Posted on 11/09/2007 6:23:02 AM PST by pabianice
LOS ANGELES - The wave of recent films set against the backdrop of war in Iraq and post-9/11 security has failed to win over film-goers keen to escape grim news headlines when they go to the movies, analysts say.
In a break with past convention, when films based on real conflicts were made only years after the last shots were fired, several politically-charged films have gone on release while America remains embroiled in Iraq.
Almost without exception, however, the crop of movies have struggled to turn a profit at the box-office and in many cases have received a mauling from unimpressed critics as well.
"Rendition," a drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal about the CIA's policy of outsourcing interrogation of terror suspects, has taken just under 10 million dollars at the box office, a disastrous return.
Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis's latest film "In the Valley of Elah," about a father investigating the death of his son in Iraq, earned favorable reviews but less than seven million dollars following its release in September.
Even the action-packed "The Kingdom," starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, fell well below its 70 million budget with around 47 million dollars in ticket sales.
The poor returns do not augur well for more war films due for release in North America later this month, notably the Robert Redford-directed drama "Lions for Lambs" and Brian De Palma's hard-hitting "Redacted," based on the real-life rape and murder of an Iraqi schoolgirl by US soldiers.
Lew Harris, the editor of website Movies.com, said the films have struggled to be successful because the subject matters of Iraq and 9/11 remain too close to home. And in many cases, the films have not been entertaining enough.
"These movies have to be entertaining," Harris told AFP. "You can't just take a movie and make it anti-war or anti-torture and expect to draw people in.
"That's what happened with 'Rendition' and it has been a disaster," he said.
"People want war movies to have a slam-bang adventure feel to them ... But Iraq is a difficult war to portray in a kind of rah-rah-rah, exciting way.
"And it's just too close to home. The Vietnam war movies didn't start until long after the war was over.
"But here for the first time you're seeing things that you're reading about in the newspaper or seeing on television in movie theatres. I'm not sure that's something that people want. A lot of people go to the movies to escape."
According to Gitesh Pandya, an analyst with website boxofficeguru.com, cinema-goers were unenthusiastic about spending money for movies about subjects they see on television at no cost.
"I just think it's something that people are not willing to pay top dollar to see, especially when we get so much coverage at home for free," Pandya told AFP. "At the end of the day it's not content people are willing to pay for."
Pandya said the subject matter of the films also made them particularly vulnerable to poor reviews.
"Older-skewing films are affected by reviews a lot more than a movie aimed at teenagers. It's possible for a teen movie with horrible reviews to be a commercial success; but for films targeting an older audience, the reviews can make or break them," he added. "And the reviews for these films have not been great."
Veteran television producer Steven Bochco, whose 2005 television series "Over There" about a platoon of soldiers fighting in Iraq ended after just one season, said it was hard to engage audiences in a "hugely unpopular war."
"TV is fully saturated with this war and I don't know if you can do a serious drama about this war and locate any angle that would overcome the negativity about it," he told the New York daily Newsday.
Iraq films remain a difficult sell for audiences because of the swirl of confusion surrounding the rights and wrongs of the conflict, he added.
"World War II was hugely romanticized in terms of its fiction. There were unambiguous villains, and the feeling we were fighting the right people over the right issues, as opposed to this war, which many people feel is misguided. - AFP/fa
I haven’t seen “The Kingdom”. I still want to.
But a few people who did said it was good, kinda like “CSI: Saudi Arabia”.
The reason no one is going is because the “war” films being offered are all anti-american, anti-military diatribes, not films that celebrate and respect America and her military forces.
Maybe the war isn’t as “hugely” unpopular as the Left would like everyone to think it is?
Many of the films I’ve seen have an antiwar/anti GWB slant. I’m tired of it and won’t pay money to support these idiots who can’t understand that we’ve been at war since the Cole was bombed.
Amen and thank you.
I have been a movie lover since I was about 6 years old and watched old movies on my Grandparents black and white TV. I’m now in my 60’s, and still have the same criteria-I want to be entertained-not depressed or beaten over the head with a ‘message’.
Pretty straight shooting I thought.
‘”People want war movies to have a slam-bang adventure feel to them ... But Iraq is a difficult war to portray in a kind of rah-rah-rah, exciting way. ‘
He needs to read the graphic description of the ‘Reaper’ team we had posted here at Free Repubic this past week.
‘”And it’s just too close to home. The Vietnam war movies didn’t start until long after the war was over. ‘
Comparisions to Vietnam in any context remain ludicrous, especially in light of the growing success the new policy associated with the ‘surge’.
Somebody will eventually do a ‘Gibson’ and make a movie Hollywood doesn’t want made highlighting whats really happened in Afghanistan and Iraq, and make a ton of money at the box office. It might be a few years, but it will happen.
However, it sure is fun watching Hollywood implode.
Lew Harris, the editor of website Movies.com, said the films have struggled to be successful because the subject matters of Iraq and 9/11 remain too close to home. And in many cases, the films have not been entertaining enough.
BULL HOCKEY
Full of crap anti-Americanism propaganda!
Worth a matinee price or a video rental.
“”People want war movies to have a slam-bang adventure feel to them ... But Iraq is a difficult war to portray in a kind of rah-rah-rah, exciting way.”
Bulls**t, the stories are there and I’m convinced people would pay to see a inspiring story, Show the heroism and valor and the people will come. Show the leftist propaganda and lose your money, of course they will win the “awards”.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It’s not just war movies people are avoiding, it *slam the troops* movies. From the article, it sounds like most of these movies are portraying the US and its troops in a negative light.
Am I disappointed to see Hollywood take a beating? Am I sad to see writers and stagehands striking? It won’t affect my life.
They're making a movie based on the book "Lone Survivor"-hope they don't screw it up. I know the director (Ridley Scott?) was furious that he was forced by the Clinton lovers to edit "Blackhawk Down" to eliminate any negative references to Clinton and secdef Aspen.
That explains why The Kingdom didn’t last long. I thought it was a great movie, though.
Self inflicted wound....Give them the Kerry special purple heart.
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