left wing movies

[billc]

I would have to say yes, movies about the military today are majority left wing. Can you name a recent, say last 20 years, movie focusing on the military that didn't show them as rapists, nutjobs, and murderers? I can think of Black Hawk Down and going back The Green Berets. Vietnam is the special case, even in the Lundgren and Van Damme movie, Lundgren plays a psycho before he is returned from the dead. Are there any movies about fighting islamic terrorists that show american soldiers in a positive light? I can think of one, Dear John. I saw this movie base on the review at Bighollywood that it actually showed a soldier, a special forces soldier no less, in a positive light, who loved his country and fought for the country because of a sense of duty and commitment.

 

[billc]

1--JFK

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2011/01/21/top-25-left-wing-films-1-jfk-1991/

 

[billc]

I have to say on further thought about the portrayal of the military in movies, Jerry Bruckheimer does a pretty good job in his movies. From the "Rock" to "Pirates of the Carribean" and even in "The Transformers," the military is portrayed as noble, self-sacrificing and decent. Bruckheimer also Produced "Black Hawk Down." At least I think he did. Even in the Rock, where the bad guys were ex-military special forces, they were in a way portrayed as noble, especially in the Ed Harris character and his aide. Even Sean Connery played a member of the S.A.S. and portrayed nobility, and decency.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

Bill, you can take this idea too far.

Sometimes a movie is just a movie. Entertainment.

I mean, come on. Universal Soldiers being left-wing or right wing.

 

[billc]

It is more how the average artist views the military. Look at the recent movie Avatar and how it portrayed the military. Look at any of the films showing our troops vs. islamic terrorism. Outside of Jerry Bruckheimer can you name a hollywood movie that shows the american military in a positive light or our soldiers as anything other than victims, drug users, crazies, or rapists or murderers in uniform? Lions for lambs, redacted, in the valley of elah, any number of films about the current war effort are all negative in how they show our people. Sure, there are bad guys in the service, there are people with problems, but just about every movie? 5-0, can you name a positive movie about our soldiers. Even forrest gump had the lead character Gump and then Captain Dan, a wounded and disgruntled vet. Universal Soldiers, in the character of Lundgren follows the stereotype of the crazy vietnam vet. Have you seen that before? How about every movie since the green berets. a lot of conservatives will point to the movie "taking Chance" as a positive movie about our soldiers, however, when Kevin bacon is on the plane, he is reading a magazine critical of the war effort, and the movie is more about Chance's death and how sad it is, which is accurate, but on top of every other hollywood movie not much of a change.

Matt Damons green zone.

Most people watch movies without worrying about an overall effect. But once you see the pattern, you start to realize not a plot or a plan, but a general attitude coming from the hollywood artistic community. That's all.

 

[granfire]

Bill, you can take this idea too far.

Sometimes a movie is just a movie. Entertainment.

I mean, come on. Universal Soldiers being left-wing or right wing.

Sadly, he does not get sarcasm much

 

[elder999]

I would have to say yes, movies about the military today are majority left wing. Can you name a recent, say last 20 years, movie focusing on the military that didn't show them as rapists, nutjobs, and murderers?.

Saving Private Ryan(1998),Band of Brothers(2001), Flags of Our Fathers(2006), Letters From Iwo(2006), Three Kings (1999), Jarhead(2005), Crimson Tide(1995), Gunner Palace(2005), Restrepo(2010), We Were Soldiers(2002), The Thin Red Line(1998), The Great Raid (2005), The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989), Windtalkers (2002), Ears Open, Eyeballs Click, (2004), Generation Kill (2008), Taking CHance (2009),.....

Some of those are documentaries (Restrepo was shot with phones in Afghanistan, and is a must see!) but most are not-I didn't include comedies like Major Payne, avoided the legal procedurals like A Few Good Men, and Rules of Engagement, and, frankly, just got tired of looking...I mean, nearly 20 over the last 20 years, and all...

 

[CanuckMA]

Now now Elder. Don't you go trying to destroy his fantasy that the evil left, those kitten-eaing socialists, is taking over the world.

 

[elder999]

Now now Elder. Don't you go trying to destroy his fantasy that the evil left, those kitten-eaing socialists, is taking over the world.

Kittens......mmmmm. Little four legged fuzzballs of deliciousness.

If kitten eating is a sign of socialism, color me RED. :lfao:

 

[billc]

Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, were about the war everyone likes, for now, WW2 and remember the scene where our guys were about to kill the german prisoner and were only stopped by Tom Hanks. Band of Brothers, a good pick, again, WW2 the last good war, for now, But Tom Hanks went on to do the Pacific where he then went on to say to the world press that we fought the Japanese simply because they were different and implied that it was like what we are doing now.

We Were Soldiers, good pick. It did portray our guys in a good light. Mel Gibson was involved in that one so that was the reason for that.

Crimson tide, a racist sub commander is all set to launch missles because he is too stubborn to listen to reason. A miss.
Letters from Iwo Jima, and Flags of our fathers, didn't see, although humanizing the Japanese at Iwo Jima, was one criticism I read about pertaining to the film. Also, Both films were by Clint East wood, a libertarian if not conservative guy, much like mel gibson.

Great Raid, another film made by a conservative. A good film that portrayed our guys in a good way.

A few good men, portrays marines as brutal, ignorant, and religous zealots? Not a good pick for your point.
Rules of engagement, another one that shows a moral equivalence between our guys and the killers in vietnam, but at least it did show the people with guns in the crowd at the end.

Three Kings, a boring, bad movie that once again showed america in a bad light, as well as showing our guys in a less than flattering way.

Wind Talkers, showed a policy of shooting the wind talkers that military historians claim did not exist. Only saw parts of this movie.

Taking Chance, a nice movie, but as I pointed out on the plane, anti-war cover, and the story is about the death of a soldier in the war. Soldier as victim, as I have pointed out in the past.

Jar head, didn't see it, got bad reviews, some reviews pointed out a poor portrayel of our guys in the first gulf wa

Fire Base Gloria, I think R. Lee Ermie may have been in it, haven't seen it. About vietnam isn't it. If I see it I'll let you know.

Gunner Palace, Eyeballs, did not see them.

Thin Red Line, also portrayal of the commamder by Nick Nolte was less than flattering, overall a boring movie. Not a good example for your side. I see it as an Artists interpretation of the battle for Guadlacanal.
More later.

How about all those uplifting movies about the war against islamic terrorism.

 

[granfire]

although humanizing the Japanese at Iwo Jima, was one criticism I read about pertaining to the film.

holy ****, recognizing that 'we' fought against other human beings, what utter disgrace, right.

 

[Tez3]

Bill doesn't want films, he wants right wing propaganda. I imagine he wants an American Leni Riefenstahl to make a film about the troops.

 

[granfire]

Bill doesn't want films, he wants right wing propaganda. I imagine he wants an American Leni Riefenstahl to make a film about the troops.

But she was a communist Nazi wench...

 

[Tez3]

But she was a communist Nazi wench...

Yep, a right wing nut in other words!

People don't want to see films about perfect people, in dramatic terms they are boring, authors, playwrights then screenwriters have also been drawn to writing about the flawed personalities, so much more interesting than the 'normal'. Check all the great literature and you will find the subject is the flawed characters.

I haven't seen Crimson Tide but taking it from Bill's description, the film he would have wanted would have been the good commander commanding his crew, end of film, there's no drama there!

This witch hunt of 'leftist' films smacks of there wanting to be censorship and propaganda baised towards the right. The talk of having 'sides' is likewise worrying, it harks back to the type of totalitarian country that so many of our soldiers died to get rid of. American is a country that believes in freedom of thought, of action and of political belief, people like Bill would have you abandon this creed and have the country tied up like a right wing South American dictatorship, complain and he will brand you anti American, if his ilk get their way you will not only be branded but locked up. Since it's birth America has stood for freedom, here you see the insidious wearing away of personal freedoms, ie these films should be banned because they don't show the troops in a good light, what comes next? You can figure it out.

 

[billc]

Well, for one thing, I don't believe in censorship, or keeping anyone from making any kind of movie they want. I personally have liked quite a few of the above movies, but I am pointing out that in hollywood, if the director is from the left, the military is going to be portrayed poorly.

Communists and Nazis are different and competing types of socialist.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Mel Gibson and Clint eastwood tend to portray soldiers, from foriegn countries as well in a more positive light. The film makers on the left show them in a less positive light.

It doesn't even have to be a movie about soldiers, they manage to fit in the bad stereotype of soldiers in non-military films. In American Beauty, the killer is a homophobic, brutally abusive marine. In the HBO series, True Blood, the cook, a character not actually in the books, is a psychologically damaged Iraq war vet. Since it is no longer popular to target vietnam vets as the deranged nut, they have started moving into the area of Iraq war vets. Toby Macguires recent movie with Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhall is along those lines.

The Japanese were brutal and treated P.O.W.'s as well as civillians in occupied countries as bad if not worse than the Germans and the Russians. The Rape of Nanking, their special medical units, the beheading contests, the torture and murder of captured soldiers and civillians is what I refer to with Clint eastwood trying to humanize the japanese soldiers. The things they did were policy, not rare events. I remember one text that talked about Japanese soldiers forcing marines to bury their comrades alive. So please, I know that their is a revision of the Pacific war about to take place, but until then, let's realize that the Japanese atrocities have yet to be fully addressed. In fact a couple of movies are coming out about Nanking or the other cities occupied by the japanese.

 

[billc]

Actually, they could have made Crimson Tide a better movie if they hadn't thrown in the nuttiness of Gene Hackman and then at the moment of greatest tension, they throw out that he is a racist as well. The plot concerns the need to launch or not launch their nuclear missles. During an engagement with another attack sub, they loose communication with their chain of command, the last order being to launch. Denzel Washington wants to get closer to the surface to use another antanae to try to confirm the launch order. Gene Hackman wants to follow procedure, and since they are cut off, they are required to follow their last order.

That is the plot of a good movie. And then they make Gene Hackman a nut, and then they throw in that he is also a racist. Unecassary for the overall plot, and it diminished the quality of the movie.

Here are some others, Sean Penn, and Michael J. Fox, Casualties of War, their squad, on the way out on a patrol, kidnaps a vietnemese girl so that while they are hanging out in the jungle, waiting to ambush the enemy, they can rape her and then kill her.

Redacted, same idea.

Once again, for those just joining us, I am 100 percent against any kind of censorship. I am a conservative who believes in the bill of rights and the constitution. I believe in the first ammendment protecting freedom of speech. I also believe that, as a movie goer, I have a right to complain about the movie experience. I am a paying customer, so I have a say in what I pay to see. That's all. I have simply pointed out that American soldiers get a bad deal from the left wing in this country, especially in movies, in particular in recent movies.

 

[Tez3]

Well, for one thing, I don't believe in censorship, or keeping anyone from making any kind of movie they want. I personally have liked quite a few of the above movies, but I am pointing out that in hollywood, if the director is from the left, the military is going to be portrayed poorly.

Communists and Nazis are different and competing types of socialist.

Jerry Bruckheimer, Mel Gibson and Clint eastwood tend to portray soldiers, from foriegn countries as well in a more positive light. The film makers on the left show them in a less positive light.

It doesn't even have to be a movie about soldiers, they manage to fit in the bad stereotype of soldiers in non-military films. In American Beauty, the killer is a homophobic, brutally abusive marine. In the HBO series, True Blood, the cook, a character not actually in the books, is a psychologically damaged Iraq war vet. Since it is no longer popular to target vietnam vets as the deranged nut, they have started moving into the area of Iraq war vets. Toby Macguires recent movie with Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhall is along those lines.

The Japanese were brutal and treated P.O.W.'s as well as civillians in occupied countries as bad if not worse than the Germans and the Russians. The Rape of Nanking, their special medical units, the beheading contests, the torture and murder of captured soldiers and civillians is what I refer to with Clint eastwood trying to humanize the japanese soldiers. The things they did were policy, not rare events. I remember one text that talked about Japanese soldiers forcing marines to bury their comrades alive. So please, I know that their is a revision of the Pacific war about to take place, but until then, let's realize that the Japanese atrocities have yet to be fully addressed. In fact a couple of movies are coming out about Nanking or the other cities occupied by the japanese.

Well actually it's a matter of well recorded history, haven't you caught up with it yet? There are a great many television documentaries, books and articles by historians as well as articles, books etc by the victims. Do you know what the connection between the schoolgirls of St.Trinians and the Japanese is? The Japanese way of making war is a very well documented subject.
Incidentally the lower ranked Japanese soldiers weren't treated any better than their prisoners.
Do you honestly think you are instructing us, that we are ignorant of world history? That we aren't taught these things in schools?

 

[Blade96]

and bill some soldiers dont help matters since they act like douchenozzles themselves

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

Thats just one american example. Soldiers from many different countries act like this at times. It doesnt help.

Some movies over the decades have attempted to humanize the military. The Enemy Below is such a movie. showing that the americans and the germans were really just scared people many of whom didnt even like their job their governments gave em in WW2.

I think if some soldiers didnt act like douchenozzles , maybe people will see the military in a better light.

I wouldnt mind in the least movies showing the good side of the military, as many movies show as well.

 

[billc]

I know Blade96, there are all types of people in the military, and war gives the bad ones opportunities to do really bad things. My point is, we have a current war on our hands and almost all of the films set in this war show the american soldiers as crazy, criminal or victims. I extended the search out and asked for some ideas about movies that may show the U.S. in a positive light and some have shown up, while some are a little dubious.
I don't think that all movies about the military have to be positive, but movie after movie showing the American soldier as crazy, criminal or a victim is something I noticed.

Another one The General's Daughter, The plot: a generals daughter is found dead, naked and staked to the ground at a military fort. The general is up for a big promotion and John Travolta is tasked with finding the killer. The plot point meant to throw off the viewer to who the real killer is, is that when she was at the Premier American Military academy, West Point, ( Go Army) she is raped by 4 or 5 senior cadets, left naked and staked to the ground. Her father tells her to deal with it because he doesn't want to embarass the military and he doesn't want it to effect his career. Not another example of good soldiering.

Granfires sarcastic point about Universal soldiers unwittingly helped to show my point. Dolph Lundgren is committing war crimes in vietnam in the movie. This is a B-level science fiction movie and they still throw in the crazy, criminal vietnam war vet.

Another one, Cadillac man, now this one I would have to check on. The Tim Robbins character I believe is some sort of vet. He goes into a car dealership with an assault rifle and explosives to kill the guy he thinks is sleeping with his wife. Remember, this is a comedy about a shady car salesman, and Tim Robbins is a vet. Once again, I would have to check to be sure.

 

[CanuckMA]

The cook in True Blood??? You have got to be ******** me!!!!

What is so wrong about seeing a character that served his country and came back mentally scarred from the horrors of war? Because that never happens right?

Crimson Tide, I don't want to watch 2 hours of a sub commander and his XO debating the finer points of whether they should try to confirm or not. The characters were written to have tension, motivation.