Posted on 11/15/2007 7:29:20 AM PST by dead
LONDON (Reuters) - Two Hollywood directors who are part of a wave of films about the war in Iraq and the broader fallout from the September 11, 2001 attacks have said they were only doing what media failed to do -- telling the truth.
Brian De Palma's "Redacted," arguably the most shocking feature yet about events in Iraq, hits theatres on Friday, using a documentary style to tell the true story of the gang rape and murder of an Iraqi girl by U.S. troops in 2006.
Paul Haggis also based "In The Valley Of Elah," already released, on true events linked to the war, although, unlike De Palma's cast of unknown actors, he employed major stars Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon.
Both film makers have attacked mainstream media for their coverage of the Iraq war and events leading to it.
"There is a very big difference between the Vietnam war, where we saw the pictures, and the Iraq war, where we don't," De Palma told Reuters at the Venice Film Festival, where "Redacted" premiered and where he won the best director award.
"I am very angry because I think this is an important issue. I think the fourth estate has let us down terribly."
He told reporters: "It's all out there on the Internet, you can find it if you look for it, but it's not in the major media. The media is now really part of the corporate establishment."
Haggis, who also showcased "Elah" in Venice, agreed.
"During the Vietnam war, we had terrific journalists doing their job, reporting on things that we didn't want to hear.
"Now we don't have that. I think that when that doesn't happen, then it's the responsibility of the artist to ask those difficult questions," he added.
WHO WANTS TO WATCH?
Steven Barnett, professor of communications at London's University of Westminster, believes many in the U.S. media admit that reporting of the war, and particularly the failure to question the reasons given for it, left much to be desired.
"I think American journalism generally agrees its own press was supine, and it is fair to say that Hollywood, perhaps a little belatedly, is picking up the baton."
He agreed that reporting in Iraq was more dangerous than many previous conflicts, and there were reporters in the United States and Iraq who had broken important stories.
Barnett singled out Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker magazine for his stories about abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison, although such cases, he added, were "few and far between."
Mark Cousins, movie critic and author of "The Story Of Film," pointed out that documentary film makers had already distinguished themselves in the case of Iraq, a fact often overlooked by Hollywood.
"Just as in Vietnam so in Iraq, documentaries are in there from the start and there are some masterpieces," he said, naming last year's "My Country, My Country." "Documentary film makers can always be relied upon to be the social conscience."
He also argued that attacking the media was one way for directors to market their movies.
"When you are marketing a film, you have to say 'We need it, it's unique ... here's why you have to come and see my work because you haven't seen the like of it in TV."'
Yet many recent films dealing with wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and the repercussions of the September 11 attacks have failed to find an audience, including those who feature top talent.
"In The Valley Of Elah" earned just $9 million at the box office worldwide, according to Web site www.boxofficemojo.com.
"Rendition," a film about detaining terrorism suspects and starring Reese Witherspoon, earned $15 million globally, while audiences for "Lions For Lambs," with Tom Cruise in an Afghan war-themed plot, have been disappointing, according to reports.
(Editing by Paul Casciato)
At least he got that right!
How many people read about “REDACTED” and immediately think of “RENDITION”, which bombed a few weeks ago? I think a lot of moviegoers are going to see that title and think that they didn’t want to see that movie in October, why would they want to see it now?
In bizzaro world.
I think that it is De Palma and Cuban who should be ‘redacted’ for knowingly and intentionally giving aid and comfort to America’s enemies.
The fourth estate did it’s damndest to destroy this war effort including skewering Bush for years over the topic of ‘no WMDs in Iraq’. Endless negative reporting and falsifications of the facts were the operating procedure for years. Now these MoFos claim the media let us down.
Outside of picking up M16s and gunning down Republican leaders, what did these consumate a—holes think the media should have done to defeat us? They did everything else.
BTW, I love the smell of tanking leftist propaganda in the morning...
What world are these people living in?
They saved the best for last...
Because as we all know, if there’s one thing the media hasn’t covered enough during this war, it’s the bad news and the bad actors on our side.
The American press have been a bunch of lapdogs? Really? Who have these people been watching that I haven’t? And what have they been smoking while they’re doing it?
And how many times do I hear or read news stories that commence with ‘a defeat for the Bush administraion in the War on terror’ or ‘a rebuff’. The MSM doesn’t even admit that the United States of America is in a war - only President Bush and his neocon warmongers cabal!
There are a lot of Americans that these people had better start worrying about. A lot of Americans do not take kindly to traitors that give aid and comfort to the enemy while their friends, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters are over there fighting. These people had better start hiring their own private armies.
Where the hell is the AG? Why are they not beign brought up on charges? Is there noone in this country with balls to do the right thing? How many more thousands of terrorists are going to be created by these movies? This is so freaking insane.
The anti-American, seditious, unpatriotic scumbags on the Left are beneath contempt...
You’re absolutely right.
I try not to think about what the media really does, because it turns my stomach so much.
One thing that we should be happy about though, is that the media players that pump out these terrorist supporting movies, can’t get people to go see them.
They are all tanking. My fear was that they would be popular and the left would claim victory. No such luck!
A 'win' by America; traslates as a win for all of America and it's values, to which the radical Left stands totally opposed.
Beginning with our Constitution; our Capitalism. . our individual freedom; they stand in direct opposition and forever will.
Just heard on FoxNews how anti-war protesters are trying to destroy Military equipment. . .and even pouring cement on railroad tracks to prevent military transport.
Beyond incredible; save for when you consider their absolute desperation; and we can only wonder where next, it will lead them.
True, but the Fifth Column is doing quite nicely.
democrats=traitors
This is the leftist media propaganda machine on steroids. Notice how the writer of the article and De Palma choose to turn fiction into a real life event.
Sine it is shot in a "documentary style" move goers will believe that the gang rape and murder were actual events committed by U.S. troops.
With this type of blatantly false propaganda against our troops it will be even more difficult for our troops to win the WoT.
Oh. Of course.
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