Snakes on a Plane
Posted on 07/21/2006 11:07:47 AM PDT by presidio9
"World Trade Center," the new Oliver Stone movie about 9/11 that opens next week, I couldn't help but think of a brilliant remark director Stanley Kubrick once made about a universally praised film. "Think that was about the Holocaust?" Kubrick said. "That was about success, wasn't it? The Holocaust is about 6 million people who get killed. 'Schindler's List' was about 600 people who don't." What Kubrick was saying is this: "Schindler's List" may be powerful, moving and an important reminder of a terrible crime, but it still manages to distort the meaning of the Holocaust by turning it into the setting for a traditional Hollywood "triumph of the human spirit over adversity" tale.
The same is true of "World Trade Center." It is undeniably powerful, an immensely affecting and well-meaning real-life tale of two Port Authority policemen trapped in the rubble underneath the collapsed concourse between the North and South Towers.
Nonetheless, because "World Trade Center" tells a story of joyous survival rather than a story of death, it is a fundamental falsification of the meaning of 9/11 - even though the story it tells is true.
The survival of John McLoughlin (a gaunt Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (the brilliant Michael Pena) was truly a miracle. Pinned by concrete debris a few feet from each other, they talked to keep themselves alive. Meanwhile, a retired Marine named Dave Karnes
-snip-
A few weeks ago in this space, I expressed disbelief that Oliver Stone was handed the assignment of directing the picture because of some genuinely repugnant things he said only a month after 9/11 ("the revolt of September 11th was about 'F--- you! F--- your order' "). Stone's remarks remain unforgivable, but fair is fair:
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
folks this is really easy.
You have a group of anti-americans making a MARKETABLE "triumph of the human spirit" over (its all Bush's fault) adversity.
This is just to make money. SOOOOOO, just wait for the "freebie" showings or availability.
That will be in about 15 minutes or has already happened.
You get to see the movie, and make a political statement by denying the leftists money.
IF you are all so inclined.
I have no idea why any studio would want Oliver Stone directing a movie about 9/11 that doesn't consist of crackpot conspiracy theories. Viewers sympathetic to Stone's world-view will be disappointed because this movie isn't up to his normal standards of insanity, while everyone else will stay away because they expect Stone to treat the subject matter with disrespect.
That's my WILL NOT MISS movie of the summer. :) I'll be out of the country the weekend it premieres, and I can't believe I momentarily thought about changing the dates for the trip.....
I completely disagree with Kubrick's comments about "Schindler." The scene at the end, where Schindler is looking at his worldly wealth saying, "I could have gotten two more people for this ring, or five more for this car," is one of the most spiritually powerful scenes in all movie history. In a few words, Spielberg captures the fact that we are all imperfect, and that we can all, always, do better, yet the reassurance from the Jews who were saved tell us we all, at times, do good as well.
I think that that flick is going to end up being a big let down. When does it open?
the internet is your friend...
BTW, if any director is going to do a big studio 9/11 flick, it should be Senior Spielbergo.
August 18. I don't think it's going to be a letdown, who's going to go to it expecting "Citizen Kane"? :)
They can movies about 9/11, but the media still refuses to show any of the real footage.
I won't go see this because of the commie a-hole who made it. "Revolt of 9-11?" This wasn't a revolt. How dare him. A revolt are Polish dock workers rising up to demand fair treatment. A revolt are Hungarians rising up to throw off Soviet oppression and imperialism. A revolt is not the murder of innocent people to feed a nihilistic fanaticism. So "f you" too Oliver.
It's too bad to. It sounds like an interesting movie otherwise. Too bad a more competent and less moronic director didn't make it. I'd even have settled for Spielberg.
Agreed and good point. What's wrong with making a film of a wonderful good that came out of a monstorous evil? Spielberg wasn't making a docu-drama about the Holocaust. He was making a film telling the story of one event within the bigger scope of the tragedy.
Since Ollie is so into revolts, I'm still waiting for this one. He hasn't done it yet, because he's still trying to figure out how he can make the communists sympathetic.
actually there is a scene of someone jumping and early in the film there are many instances of hearing the bodies fall ... he didn't show the planes actually hitting the world trade center because it would have garnered an "R" rating
Good point.
Good point. Another true revolt I forgot to mention. Wouldn't a film about Tianamen Square make an interesting film? But I suspect there's too much Chinese investment in the studios for that to ever happen.
Never heard of a movie recommendation?
Recommendations don't normally have such a tone of command, in my experience. :-D
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