50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Saw "American Sniper" last night and I'd put it in the "good, not great" category. I'm a bit stumped by the Oscar nomination, because Eastwood has had better movies than this not get nominated. Good character study and good storytelling. Kyle was obviously a patriot in one definition of the word, but initially wasn't a particularly contemplative man (but I don't know if you really want contemplative people in battle). I think there is a lot of growth in the character without him questioning his mission. I thought the portrayal of war as taking on an element of protecting one's "own" in a micro-sense (unit, family) as opposed to nation (and national goals) struck me. I didn't detect in the film any major endorsement of the Iraq War, but I didn't see Eastwood call it a foolish endeavor either. If anything, I thought the movie showed how much of a clusterf*ck the whole enterprise turned out to be with blown up cities and a native population in turmoil.
So, bottom line for me is that I can't understand the furor over the supposed politics of the movie. I'm firmly left-of-center and thought from the beginning that the Iraq War was misguided, but I was once told that when reading a text or viewing a work of performance art that a person should check their sensibilities, allow the artist to make their statement, take that statement as their "truth," and then analyze it later. I've always tried to keep that in mind. Maybe I'm different here, but I didn't see in this film anything that would either promote or decry our involvement in Iraq. It was just a very good story.
So, bottom line for me is that I can't understand the furor over the supposed politics of the movie. I'm firmly left-of-center and thought from the beginning that the Iraq War was misguided, but I was once told that when reading a text or viewing a work of performance art that a person should check their sensibilities, allow the artist to make their statement, take that statement as their "truth," and then analyze it later. I've always tried to keep that in mind. Maybe I'm different here, but I didn't see in this film anything that would either promote or decry our involvement in Iraq. It was just a very good story.