Talk:American Sniper/Commentary
Commentary
[edit]Portrayal of Iraqis
[edit]In American Sniper, the Chris Kyle-based character targets Iraqi insurgents.[1] The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said with the film's wide release, there was a "dramatic increase" in hate speech on social media against Arab and Muslim Americans. The committee contacted director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper asking them to condemn the threats.[2] They avoided calling for a boycott of the film, expecting that the call would have the opposite effect and draw more moviegoers.[3] The committee's president Samer Khalaf said the film's dialogue referred to Iraqis as "ragheads" and "savages".[1]
Other news outlets also reported instances of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiment on Twitter. Conservative news outlets, which supported the film, considered the claims of hate speech to be "out of touch with the American public". Breitbart's John Nolte called the committee's claims a "hoax" and said it was promoted by the media due to dislike of the film and its fans. Warner Bros. studios released a statement denouncing "any violent, anti-Muslim rhetoric" including those from viewers of American Sniper.[1]
Consideration of veterans
[edit]The Washington Post's Cecilia Kang and Terrence McCoy said while one side called American Sniper "jingoistic propaganda", the opposite side considered it "a paean to the country's underappreciated veterans". The Post reported that veterans such as country singer Craig Morgan criticized Michael Moore and Seth Rogen's negative assessments of the film. Kang and McCoy said there were less Americans serving in the armed services, leading to "a widening cultural divide between civilians and combat veterans" but that the film's popularity "transcended" that divide. They said, "The movie stirred up a host of questions surrounding the way we treat veterans, whether the wars were worth the immense sacrifice, and how to judge actions taken by soldiers in the heat of battle."[4] The Christian Science Monitor said many combat veterans saw American Sniper and that while they disagreed on the portrayal, they agreed that the film gave them an opportunity to talk about their own experiences.[5]
Actor Bradley Cooper, who played Chris Kyle, said, "If it's not this movie, I hope to god another movie will come out where it will shed light on the fact of what servicemen and women have to go through, and that we need to pay attention to our vets. It doesn't go any farther than that."[6] The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, responded to criticism of the film, "While I know there have been critics, I felt that, more often than not, this film touches on many of the emotions and experiences that I've heard firsthand from military families over these past few years."[7] <add commentary from Got Your 6 here>
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Ohlheiser, Abby (January 28, 2015). "Civil rights group: Eastwood, Cooper need to help stop anti-Arab speech inspired by 'American Sniper'". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Woolf, Nicky (January 24, 2015). "American Sniper: anti-Muslim threats skyrocket in wake of film's release". The Guardian. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 26, 2015). "Arab Rights Group Urges 'American Sniper's' Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper to Condemn Muslim Threats". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Kang, Cecilia; McCoy, Terrence (January 20, 2015). "'American Sniper' decried as propaganda by some, praised as veterans' paean by others". Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Laine, Samantha (January 24, 2015). "American Sniper: What do veterans say about the movie?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Suebsaeng, Asawin (January 14, 2015). "Oscar-Nominated 'American Sniper' Made Joe Biden Cry". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- ^ Kennedy, Mark (January 30, 2015). "First Lady Defends 'American Sniper' at Veterans Event". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved February 11, 2015.