Apparently our enemies aren't evil enough, according to one man, who presumably parrots what he hears in his social circle.
But the film people know why:
The wave of recent films set against the backdrop of war in Iraq and post-9/11 security has failed to win over film-goers keen to escape grim news headlines when they go to the movies, analysts say.
Well, the headlines aren't quite so grim anymore.
But more to the point, perhaps this analysis reveals a whole lot about the differences between our Hollywood culture and our national culture.
Hollywood sees grim headlines about violent death in Iraq (and there have been many in the last 4-1/2 years) and blames the violence on American troops.
Our public perhaps understands better that our enemies are the ones who either deliberately kill civilians in gruesome fashions or fight amongst civilians. That is, the enemy is to blame for the violence. Should we lose in Iraq, the enemy would continue killing innocents. When we win, innocents in Iraq will not be killed.
Or perhaps our Hollywood elites understand our campaign finance laws pretty darned well. Maybe making films that portray America or American troops as evil are just a giant in-kind contribution to convincing the rubes not to voter for people who admire American military personnel. We may be missing the point when we chortle over their box office flops.
UPDATE: If a filmmaker wants a good movie on the Iraq War, I suggest the epic defense of Objective Curly in April 2003 (from the June 6th entry):
The desperate fighting to secure the supply line of 3rd ID as it drove into Baghdad to end the war was touch and go. (See "Baghdad: The Crossroads" in the June Army) Outnumbered and in danger of running out of fuel and ammo themselves, the troops defending Objective Curly fought a Roarke's Drift-like battle without the benefit of field fortifications. Their long stand and ultimate victory despite being surrounded and outnumbered by fanatical attackers who tried small arms, RPGs, and even car bombs to win is a rebuke to those who said (once the war was won—before they said we'd face a bloodbath) that of course we would win, defeating Iraq was beneath us.
TF 3-15’s job was to secure the avenue of attack and main line of communication from the south along Highway 8, by holding three key intersections -- Objectives Moe, Larry and Curly. The most southern, Curly, was considered the least defended and dangerous of the three, so it was given to TF 3-15 headquarters elements augmented by one mechanized platoon from Company B, 3-15 Infantry. Company B, 4-64 Armor was given Objective Larry, and Company A, 3-15 Infantry was given Objective Moe. (The remainder of Company B, 3-15 Infantry, had the initial mission to secure the 2nd BCT’s rear that day, but another of its platoons would reinforce Objective Curly when the outcome teetered in the balance.)
Lt. Col. Stephen Twitty, the TF 3-15 commander, in a radio call to all elements as they lined up on the highway said, "They know we’re coming. We’ve been probing, clearing mines, and we just shot MLRS (multiple-launch rocket system) rockets. They definitely know we’re coming." They did. Throughout that day, TF 3-15 would be engaged in some of the most intense close-combat fighting of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
That would make a fine movie.
