Hollywood opts for Serbian bad guys

The Times ^ | July 24, 2004 | Wendy Ide

[MadIvan]

HOLLYWOOD’S choice of bad guy can say a lot about the state of the world at any particular time. So it is interesting to note that the generic Eastern European gangster, and more specifically the Serbian War Criminal, has received a massive boost in popularity as the action movie villain du jour.

Serbian baddies turn up in Matthew Vaughn’s forthcoming drug-dealing underworld drama Layer Cake; Serbian war criminals take their place at the bargaining table (alongside Hollywood’s evil stalwarts, the Asian despot and the dour German) to bid for the ultimate super weapon in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life.

Serbian war criminals also take over an hotel full of extreme sports enthusiasts in Extreme Ops. And, in XXX, Vin Diesel battles an Eastern European nihilist gangster called Yorgi.

The evil Serb has ousted Hollywood favourite baddies “the crazed Arab” and “the ruthless Russian Mafioso”. However, the fact that Serbian villains turn up so regularly in American films does not indicate that the influx of gangsters from Eastern Europe is perceived as a real threat by the cinema-going public. Quite the opposite.

Pre-9/11, Arab terrorists turned up regularly as baddies intent on destroying the world. That’s a bit too close for comfort to pass as entertainment now. So, when golden all-American boy Owen Wilson finds himself in dangerous territory in Behind Enemy Lines, he is pursued by Serbs in Bosnia rather than Taleban in Afghanistan.

So far as most movie fans are aware, Eastern European gangsters are only really a threat if you muscle in on their drug cartel.

The ideal Hollywood villain is one who does not remind the audience of anything that they come to the cinema to forget, such as the threat of a terrorist attack.

[A. Pole]

Intersting isn't it that it's the Hollywood leftists who hate the Serbs so much.

I think it is Wilsonian totalitarian type liberals who hate Serbs for their courage and independence. Same is with Dole type Republicans.

[Long Cut]

"The ideal Hollywood villain is one who does not remind the audience of anything that they come to the cinema to forget, such as the threat of a terrorist attack."

Must be why all those WWII movies tanked so badly back then, and likewise things like "The Green Berets" (still a popular movie), the "Rambo" series, "Red Dawn", etc...

Yep, they all made NO money at all. Oh, wait, it was the CRITICS and the ELITES that hated those...regular AMERICANS loved them.

This writer is blaringly stupid. The American people, throughout the history of film, have LOVED, and made extremely profitable, movies in which we take on and defeat realistic enemies. This is nothing more than an excuse for the sad political correctness which to date has prevented the production of even ONE motion picture, either realistic or fictional, dealing with the Terror War.

For the Elites, it has had a side benefit as well...it enabled them to get Americans to slowly slip back to sleep.

[Dan from Michigan]

One reason I like the movie Iron Eagle....that one wasn't politically correct.

Not to mention it takes a shot at Jimmy Carter..."Mr. Peanut"

[Dan from Michigan]

Does anything in the US change? Ever?

That's not the US. That's Hollywood. They hate middle America most of all.

[Long Cut]

Note that "Iron Eagle", its sequels, and virtually ALL of Chuck Norris' movies of the 80's were made by Cannon Films, which was oned by the team of Golan and Globus...Israelis.

Sad, isn't it? Israelis made more patriotic films than American companies did back then. Critics savaged them for it, too.

[McGavin999]

Same is with Dole type Republicans.

I've never been able to figure that one out. It makes no sense to me at all.

[judywillow]

Want to really stick it to Hollywood?

Go to Best Buys and spend the $60 for the entire 4 DVD Victory at Sea series and then, any time you or family or friends ever get the urge to watch a movie for the next five years, watch part of that instead. That thing is so far above anything Hollywood has ever produced or has ever been shown on American television it isn't even close.

[ThreePuttinDude]

It is truly amazing how Kosovo was spun to make it out as the Serbs were the bad guys. Hell, they were only trying to keep what was/is theirs. How the Clintons could back the in Albanians is beyond me.

I too, am an Honorary Serb, from the North Side of Chicago, pleased to meet you.

[Long Cut]

"They hate middle America most of all."

Strange when you consider that that's where their best, most longterm reliable money comes from. Films embraced by Middle America tend to not only score at the box office (they do well, possibly not at blockbuster level, but WELL), they also enjoy long runs(with residuals) on cable TV and consistent video and DVD sales.

A few examples are:

ANY John Wayne movie;

Chuck Norris' movies;

Red Dawn;

Smokey And The Bandit;

James Stewart's films;

The Longest Day;

Midway;

Tora, Tora, Tora!;

The list could go on and on. All of these films have two things in common...they were critically savaged whilst being embraced by Middle America as classics, and they all made huge profits, and continue to do so.

[nopardons]

Gee.....during WW II,Hollywood villains were Japanese and Nazis;even in cartoons and comedies.

Why wasn't that "too close to real life" back then?

Today's Hollywood film makers are just too PC for "OUR" own good.

[nopardons]

And it wasn't just MGM! The Three Stooges made movies shorts,where the villains were Nazis,Looney Tunes mad cartoons where the villains were Japanese and Germans,and just about EVERY studio made patriotic/anti-Nazi/anti-Japanese films.

[pepsi_junkie]

I remember reading an article about 15 years or more ago on the phenomenon of the "vanilla terrorist" in movies. Bottom line, terrorists must be someone whom nobody is offended in seeing portrayed as evil. White males are perfect for this, in Hollywood's view. This article states that this a new phenomenon and replaces the "crazed arab" as the favored bad guy. Who can name three movies in the past 10 years with a crazed arab baddie?

Hollywood's real favorite is the eeeevil rogue military man. I can easily name three of those! Die Hard 2, The Rock, Broken Arrow. join the fun!

[Long Cut]

I have read in numerous sources that immediately following 9-11 and the beginning of our counterattack, various Muslim groups, primarily CAIR, brought enourmous pressure on Hollywood to eschew any portrayals of Muslims or Arabs as "The Enemy". Hollywood typically caved, and without the only villains available to make a war movie seem realistic, had nothing to make. Besides, it might have made Americans keep up the enthusiasm for the war and the military, and to make military heroes into the REAL stars of the decade. Obviously, they could not allow this.

If I were the owner of a motion picture studio, I'd have cleaned up by now. The day after 9-11, I'd have called the President (assuming he could actually take the call) and offered the full services and cooperation of my studio in the war effort...everything from training films with my stars to even propaganda would be his for the asking. So would camerapersons and equipment for disinformation and intelligence operations.

I'd then call a meeting of my directors and writers, and cancel most ongoing projects that had not yet begun full production, and detail them to the production of war-related movies. I'd set some to work on ground-forces type flicks, some on Naval stuff, and some to Air Force stories. Some I'd put to cautionary tales about the "Enemy Within", showing civilians foiling Terr activities through vigilance and strength at home.

Any star, director, or writer who had a problem with that focus would be escorted out on his/her ear. I'd hire their replacements directly out of film school and acting class if necessary.

Think I'd make a buck or two in the long run?

[Long Cut]

The last movie featuring crazed Arab terrorists was "True Lies", starring (who else?) Arnold Schwarzenegger. He and his producer were excoriated for it, too.

It made, however, a truckload of $$$.

"I remember reading an article about 15 years or more ago on the phenomenon of the "vanilla terrorist" in movies."

The phenomenon is widely discussed on movie-fan websites. It goes back to the early '90s, and affects ALL mediums' villains. Note that nowadays, even all street gangs are portrayed as "multiracial".

[nopardons]

You would have made BILLIONS and that's after expenses!

During WW I and WW II,I know for a fact,that the president/government asked Hollywood to help them with training films and making films to support the troops/uplift the nation.I can rattle off a bunch of film titles as proof.:-)

[Long Cut]

" Hollywood's real favorite is the eeeevil rogue military man."

Yep. They also have a penchant for the Evil Rich Capitalist CEO and the Redneck Racist Pig, to name a few. Of course, they have never given up the Nazi or Neo-Nazi, or the Militia Nuts, either. Sometimes, they combine all of the above.

[McGavin999]

True, and isn't it funny that we're still watching those films today? I'd much rather see a movie that was made in the 40's and 50's than any of the garbage that is out there today. I can watch a movie that I've seen a dozen times and still enjoy it.

[Long Cut]

Oh, that's historical fact. Some directors like John Ford volunteered their services in the effort. Let's not forget the actors who enlisted directly in the service, either.

Fact is, Hollywood moguls of the time had a much closer understanding of the American people as a whole. Most had actually BEEN poor in their early lives, and had worked their way up. They knew where the money was, and they were, after all, Americans. They knew that those whose husbands, brothers, fathers, friends, etc. who were going off to fight would WANT to see them portrayed as kicking the crap out of the "japs" and "krauts", and doing so in a typically American gallant fashion.

However, times now, and the entire industry, is so different that such a massive show of support would be impossible even if the studio owners wanted to do it.

[nopardons]

I'd much rather watch an old movie(I like silents and the movies from the '30s,'40s,'50s,and some '60s movies even)than ANYTHING made today and I do!

We don't go to the movies and have more or less NOT gone to the movies since 1984.I can count on the fingers of one hand,the movies I've seen in a theatre,since that date and most of those have been made in England.

Conservatives need to boycott with enthusiasm and not put money into the pockets of people who hate us!