Same criticism can be leveled at Avatar.
Posted on 02/27/2010 7:55:22 AM PST by Saije
Many film critics -- and awards voters -- have praised “The Hurt Locker’s” depiction of the U.S. military in Iraq, often singling out the bomb disposal drama for its authenticity. But as the film emerges as a favorite to win the best picture Oscar, a number of active soldiers and veterans say the film is Hollywood hokum, portraying soldiers as renegades while failing to represent details about combat accurately.
The criticism, coming just before Oscar ballots are due Tuesday, highlights the delicate relationship between "The Hurt Locker" and the nation's armed forces. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the film is "authentic" and "very compelling" and has recommended it to his staff. But the government says it pulled its "Hurt Locker" production assistance at the last minute in 2007, saying that the film's makers were shooting scenes that weren't in the screenplay submitted to the Defense Department, including a sequence that the government believed portrayed troops unflatteringly. The film's producers dispute elements of the account.
Although "The Hurt Locker" has numerous supporters within the military -- including Purple Heart winner Drew Sloan, who participated in a "Hurt Locker" panel discussion in Hollywood with other veterans and the film's makers Wednesday night -- the movie's detractors share a consistent complaint about its representation of the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team as they attempt to disarm improvised explosive devices.
The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by journalist Mark Boal (who was embedded with a bomb disposal team), stars Jeremy Renner as Staff Sgt. William James. Not deterred by protocol or his own safety, James is an adrenaline-addicted bomb defuser who occasionally puts his unit at risk, and at one point takes to the streets of Baghdad on a solo personal mission.
(Excerpt) Read more at theenvelope.latimes.com ...
Same criticism can be leveled at Avatar.
But perhaps it's more even handed than some of those others.
I was in the Marine Corps, served in Iraq, and did not find THL to be very good, to be perfectly honest. I’m not one of those people who sits around watching military movies and pointing out inaccuracies, but in many spots I was just laughing at the absurdity of it all. Almost everyday I hear people talk about what a great movie it was and how “real” it was. These are nearly always people who did not serve in the military.
In my opinion, the “realest” thing ever made about the Iraq War was Generation Kill. It may even be the “realest” non-documentary ever made about the Marine Corps in general.
But to someone who hasn't been there it feels real.
‘Films’ are meant to do more than entertain.
But most people believe they are just meant to ‘entertain’.
Fiction entertains. Documentaries inform.
This one was fiction.
Here’s a “real driving scene” in Baghdad... LOL...
Humvee Traffic Driving in Baghdad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yco1deXOzN8
Moreover, this Hoosier genuinely thanks you for your sacrifice and service. My words (posted on FR), alone, cannot wholly express that gratitude.)
Generation Kill, huh? I might have to check it out.
I think I’ve seen that same guy driving in Houston.
I don’t care what character Stephen Lang plays — he rocks!
I was there for fourteen months. I enjoyed the movie. Many elements had an air of authenticity. The casual friendship between the boy, and the main character, was authentic. The problem is, the movie departs from reality way too often.
The soldiers getting drunk. In the movie it appeared that the alcohol was readily available. Not so. While some soldiers had it mailed to them, or acquired it on the black market, alcohol was a banned substance. We had soldiers buying cough syrup in mass quantities to get drunk. When caught, they were shipped to Kuwait and prosecuted, and the base exchange removed the syrup from the shelves.
Disarming the explosive devices. As a Combat Engineer, who was part of several patrols, when coming across IED’s, we simply blew them in place, or called EOD and they blew them in place. Any explosive with some sort of detonator would almost always result, in blowing that device in it’s place.
Going off base in the middle of the night. Here is where the movie goes off the deep end. While very dramatic and entertaining, upon returning to the base the main character would be arrested on sight. He would be prosecuted. He would receive a dishonorable discharge, and or jail time.
Like I said, there were moments between the soldiers, and many day to day things, that were very authentic. The Hurt Locker, in the end, is more hollywood than anything. I suggest watching Jarhead. That is closer to what it was like in Iraq.
You should have been here when my Husband and I watched "Red Tide" for the first time.
Yes, the getting drunk and soldiers treating slugging each other as hard as possible for entertainment was ridiculous.
I think the scene at the end with the iraqi “civilian” with the bomb padlocked to him was realistic and made a powerful statement about the absolute lack of any moral code in the Jihadi wing of the ROP. These people are doing the devil’s work and should be vaporized. The threat of vaporization may give the civilian population a little motivation to turn these bastards in.
The Hurt Locker is an excellent film and yes, the filmmakers do portray some of the EOD’s actions as reckless but it’s still a great movie. And a few interviews I’ve read with actual EOD people, they say those reckless elements don’t occur in their work but they know it’s just Hollywood and they like the movie, regardless.
Well if you think that the soldiers beating eachother up for fun was ridiculous then don’t read Generation Kill, which from the comments on this board say is very authentic. Didn’t see the miniseries but did read the book, in the book the Marines stab eachother for fun. Not to do any real damage just to nick the skin enough to bleed.
bookmark
Good call.
I was out in the early 90’s but all of my amigos that still wear the bird ball and hook said Generation Kill was the one.
I dont know the actual historical accuracy of it, but the word play and attitudes between the gyrenes was almost perfect.
Semper Yhut!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.