Posted on 11/12/2007 3:13:39 AM PST by SJackson
| Liars for Lambs |
Benjamin Disraeli--and later Mark Twain--said there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. But today, there are lies, damn lies, and anti-war movies. The latest didactic, silver screen mythology emanating from Hollywood is "Lions for Lambs," starring (and directed by) Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, and Meryl Streep, and in theaters now. The film's rewriting of history and Middle Eastern religious dynamics is disturbing. And its statements about our military and alleged racism are unconscionable. As Americans get more and more of their "history" from on-screen fiction, the fairy tales this film puts forth are dangerous in their blatant falsehood. A constant theme throughout this boring movie is that American military and political leaders--a smug, right-wing caricature, Republican Senator played by Cruise and an Army commander played by Peter Berg--maintain that Sunnis and Shi'ites are working together against American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is something neither soldiers nor a liberal TV reporter played by Streep can believe. Streep's Janine Roth and two soldiers on whom the movie focuses constantly question this allegation as utterly preposterous. Reporter Streep tells Senator Tom Cruise she can't believe that after centuries of fighting each other, Sunnis and Shias are suddenly working together against us. The purpose of this constant on-screen ridicule of the notion of a Sunni-Shi'ite alliance against the West is to ridicule the Bush Administration's positing of the same regarding Iraq. But, it's not ridiculous at all. Reality check: Sunnis and Shias have worked together against their common enemy--the West--for decades. That the movie questions this fact as preposterous is, well . . . preposterous. Here are just some of the many instances in which the two religious sects have, indeed, worked together in terrorist operations and plots against America: Then, there is the other constant lie throughout "Lions for Lambs"--that American soldiers fighting in Iraq are mostly minorities, who have no choice but to join up and die. Sure, viewers are shown white commanding officers who command and watch from a distance, and who are viciously attacked as "pieces of s**t" and "lambs" leading lions in a monologue by a college professor played by Robert Redford. But the film centers on two minority soldiers--a Black and a Hispanic--who were Professor Redford's students. We're told that minorities have no choice but to join the military. "They play football to go to college," Professor Redford admonishes one of his more privileged, slacker White students. They have no future or talent and are ridiculed by the White students on campus, so they must join up: lectures Professor Redford of Sundance University. His White privileged slacker student responds that he doesn't have to care about this While "Lions for Lambs" wants to portray our fighting forces as strictly minorities and Whites as slacker frat boys who stay home, the two soldiers in the movie are commissioned men, who go upon graduation. And the fact is, the majority of those are White, not minorities. They all have college degrees, many of them graduate degrees. They are among America's best and brightest, who chose to go to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, instead of starting their promising careers in the comfort of home. One of those is Sgt. James John Regan, a star on the Duke Lacrosse Team, who had a scholarship to go to law school and an offer to work at a financial company. Instead, he joined the Army Rangers and served double tours of duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq, earning a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and several other medals. He was killed in action in Iraq, early this year. He was 26 and engaged to be married. His fiancee, Mary McHugh told Newsday that he felt it was imperative to join the Army and serve rather than taking one of the other safer, more lucrative offers: And there are so many other non-minority soldiers like him who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan, contrary to this movie's Redfordian claim. But that doesn't fit with the myth that Robert Redford, Ph.D. and the rest of the "Lions for Lambs" gang is selling. If there is any truth to this movie, it's the poignant heroism to the end displayed by the two soldiers portrayed in the film. But even that is not enough to justify the myths throughout this film. At the end of the movie, Reporter Meryl Streep argues with her TV cable news network boss that Iraq is like Vietnam, and she doesn't believe our efforts to succeed will work so she doesn't want to report on them: Streep's network boss orders her to report on it: If only Hollywood believed it was a good thing. And if only there was a single news exec for a major TV network news operation who ever uttered such a sentiment.
They weren't naturally gifted students. . . . The first ones to sign up are the ones whose country doesn't treat too well. The ones like you and me who went to good schools and were privileged like you and me, we're the first ones to step back when the country's looking for volunteers
because I wanna live the good life because I'm smart enough.
He said, "If I don't do it, then who will do it?" He recognized it as an option and he couldn't not do it.
It's like that song by The Who. "Meet the new boss. It's the same as the old boss." It's the same as Vietnam all over again.
Sounds like he [Senator Tom Cruise] has a plan to destroy the guys who attacked our guys. . . . Our viewers will believe that's a good thing.
The Duke
Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio..
so sad
They’ll not get one penny from me for the movie.
Looks like your review/assessment is right on! According to a link on Drudge, the movie had a weak opening, and is falling short of expectations. IMO people knowingly do not like to pay to be indoctrinated by a bunch of lefties; especially a movie with a confusing premise about varieties of arabs. They do not want to know about Sunni’s and Shi’ites! What’s that got to do with American life? People pay to be entertained or inspired by movies. Attacking the Bush Administration is old hat by now.
I read the film cost $35 million to make but raked in only $6.7 million this weekend. Unreal. It was ranked #4 on the list but it was a distant fourth. As that kid in the Simpsons would say, ha ha.
Robert Redford? I am not familiar.... Oh he used to be a big movie star when I was a child. That was a long, long time ago.
Would like to see this disease of the mind that liberals picked up when the Iraq war broke out continue and consume them completely. They just don’t know how to pull back
On a brighter note, I watched “We Were Soldiers Once” this weekend. I love that movie.
You win an Oscar.
save
and have commie history professors push the videos on those same white slacker kids forever
“They’ll not get one penny from me for the movie.”
I’m in total agreement. Even if it sounded like a good movie, I’d never waste my money on Redford, Cruise, or Streep. Yecccch!
Pat Tillman, a man who walked away from a multi-million dollar career which would have kept him in beer, boats and other things for the rest of his life.
Redford is some old white liberal that nobody wants to see anytime. He and his buds are nothing more than the Stepford Libs...nothing creative about their washed up ideology.
Boycott this crappy movie...hope the 2nd week’s take is less than $1M.
When he finally croaks, I won't bother going to hollywierd to commit nuisance on his grave.
He just ain't worth it.
Everything I need to know, I learned on 9-11.................
Here’s hoping SoddomWood ends up like the LA Times.
Pray for W and Our Victorious Freedom Fighters
I had a friend who has been duped by assorted leftist ideas use this same Sunnis-would-never-ally-themselves-with-Shiites argument against me and actually state that the cliche “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” doesn’t apply. I immediately told him that the Iraq situation is a perfect example of how the cliche came about.
Exactly! A BIG old pat-on-the-back from the Hollyweird Acadamy (sic)!..........According to the weekend receipts, $6.8 million and going..............
I just checked the recipts, $6.7 Mil for “Lions” and $26 Mil for “Bees”...............Redford done in by “Bee” (B) Movie!!!!.......................
I’m not a big Southpark fan, but I have a fond place in my heart for the episode where they drown Redford in a tidal wave of $#!+.
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