Critics Decry Matt Damon Movie 'The Green Zone,' Calling It 'Anti-American'

Fox News ^ | 3/11/1- | Joe Piazza

[Dr. Scarpetta]

While "The Hurt Locker" was largely apolitical in its stance on the Iraq War, some say "The Green Zone" goes too far in blaming the United States government and manipulates audience members into rooting against American troops.

The movie centers on Army Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller, played by Damon, who is assigned to search for weapons of mass destruction in the weeks following the shock-and-awe campaign of 2003.

When Miller encounters roadblocks in his search, he launches a one-man internal investigation into the United States government's intelligence gathering operations, forming a secret alliance against the men he is sworn to protect in order to get the bottom of what he believes is a conspiracy.

Given this set-up, audiences are encouraged to root for Miller's rogue activities and against the government, represented in the film by a corrupt Pentagon chief played by Greg Kinnear.

The line between good guy and bad guy becomes fuzzy -- so much so that audiences are unsure whether to cheer on Sunni Iraqi insurgents as they shoot down a helicopter filled with American soldiers sent to assassinate them on the Pentagon's request.

Movie reviewer Kyle Smith went so far as to label the film "slander" and "appallingly anti-American."

"'Green Zone' isn't cinema," Smith wrote. "It's slander. It will go down in history as one of the most egregiously anti-American movies ever released by a major studio."

[Borges]

Clooney and Penn are still very popular.

[mikalasukala]

thanks!

[nomodem]

Are you saying that Tom Hanks used to be somewhat normal?

I'm old enough to remember Tom Hanks on the TV sitcom "Bosom Buddies"; I thought it quite funny compared to today's sitcoms, and - at least to me - in his interviews from that time he didn't seem to be quite the blathering idiot he is today. Maybe, as you say, it is a "private attitude vs. public position" thing; there are very few John Voigt types in Hollywood today who are willing to truly speak their minds.

Also, I agree that there are some promising independent films / filmmakers (IFC is one of my favorite channels); however, if you watch the Spirit Awards you'll see that among the indies there are also quite a few loonies.

[mel]

I see a dichotomy here. Hollywood makes these numerous anti-government movies, yet they embrace big government with their Rat philosophy. That has always bewildered me.
The foreign movies are usually at least something I enjoy while the last few times I went to theater I could’t wait to get out and go home.
One thing I have enjoyed immensely is IT Crowd it is too funny
I had on TV in break room at work during lunch and that Philadelphia movie was on with Hanks, horrible.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I see a dichotomy here. Hollywood makes these numerous anti-government movies, yet they embrace big government with their Rat philosophy. That has always bewildered me.

It's OK as long as it's a social program.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I'm old enough to remember Tom Hanks on the TV sitcom "Bosom Buddies"; I thought it quite funny compared to today's sitcoms, and - at least to me - in his interviews from that time he didn't seem to be quite the blathering idiot he is today.

The richer some of these celebrities get, the more isolated they become from the middle class. They hang out with other isolated liberal elitists and get brainwashed. They should use their OWN money for their liberal causes.

[Pharmboy]

Yeah...I enjoyed the Bourne series and was going to see this movie until I read one review and heard a Damon quote. They could not PAY me to see this propaganda...

[Dr. Scarpetta]

“Fox News Uses Its Echo Chamber To Paint “The Green Zone” As Anti-American”

http://www.newshounds.us/2010/03/13/fox_news_uses_its_echo_chamber_to_paint_the_green_zone_as_antiamerican.php

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Universal’s “Green Zone” became the latest Iraq War-themed movie to fall down the box office rabbit hole, debuting to just $5 million in the U.S. and Canada Friday, according to studio estimates.

http://www.thewrap.com/article/box-office-preview-15184

[coco and rufo]

Seriously, I've been a Republican all my life, but some people here take republicanism to the level of religion. Even Richard A. Clark (how much more Republican can you get?) in his book “Against All Enemies” said, “... (as we now know) there was no active nuclear weapons program in 2002. Nothing in 2002 indicated Saddam intended to build nukes, much less use them, and certainly not imminently.” Sure, they found the remnants of chemical and biological weapons from before 9/11, but we already knew he had those, and it appears that there was no active program for those either, although Iraq appeared to have the capability to produce them again, if they had wanted to. We have to take the hit on this one: the intel was fabricated. The film stopped short of referring to President Bush, although a reference was made to “the administration.” There is no evidence to suggest that the President had any involvement in this bad intel, but eager others, wanting to please the President, apparently had no problem in providing it. There is a basis in truth for the plot of the film, but let's get down to the really important stuff: the real problem with the film is that the film makers were constantly moving the camera, even when there was no need. I suppose they wanted to make it look like the film was made by a cameraman following the soldiers around, which, of course, is totally absurd. My wife got so motion sick, she had to leave the theater halfway through the film. That's a good enough reason not to go see it, right there.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

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