movie. History is typically a “documentary” type of. movie. Unfortunately, many of us kind of equate movies as a “little bit’ reality.
OH, PLEASE! When it’s ‘based on…’, there is an inference of truth.
Poor ol’ Clint got out-smarted…by an empty chair at the RNC of 2012. His entire schtick is selling violence…where the hero is ‘justified’.
Agreed. People typically don’t have issue with Hollywood fantasized war movies as much as with movies like ZDT and Argo that masquerade as documentaries and shape public opinion.
But for good or bad many people think of feature films as reflecting history. Or put another way, feature films can shape our views of history. Not impossible at all for a feature film to be accurate and shed light on history; the great war movies do that (Battle of Algiers, for instance).
Absolutely correct!
Absolutely Incorrect, Pete !!
Sounds like the appropriate response to this film should be a theater full of Empty Chairs. Does anyone expect anything but flag waving, patriotic BS from Eastwood.
I wonder if the movie will mention Kyle’s involvement in Craft International? Or the fact that he defamed Jesse Ventura and had he been alive would of lost in a court of law?
I wonder if the movie mentions the fact that Craft International had a strong presence at the Boston Marathon Bombings?
Your tin-foil hat is slipping….
Refute Liberty’s commentary w/ some substantive references, or politely fuk’off. Dip-shit..
It’s ok suave.
Chris, like many of my fellow Americans, is just asleep. He does not pay attention to details, but blindly follows MSM’s coverage of significant events like Boston, 9/11, Wars etc. If he would take the time to study history, think critically, and operate with an open mind he would learn that the one’s with the “tin-foil” hat is actually MSM and our government.
All Chris would have to do is Google Images: Craft International Boston.
Wouldn’t the rest of recorded history mentioning he founded Craft International suffice if the film doesn’t mention what his involvement was?
Not with an American audience. Most Americans would take the movie as 100% truth, not even bothering to learn who Chris Kyle really was and what he did after he served.
Thanks for the head’s up. Will definitely be a movie I’ll pass on. Disgusting.
Shut up. It was a great movie, they obviously said it was about the soldier not the war smartass. You try to seem important by bashing a great movie.
Shut up. It was a great movie, they obviously said it was about the soldier not the war smartass. You try to seem important by bashing a great movie.
Shut up. It was a great movie, they obviously said it was about the soldier not the war smartass. You try to seem important by bashing a great movie.
Shut up. It was a great movie, they obviously said it was about the soldier not the war smartass. You try to seem important by bashing a great movie.
This is an excellent piece and I’m happy to see this issue being addressed here. Thank you.
And to add a little insult to injury they bring it to screen during the Christian holidays. Just where do they think these things up? I’m guessing they will beheading for Easter.
I’ve seen the trailer. It might be a good move, but the impression I got was that the audience is supposed to sympathize with this poor guy who agrees to shoot women and children, to save the lives of his fellow invading soldiers. Apparently he was good at it and would have killed more if he could, but it took an emotional toll.
Myself, like many people around the world I expect, who enjoy watching American films, I find it curious how Eastwood can look at what the American army did to Iraqis, totally destroying their infrastructure, killing hundreds of thousands of children, torturing prisoners, , making millions of refugees, leaving behind a battleground for al Qaeda and ISIS and decide that the story they want to tell is about the psychological toll the war had on a patriot who only wished he could have killed more people.
But perhaps I got the wrong impression from the trailer.
There are some good American war films, and ones like MASH, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, gave you the sense that Americans understood that war is the worst of all outcomes. Now, I find it hard to stomach American war movies. I guess the sniper in the Eastwood film is supposed to represent American society, lobbing death at others from a distance, sending in drones from afar, and yet finding themselves unable to escape what war does to the invader as well as the invaded. Or maybe the Clint film just shows how cool it is to be able to pick people off from a distance? Like the helicopter pilots said in the Wikileaks’ Collateral Murder video:
“who brings children to a war zone?”.
Re: JLocke – 08 Jan 2015 at 1:57 pm
You just made my day!!!!
And thanks to Peter Maass for a thought provoking article, and for taking time to join the fray.
And to Vivek Jain for some truly thoughtful contributions!!
“Work is love made visible.” KG
As Usual,
EA
You need to take Peters cock out of your mouth.
Nail. Head.
You people are very Callous and Shallow.
God gave everyone Free Will and Intellect.
You seem very well informed with the facts you have presented about the Iraq war. I’m guessing you must know something more than the people who spent a number of years of their life serving in Iraq. The truth doesn’t make for a good bitching session I guess.
I think you’re right to question this. The film is about the emotional toll of war. Because nobody wins. Even the winners, the legends can survive snipers and bombs, but who was it that killed him in the end? Was it a”savage” as he called the Iraqi people? Nope. it was a fellow U.S war veteran. The film is a criticism of the character and the war, even if the don’t say it.
To criticize this film will undoubtedly be considered unpatriotic. American Exceptionalism does not tolerate criticism.
Since most Americans approve of torture and consider themselves to be Patriotic, this joke should be well received:
Prisoner is getting a rectal feeding. Patriot asks if he would like some
coffee. Prisoner nods yes. Funnel up the ass, the coffee is poured in
and the prisoner screams.
Patriot asks if the coffee is too hot.
Prisoner screams, NO! TOO SWEET! TOO SWEET!
Go watch the movie called Unforgiven!!!!! What a bunch of hypocrits? You people are so blinded about the terrorism going on in the world. Too bad there is not a draft; so you CS would run for the hills but you can play heroes in movies. I hope someday the terrorists will be coming and knocking at your doors. You misfits of dopers, sex perverts, and love thy neighbor mentality which I hope you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This is my favorite comment! And btw I’ve reported from a number of warzones, many of them without hills to run to ;)
Yes, it’s choice. Blastof is no doubt a John Wayne fan, worshiping his heroism playing the parts of Marines (who, unlike Wayne, actually got shot at during WW2 while he stayed in Hollywood. Eastwood, too, managed to avoid serving, although like Wayne he was live and healthy enough to make action movies while hundreds of thousands of us were being drafted for Vietnam. But I do agree with blastof that the draft should be restored, so that the children of all the flag wavers will have to fight in the wars their daddies so want.
Yes sir. All boys need to turn into men someday. In Italy everyone (men) goes into the military at 18 it’s the law.
Hey, 24b4Jeff, if you actually did serve, and you still don’t understand patriotism. Should we continue to withdraw the way our govt is currently? Hey, sort of like the French, and see what happened there. In fact, yeah, let’s just all withdraw, hide in our homes, never help anyone ever again, and wait while the terrorists takeover. Sounds like a plan. Or, we can honor those who voluntarily, most of them the children of the flag waivers and those who refuse to take God out of the Pledge and everything else, and just say thank you!
Not all of us pay into the fundamentalist Nationalism that your feeble mind practices. I think the reason history is ignored is because there much information to soak in, and too much critical thinking to be done. I think many, like yourself, f lack the understanding of suffering and the desperation caused by decades of empirical rule. When you say I think we should have a draft, it’s just your pathetic attempt at wanting everyone as willfully ignorant as yourself.
How could you defend a country batted on freedom, based on justice and wish that people would get attacked by terrorists for disagreeing with you’re views? What kind of person wishes death on people in a comment board?
Just what a good American wants for their fellow citizens: terrorists to be at the doors of fellow Americans to kill their families because they deserve it for thinking the way they do. So let me get this, when you fight for this country there are only certain people you’re willing to defend? Wow, what a patriot, a real patriot!
This is beautifully written, start to finish Peter. When one knows how much anger Clint Eastwood had toward Obama its not a far leap to expect an agenda or point of view pointed away from the true history of what happened in Iraq via this film he directed(taking into consideration the screenplay). I too, have such a let down as an avid film goer, the way Hollywood reviewers ignore history and applaud the ticket sales and reaction. I think its a responsibility to show, like you mention, the fact Iraqi forces fought along side us and their families died in that war, that America seems to continue to find glory in. There is no righteous view to war and the more Hollywood tries to make a partial fantasy of it, is actually wrong. The critics need to address this, for the future of film and of political truth. Again thank you for a well written piece..
Is there a scene where the sniper argues with and then shoots an empty chair?
U idiot,twice.This goes to savagechair.
Thanks, I truly appreciate it.
You are an idiot
Everyone in the Middle East is all screwed up and that would be why you have so many terrorist groups there like Isis and the Taliban and the same why they live in the Stone Age still.