I also wrote this piece, on other aspects of war-on-terrorism films:
http://brightlightsfilm.com/the-american-hubris-cycle-a-survey-of-recent-survival-narratives-and-friends-as-collateral-damage/#.Vt83b6T2Zjo
** this post contains spoilers on multiple films **
If you believe commercial films are a reliable cultural index, it didn't take long before we knew we were lied to regarding 9/11 and/or the "war on terror." The evidence: a matched-zeitgeist-pair from 2005, both of them about airplanes in trouble (but both also careful to avoid a too-soon plane crash).
In Flightplan, what seems a supernatural mystery comes down to a greedy air marshal, who explains things to star Jodie Foster: "That's what authority means, people believe what I tell them to believe." (Ouch.) In Red Eye, the title flight really is menaced by swarthy terrorists, however the main villain is a white mercenary, and the terrorists have been baited by a recklessly macho Homeland Security honcho.
Both of these made money, but of course they weren't realistic depictions of the war on terrorism. That would wait for the likes of Green Zone, with Matt Damon as a WMD expert who goes rogue to find out the truth: that we'd been badly misled about supposed WMD's, out of a lust for war in Iraq and the expected spoils. Watching the extras for Green Zone, it's clear that the principles were coached to lead with the word "thriller." That's an accurate word, but the political agenda sent audiences elsewhere. Despite a high profile, Green Zone struggled to crack $30 million in the U.S.
Most of the above paragraph can also be applied to The Hurt Locker, the winner of a Best Picture Oscar. Jeremy Renner's character also slips his leash in Baghdad, although in his case it's as much adrenaline addiction as a quest for truth. Again, high profile did not become high grosses.
Traitor is even more political than Green Zone, giving us Don Cheadle as an apparent terrorist who is actually a deep-cover agent for the U.S. As with many undercover operatives, Cheadle's character starts to sympathize with his purported comrades; at one point he charges that the main difference between the insurgents and U.S. forces is the darkness of the skin of their victims.
I found Traitor to be a deeply thoughtful and satisfying political thriller, which was a surprise given that it sank like a pebble at the box office (I'm pretty sure I learned about the film at least a year after its release). Apparently, Traitor made $22 million in the U.S., presumably doing better in urban markets thanks to Cheadle's presence. In any case, the obscurity of this worthy film underlines our deep discomfort with analysis of our current wars.
This brings me to American Sniper, the one war film that seems to have brought (most of) us together. Clint Eastwood's enthralling, moving film is experiential, carefully avoiding politics: it's a soldier's story. Some liberals complain the film ties the war in Iraq to 9/11, but they're wrong, the film makes no such connection: it portrays our soldiers as being motivated by 9/11, which is accurate. Not everyone is a deep thinker or a student of history, and some people possess both patriotism and the courage to defend their country. American Sniper invites Americans to feel some gratitude and pride for our soldiers, regardless of politics.
http://brightlightsfilm.com/the-american-hubris-cycle-a-survey-of-recent-survival-narratives-and-friends-as-collateral-damage/#.Vt83b6T2Zjo
** this post contains spoilers on multiple films **
If you believe commercial films are a reliable cultural index, it didn't take long before we knew we were lied to regarding 9/11 and/or the "war on terror." The evidence: a matched-zeitgeist-pair from 2005, both of them about airplanes in trouble (but both also careful to avoid a too-soon plane crash).
In Flightplan, what seems a supernatural mystery comes down to a greedy air marshal, who explains things to star Jodie Foster: "That's what authority means, people believe what I tell them to believe." (Ouch.) In Red Eye, the title flight really is menaced by swarthy terrorists, however the main villain is a white mercenary, and the terrorists have been baited by a recklessly macho Homeland Security honcho.
Both of these made money, but of course they weren't realistic depictions of the war on terrorism. That would wait for the likes of Green Zone, with Matt Damon as a WMD expert who goes rogue to find out the truth: that we'd been badly misled about supposed WMD's, out of a lust for war in Iraq and the expected spoils. Watching the extras for Green Zone, it's clear that the principles were coached to lead with the word "thriller." That's an accurate word, but the political agenda sent audiences elsewhere. Despite a high profile, Green Zone struggled to crack $30 million in the U.S.
Most of the above paragraph can also be applied to The Hurt Locker, the winner of a Best Picture Oscar. Jeremy Renner's character also slips his leash in Baghdad, although in his case it's as much adrenaline addiction as a quest for truth. Again, high profile did not become high grosses.
Traitor is even more political than Green Zone, giving us Don Cheadle as an apparent terrorist who is actually a deep-cover agent for the U.S. As with many undercover operatives, Cheadle's character starts to sympathize with his purported comrades; at one point he charges that the main difference between the insurgents and U.S. forces is the darkness of the skin of their victims.
I found Traitor to be a deeply thoughtful and satisfying political thriller, which was a surprise given that it sank like a pebble at the box office (I'm pretty sure I learned about the film at least a year after its release). Apparently, Traitor made $22 million in the U.S., presumably doing better in urban markets thanks to Cheadle's presence. In any case, the obscurity of this worthy film underlines our deep discomfort with analysis of our current wars.
This brings me to American Sniper, the one war film that seems to have brought (most of) us together. Clint Eastwood's enthralling, moving film is experiential, carefully avoiding politics: it's a soldier's story. Some liberals complain the film ties the war in Iraq to 9/11, but they're wrong, the film makes no such connection: it portrays our soldiers as being motivated by 9/11, which is accurate. Not everyone is a deep thinker or a student of history, and some people possess both patriotism and the courage to defend their country. American Sniper invites Americans to feel some gratitude and pride for our soldiers, regardless of politics.