Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Redford demands apology over Iraq
BBC News ^ | January 19, 2007 | Staff

Posted on 01/19/2007 5:58:44 AM PST by MadIvan

Hollywood legend Robert Redford has called on US leaders to apologise for the war in Iraq.

The actor was speaking at the start of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where the opening movie recalled protests over the Vietnam war in 1968.

Redford said he, like many others, had shown a "spirit of unity" with the US government after 11 September 2001.

"We put all our concerns on hold to let the leaders lead," he said. "I think we're owed a big, massive apology."

The actor, whose Sundance Institute for independent film runs the annual festival, usually steers clear of political messages in his opening speech.

Festival opener Chicago 10 recounts the demonstrations surrounding 1968's Democratic National Convention, which saw protestors clash with the National Guard.

Using a cutting-edge blend of historical footage and animation, director Brett Morgen's film examines the trial of the famed "Chicago Seven," who were convicted of inciting riots.

Morgen, who took the stage to a standing ovation after the screening, said one of his goals in making the film was to "mobilise the youth in the country to get out and stop this war".

His film is one of many referencing the Iraq conflict at this year's Sundance festival.

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib deals with the abuses that occurred in an Iraqi prison in 2003, while No End In Sight is an examination of the Bush administration's conduct in the country.

Taboos broken

The programme for the festival has attracted controversy with the inclusion of films that include shocking sexual content.

A documentary called Zoo deals with the practice of bestiality.

And the dark drama Hounddog portrays the rape of a young girl, played by 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning.

"Those are issues that are on the table, whether you want to face them or not," said Redford.

"If you don't expose these things, if you don't put the light on them, then they could get worse."

But the event also features many films with a more uplifting feel.

The Good Life, from writer and director Steve Berra, tells of a young man running an old cinema in a small town.

Padre Nuestro is about a young man who meets up with a group of illegal immigrants heading from Mexico to New York after he chooses to flee his criminal past.

More than 120 films will be screened throughout the 10-day festival, which ends on 28 January.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: apology; bush; iraq; redford
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-166 next last
To: MadIvan
And his catalog sucks and his restaurant is overpriced for the caliber of food.
41 posted on 01/19/2007 6:16:37 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (2007 resolution: learn how to rail a berm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Actors - is there anything they don't know? Lately? How to act

You aren't joking

42 posted on 01/19/2007 6:17:03 AM PST by Tribune7 (Conservatives hold bad behavior against their leaders. Dims don't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: LIConFem
It depends on what the meaning of "alive" is. From a biological perspective yes, from a limelight perspective, no. Which is presumably why he did the Hollywood equivalent of zapping himself with a defibrilator: he bashed President Bush.

Regards, Ivan

43 posted on 01/19/2007 6:17:47 AM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: WV Mountain Mama
Two Redford "products" are acceptable - "The Natural" was an all right film. "A River Runs Through It" made me want to visit Montana.

Regards, Ivan

44 posted on 01/19/2007 6:19:03 AM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
"I think we're owed a big, massive apology."

I got your apology right here, Mr. Washed-up Has-been.
45 posted on 01/19/2007 6:20:30 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (You'll shoot your eye out, kid)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

Too much sun-dance. :)


46 posted on 01/19/2007 6:20:57 AM PST by veronica (http://images20.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/106521/3848737/gladysPSCP-vi.jpg)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

Now I wonder how long 'big bad Redford' gives the President to reply to his order? I am mighty afraid he will wait a long time. If it hadn't been for Hollywood and the left-wing media, we may have been out of Iraq by now. They are for anything (like Iraq winning) if the President is behind it. These people make me sick~~~!!!!!!! Your description of the films they are making shows how sick these people are~~


47 posted on 01/19/2007 6:22:27 AM PST by jaycee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
A documentary called Zoo deals with the practice of bestiality.
And the dark drama Hounddog portrays the rape of a young girl, played by 12-year-old actress Dakota Fanning.
"Those are issues that are on the table, whether you want to face them or not," said Redford.
"If you don't expose these things, if you don't put the light on them, then they could get worse."

Mighty weak justification for such self-indulgenent exhibitionism.

48 posted on 01/19/2007 6:22:34 AM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

Redford and his bufoonery add nothing to popular culture.
And talk about delusions of grandeur..."

Redford also has unique views as to private property.
HIS acreage is PRIVATE. Everything you and I own is subject to his opinions and the jurisdiction of people Redford would vote into office. He did as he wished in a large canyon near Park City to build his place. Then he bitches about someone trimming trees for safety in their yards. He also owns properties in Nevada City, California. Rentals. He keeps them nice, but there he is surrounded by the interferring opinions of the Birkenstock and Brie crowd.

Truly a man who believe in "do as I say- not as I do.".


49 posted on 01/19/2007 6:24:04 AM PST by ridesthemiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: veronica

Gosh, I can't believe that picture~~ugh!!!


50 posted on 01/19/2007 6:24:19 AM PST by jaycee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

KMA, Bobby.


51 posted on 01/19/2007 6:25:04 AM PST by gogeo (Irony is not one of Islam's core competencies (thx Pharmboy))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

I can agree with you on those two. "A river Runs Through It" was a beautiful film.


52 posted on 01/19/2007 6:27:56 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (2007 resolution: learn how to rail a berm.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

Redford, Streisand, etc., all the same...so little facts..so much rage....democrats all...


53 posted on 01/19/2007 6:28:08 AM PST by auto power
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

Another Redford film HAVANA had his romantic interest working for Castro's rise to power. But the secret police bad guy's tirade against the communists was right on as was mobster Myer Lansky's outburst. What HAVANA needed to make it balanced was showing Arturo Duran and his wife going up against the wall to face Che's firing squads just as many other idealistic Castro supporters did in the wake of Castro consolidating power.


54 posted on 01/19/2007 6:29:52 AM PST by Monterrosa-24
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: sono

I demand Redford apologize for An Indecent Proposal."

AMEN.
Putting Dakota Fanning into "Houndog" to bring the problem of child abuse to the attention of the public is just plain nuts.
Indecent Proposal was supposed to be showing us that a rich man can buy a poor man's wife????????

Child abuse happens for a number of reasons. IMO, the biggest reason that rape, child abuse, wife abuse, etc is so far out of kilter is because men in the judicial system have for years treated the whole situation as tho the victim was the person at fault. Been there. Know what I am talking about.
The creep in Missouri who was caught with 2 missing boys in hos house has the gall to go to court and plead "NOT GUILTY" and his lawyer gets paid to "defend" him. How much more guilty can he be? The kids were there. One was known to be there for a number of years. They are old enough to testify against him.... And the county taxpayers are going to pay for his to have a trial. Give him to me. I will "give him a trial", and it will be short and swift and permanent. He will never hurt another person or animal.
There is a long term attitude that you can get away with anything in this country if you have a good enough lawyer. Time for more vigilante justice.


55 posted on 01/19/2007 6:30:37 AM PST by ridesthemiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

"how brave! how daring of all these leftists to really get out in front and face these issues."

imho, your sarcasm is well placed. leftists seem to take on a mantle of brilliance and courage whenever they embrace marxism. it is an illusion put forth and fostered by the main stream propaganda media. they are nothing but a bunch of totalitarian scu%bags who have succeeded in painting a positive picture of an evil-inspired political movement that relies on intimidation, manipulation and murder to succeed. (please excuse the expletives, but it is the only word which seems to be appropriate in describing them.) only the leftist cause of the day is allowed to be aired and blatant hypocrisy is ignored while it is attributed to others. (what a bunch of scu$bags.)


56 posted on 01/19/2007 6:33:23 AM PST by ripley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
"If you don't expose these things, if you don't put the light on them, then they could get worse."

This is exactly the situation in the War on Terror.

57 posted on 01/19/2007 6:34:38 AM PST by oldbrowser (This war isn't over until it's OVER.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
"I have some video tapes of newsreels from the 1940's...."

I grew up in the same hometown as Jimmy Stewart; it's about the towns only claim to fame, and they do make the most of it. Learning all about Stewart's life, and especially his military career established a standard in my mind for the responsible use of one's celebrity status. It's a standard and expectation against which Redford fails miserably.

One of my favorite movies, "A Bridge Too Far," features Redford, who is not worthy of licking the boots of the real men of that era. I don't think however, that Redford's behavior is a particularly new phenomenon, as he seems to be precisely the type JS Mill was referring to when he wrote:

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

58 posted on 01/19/2007 6:35:57 AM PST by Joe 6-pack (Voted Free Republic's Most Eligible Bachelor: 2006. Love them Diebold machines.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan

"Spirit of unity..." ?


59 posted on 01/19/2007 6:36:10 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: veronica
And he looks like crap now too.

Does he look better with his glasses on?


60 posted on 01/19/2007 6:38:40 AM PST by badgerlandjim (Hillary Clinton is to politics as Helen Thomas is to beauty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-166 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson