2008 Woodie Awards
U.S. war films more popular overseas
Seandor Szeles '08
Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Entertainment
In a scene from a 2007 film about the current war in Iraq, an Iraqi woman in labor is shot as her vehicle speeds through a U.S. military checkpoint. A reporter sticks a microphone in her husband's face as he watches his wife die. The husband tells the reporter that the soldier was waving them through. The western signal for 'stop' is a welcoming gesture to Iraqis.
The film's Iraqi narrator tells the viewer that so far, 2000 Iraqis have been killed at checkpoints and only 60 of them were insurgents.
The film is "Redacted" (2007), a mock documentary by American filmmaker Brian De Palma. The movie, based on real events but fictionalized, presents the dehumanization of American soldiers as their tour of duty grows longer and longer.
"Redacted" garnered some critical success in Europe. It received the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and grossed $287,552, with 77 percent of its profits coming from overseas.
In America, the film received little positive attention, and is known mostly for showing a graphic rape scene at the end of the film. It was screened at a few festivals, but made little money in its limited release.
Soon after it was released, Web sites popped up calling for a nationwide boycott of the film, saying that it intentionally portrayed American soldiers in a negative light, fueling the resolve of the enemies and weakening that of American.
Bassam Sebti is a graduate student in the Writing Studies Program at Saint Joseph's. He is from Baghdad and worked there as a correspondent for the Washington Post before coming to the United States in August 2006.
"I think in the case of 'Redacted', the director revealed what was really going on and no more than that. It was a very simple movie, yet so powerful because the way it presented the war was closer to reality," said Sebti in an e-mail.
To Sebti, films like "Redacted" can fill a gap left by the American media, which he feels has dramatically failed to paint an accurate picture of life in a war-zone.
The film's Iraqi narrator tells the viewer that so far, 2000 Iraqis have been killed at checkpoints and only 60 of them were insurgents.
The film is "Redacted" (2007), a mock documentary by American filmmaker Brian De Palma. The movie, based on real events but fictionalized, presents the dehumanization of American soldiers as their tour of duty grows longer and longer.
"Redacted" garnered some critical success in Europe. It received the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and grossed $287,552, with 77 percent of its profits coming from overseas.
In America, the film received little positive attention, and is known mostly for showing a graphic rape scene at the end of the film. It was screened at a few festivals, but made little money in its limited release.
Soon after it was released, Web sites popped up calling for a nationwide boycott of the film, saying that it intentionally portrayed American soldiers in a negative light, fueling the resolve of the enemies and weakening that of American.
Bassam Sebti is a graduate student in the Writing Studies Program at Saint Joseph's. He is from Baghdad and worked there as a correspondent for the Washington Post before coming to the United States in August 2006.
"I think in the case of 'Redacted', the director revealed what was really going on and no more than that. It was a very simple movie, yet so powerful because the way it presented the war was closer to reality," said Sebti in an e-mail.
To Sebti, films like "Redacted" can fill a gap left by the American media, which he feels has dramatically failed to paint an accurate picture of life in a war-zone.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
roo szeles
posted 3/19/08 @ 4:12 PM EST
I thought it was pretty good
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