Hollywood takes on Iraq as public opinion shifts

M & C Movies ^ | 3/24/06 | Andy Goldberg

[Darkwolf377]

Three more movies I have zero interest in seeing. No loss.

[Rastus]

With support for George W Bush's war in Iraq at an all time low, some of the biggest names in Hollywood are working on movies that are likely to increase criticism even further.

Yeah, right. Likely to preach to the choir and drive ticket sales even lower.

[soloNYer]

I'm gonna save money on popcorn. I have a feeling these movies won't do as well as they hope.

[impatient]

i.e. with the perception that the war is unpopular, the perception shall be pushed that the war is unpopular

[ExcursionGuy84]

...a movie that challenges the war is a demographically sound idea.

Somebody's been hitting the weed planter a little too early, I perceive.

[Williams]

Criticism of what? That we shouldn't leave the Iraqis to the terrorists? Leftists are very sick, immoral people, and they cause the deaths of untold innocents.

[Dr. Frank fan]

With support for George W Bush's war in Iraq at an all time low,

I had to stop here. What pray tell is "George W Bush's war in Iraq"? First of all (most importantly), such a war is America's war, not "George W Bush's". But besides that, what "war in Iraq" is there taking place at the moment which needs peoples's "support"? Are they talking about the one that commenced in 2003 and concluded within 3 weeks as Baghdad was taken? But that war is over. Why do people speak about it in the present tense?

Oh I see, he's talking about the occupation/counterinsurgency in defense of Iraq's new democratic government - that's what he means by "George W Bush's war in Iraq". So weird.

If "support" for the occupation/counterinsurgency is really falling, I'd bet that one reason for that is that media people still insist on (inaccurately) calling it "the war in Iraq" so as to generate maximal fatigue with it....

[jmc1969]

Hollywood hates America and clearly wants us to lose. But, the good news is these movies are all a year away. Iraq will look and feel very different a year from now after we have a unified government and 100,000 more Iraqi troops and police on the streets.

[M1911A1]

"Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, says this willingness of Hollywood to make movies about an ongoing war is unprecedented."

Bullfeathers. Hollywood cranked out many patriotic films during WWII. Robert Thompson is either a bad with facts, considers popular culture to have begun during the Vietnam era or both.

[FoxInSocks]

Robert Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, says this willingness of Hollywood to make movies about an ongoing war is unprecedented.

Oh, puh-leeeeeeze. Look at all the films that came out during World War II. Perhaps the writer of this article meant there's a big difference in the anti-American attitudes of wartime Hollywood this time around.

I just Googled up Hollywood's WWII Guide: World War II Combat Movies:

"Ninety million Americans went to the movies every week during World War II. The shows began with a newsreel. The audience saw Hitler dancing a jig or Pearl Harbor engulfed in flames or Roosevelt meeting with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. A cartoon followed, perhaps Bugs Bunny "Nipping the Nips." Then came the main attraction, with Errol Flynn spitting grenade pins out of his mouth or John Wayne using a bulldozer to push an enemy tank off a cliff."

<snip>

"Much more than mere entertainment, the combat films of World War II were veritable civic lessons that taught Americans winning the war required the country to live up to its democratic values."

[300winmag]

'That has certainly changed. With the president at a 36 per cent approval rating all of a sudden a movie that challenges the war is a demographically sound idea,' he said.

So big, bad, brave Progressive Hollywood has to wait for the poll numbers to be right before making such "important" movies?

[Tzimisce]

Excuse me, when has Hollywood EVER backed up the war in Iraq? These are the same people who made "Paradise Now" and "Munich".

Saying these people are turning against the war is like saying Karl Marx is turning against Capitalism.

[jmc1969]

Wait until they start making movies like Valley of the Wolves Iraq.

[Marine_Uncle]

If all goes according to plan. Those movies may be dropped, for fear no one will go to see them.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Bullfeathers. Hollywood cranked out many patriotic films during WWII. Robert Thompson is either a bad with facts, considers popular culture to have begun during the Vietnam era or both.

Yup...but a film-maker who produced a movie hoping for Germany or Japan to win would have been arrested for treason.

The useful idiots today are untouchable ......

[jmc1969]

Sadly, the ratings one the war won't be able to turn around that fast I suspect.

What will happen is that over the next year the US death rate will slow and Iraqi deaths will slow. But, not enough likely to get the presidents approval on the war back into the high 40s or low 50s a year from now.

If things go right by late 2007 I think Americans will finally figure out that we are winning in Iraq.

How long do you think it will take?

[ozzymandus]

"Respected directors"?? Ain't no such thing anymore.

[jmc1969]

I mean to say the president ratings on the war.

The problem with the current situation is all al-Qaeda has to do or Sadr has to do is kill a few people in Baghdad and it gets on the Evening News and Iraq looks bad.

[dollar_dog]

Best resource I've seen on this issue:

Celebrity Political Donation List

I'm hardpressed to find anyone missing.