That new war film "Jarhead" I think, recruiting propaganda?

[freeplessinseattle]

I've just seen the ads, but it looks like they're glorifying war, in a way, and trying to appeal to youth by making war seem "cool" and even have a clip of someone saying "I love this job!" and then something blows up in the next clip. there's always been war films, but this one specifically noted "Saddam Hussein" and seems to be trying to recruit youth for a current war. anyone else see the ad I'm talking about? It seems to air a couple times an hour on CBS.

[ismnotwasm]

1. I've just seen the trailers

And I think you're right.
My daughter (Sgt.army) BTW finds that shit disgusting. She especially finds disgusting the new reality show about soldiers. She's boycotting the station that is showing it.
She spent a year in Afghanistan. She does NOT appreciate any glorification of war. Period.

[Qanisqineq]

4. it is disgusting

my husband is SGT in army too and he can't stand war movies. Hates them. I'm sure he would be absolutely disgusted to see this trailer since he was in Iraq for a year.

I finally decided to watch "Platoon" a couple months ago when it was on AMC late at night (uncut). It is always on TV, I've heard about it so many times that I finally broke down and watched it. He's never seen it, refuses to watch it, and can't believe I broke down and did.

[freeplessinseattle]

5. I hear you, I've always been aversive to war films

and I would imagine being in the military or having you someone you care about be enlisted makes the films seem even more atrocious. Remember "Born on the Fourth of July"? I never saw that, or Platoon, but they both seemed to have a pro war bent, in the name of patriotism.

How soon until the "Jarhead" video game comes out, I wonder? and Happy Meal action figures?

[WildEyedLiberal]

6. Huh?? WTF?

Born on the Fourth of July was about a guy who goes to Vietnam very gung-ho, comes back crippled, and protests the war. That's pro war how?

Also, Jarhead was a book by an ex-Marine, and it was VERY cynical and anti-war in tone. If the movie is faithful, I don't know why it would be different.

[ismnotwasm]

11. Maybe it's just the trailers that suck

Because they really don't give that impression. You see young men, helicoptors, yelling, some explosions and gunfire. More like a shoot-em-up, or action adventure.

[freeplessinseattle]

12. exactly, that's why I'm asking for clarity. from nice people:)

as far as BOTFOJ, sorry about that faux paux, I was a youngun when that came out and guess got a different impression for some reason, gunfire and explosions have a negative association to me in any context.

[Bassic]

15. Pardon my ignorance, but what does faux paux mean?

Sorry, english is not mty first language and there are still some expressions I'm not familiar with.

[LostinVA]

18. It means a social blunder, but is also used to just mean

"I made a mistake."

Like, having your boss over for dinner and serving porkchops... not realizing he's Jewish and keeps kosher!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

21. Judging by your post, your English is very good.

And "faux pas" is actually French, I believe.

[RubyDuby in GA]

23. I've seen the trailers too and I got a different impression

My impression was that he started out all gung ho, but got very disillusioned while he was in the Gulf. I think that scene with Jamie Foxx saying I thank God for every day in the Corps is one where main guy is questioning his being there and as his commanding officer, Foxx is trying to reassure or drive away his doubts.

And the end of all the previews I've seen show Jake G with a very severe look on his face, almost horrified by what he's seen, especially when he's at the funeral of a friend, who presumably served with him.

That was just my impression.

[WCGreen]

14. Well, maybe that will suck some jingoistic kids into the

theater and then they will be blasted by a hefty dose of cynism...

[LynneSin]

33. I think it'll be true to the book

I've read the same things about Jarhead and I can guarentee that if this was a pro-war recruiting propaganda that Kayne West would not allow his music to be used in the movie or trailer.

[Qanisqineq]

7. I tried watching Platoon quite a few times

but never could get past a scene at the very beginning of a soldier raping a Vietnamese woman. When I did finally watch it, the rest was disturbing also. Yet also interesting as AMC had movie facts about how it was somewhat based on Oliver Stone's experience in Vietnam.

Any soldier that rapes a woman in Vietnam or Korea or Iraq or wherever should be shot on the spot, IMO. Violent, I know, but there is something about the thought of it that I just cannot handle and couldn't watch it in a movie. Although I feel pretty much the same about all rapists, I have no sympathy for them whatsoever.

[LostinVA]

17. NEITHER of those movies are pro-war, the OPPOSITE

Stone was galvanized by his time in Vietnam, and wrote "Platoon" to specifically not make a gung-ho war movie. And "Born on the Fourth of July"? Is wear I'm not being snotty, but do you even know what that book/movie is about? Or who Ron Kovac is?

[DS1]

26. hahah! You just so incredibly invalidated your opinion on the matter

by saying Born on the 4th of July is pro-war

Holy fucking :eyes:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

35. Wow, talk about making yourself look ignorant...

:popcorn:

[rockymountaindem]

38. Now you've revealed your ignorance.

How about watching the movies before you call them propaganda. That's like saying "Born in the USA" is a patriotic propaganda song.

Don't fall for your own bullshit.

[LynneSin]

49. whoops goofed

:D

[LynneSin]

48. Replying just to keep with the pretty pattern of "X"

:D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. JarJarhead? What?

:crazy:

[petronius]

44. That almost made me spit my coffee...

Sounds like a new listing game: name five movies that would be improved by the addition of JarJar...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

53. LOL!

Go for it! :thumbsup:

[Qanisqineq]

3. It's on SciFi every 15 mins.

I'm watching some ridiculous horror movie on SciFi and they show the trailer every set of commercials. Plus, I've seen it plenty of other times. Ugh, disgusting.

[skoppa]

8. Propaganda or not, I'm going to see this movie when it gets out.

I think it looks like a good movie.

[ErisFiveFingers]

9. Maybe propaganda, or maybe good, honest, and real.

Check out a synopsis, (it's based on a soldiers' memoirs):
<http://www.tribute.ca/synopsis.asp?m_id=9869>

And IMDB:
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418763/>

It looks like the "I love this job" statement is one of bitter sarcasm. "Welcome to the suck" (the movie tagline) isn't exactly glorifying the job.

Of course, it's also not quite a gay cowboy movie, which is his (Gylenhaal's) other big star role for this season.

No, that's not a southpark reference, I'm dead serious.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388795/>

[Robeson]

10. The commercials are pure propaganda.

[Jed Dilligan]

19. excuse me, but...

Aren't all commercials propaganda by definition?

Remember, don't judge a book by its cover. Kerouac's "On the Road" was originally sold as a steamy dime novel.

[Robeson]

58. I wasn't judging the movie, nor did I say anything about it.....

...I was talking about the commercial.

[LynneSin]

34. Yeah, let's recruit more soldiers by running a trailer with a song....

that is very anti-Bush/anti-war.

Hell, I'm driving to the local recruitment center and signing up now.

If you don't know anything about who Kayne West is or the significance of his song "Jesus Walks" that I feel sorry for you.

Obviously you just assume that any movie related to war is probably been financed by the Pentagon itself

[LostinVA]

37. And starring a very ant-war and anti* actor

[Zuni]

40. why would you feel sorry for someone who doesn't know Kayne West?

:shrug:

[petronius]

45. That's the guy from Kung Fu, right?

or was that Caine?

[Robeson]

59. Who said I didn't? In fact, I didn't even mention his name.....

...save the condescension for someone else.

[Robeson]

57. And when the soldier says "I love this job", that's anti-war?.....

...pffft. I'm talking about the commercial, not the movie. Where did I mention the movie? I haven't seen it, and your probably haven't either. Incidentally, I hope it IS anti-war.

[sbj405]

13. My bf (ex-marine) listened to it as a book on tape

He actually liked and thought that it was farly reflective of life in the Corps. And he doesn't normally like the war movies and is most definitely the cynical, anti war type. How true the movie is the book remains to be seen.

[LostinVA]

16. The book definitely wasn't....

[eyesroll]

20. It's based on a memoir of a marine.

I think the trailer is designed to get people to spend $8.50 to go see the movie. Blowing stuff up looks cool. "Saddam Hussein" gets attention (and, since this is a Gulf War 1 movie, it makes sense). It's capitalism.

From what I understand, the book takes a relatively politics-free look. No grandstanding. While I have no idea whether the movie will be similar -- it's directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty). Somehow I don't see him as the jingoistic type.

[tanyev]

22. Sounds like the "war is really cool" commercials will drag a lot of

young guys into the theater where they will actually find a "war is hell" movie. Could be a good thing.

[bertha katzenengel]

24. Oh, GOD, no -- not if they are true to Swofford's book!! Read it!

No WAY can that film be taken as recruiting propaganda if they're true to the biography.

Weird how just the suggestion that it could be propaganda makes me mad. The book, at least, is the furthest thing possible from propaganda.

[DS1]

25. I think it's a classic bait and switch

Sucker them in with an action movie, send them home thinking about it.

[Hobarticus]

27. Read the book, it might change your mind...

Hate to see anyone judging anything on first impressions.

[DS1]

28. or, in this case, NO impressions

no data other than trailers - no independent research

but then, we're dealing with someone who is convinced Born on the 4th of July and Platoon are both pro-war movies too. Oh, wait, the poster hasn't seen either of those, either.

[Hobarticus]

29. So, movies that expose war as inhumane and cruel are bad

and are rejected, before they're even seen, just because the trailers have soldiers and guns in 'em?

Wow.

[DS1]

30. It appears that way

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4218178&mesg_id=4218260

[Hobarticus]

31. Sigh...it's rough to see knee-jerk reactions on OUR side n/t

[LynneSin]

32. Yeah, that's why Anti-War/Anti-Bush Kayne West music is in it

I have a feeling that Jarhead isn't recruiting propaganda but a movie that talks about the horrors of what goes on with war. I love that in the trailer you hear Kayne West's "Jesus Walks" and trust me - this guy isn't going to support a propaganda pro-war movie. Hell the man came right out on a Katrina fundraiser in front of everyone on the east coast and said "George Bush doesn't like Black People".

[Loonman]

36. You can divine that much from a preview?

Wow, you must be fuckin' Kreskin!

[OKNancy]

39. Sorry a lot of people here are so hateful

I don't know why anyone would even try to offer their opinion on anything. I don't agree with the OP, but it doesn't mean that people have to say.. "what are you stupid?"

Just say, "I disagree, I think it is.....etc."

There sure seems to be a huge over-reaction to some comment about a MOVIE.

[HUGH McSERIES]

41. OMG! THIS IS ME!

:bounce:

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

42. Unless Sam Mendes has fucked over the entire book

(which would warrant a huge political change for him) I seriously doubt it's pro-war).

SPOILER




The first 2/3 of the book is about Swofford's training & then deployment for Desert Shield; the strange sense of comraderie mixed with the utter "what-the-fuck-ness" of the situation they're in. He brings up the way superiors try & manipulate the media and other things. Then Desert Storm kicks in & Swofford shits his pants for about a week before it's all over. The skill of the film will be in translating the utter fear Swofford describes to the screen. This will be the 'Born of the Forth of July' or 'Full Metal Jacket' or of the millenium.

[Arugula Latte]

43. Jake Gyllenhal is the "jarhead" and he is liberal.

[ghostsofgiants]

46. Yep, a supporter of Not In Our Name and the ACLU.

[jonnyblitz]

51. YAY! donnie darko is in the movie!

the book was good and NOT pro-war, but that has been said a few times already, just adding my vote.

[SIU_Blue]

47. I cannot wait until Jarhead comes out

and we all go to see it, and it becomes either "the best war movie ever" or "I'd rather see a movie directed by Ann Coulter."

It's funny to see that "Liberals" and "Conservatives" often have the same fundamental problems amongst themselves.

The party of "Don't judge a book by its cover" becomes the party of "lets judge a movie by its trailer" :eyes:

:popcorn:

[Ryano42]

50. The small transport aircraft in the trailer...

are all 50's era POS C-123 Providers...the producers got ZERO help from anyone in the military.

Remember Top Gun or that terrible Owen Wilson re-ra war movie? They got everything they desired (aircraft carriers!) because they were both obiviously positive and could help recruiting. Just something to consider...

Blackhawk Down got nothing because it was a black eye on the military..

Even with severe man/machine shortages I am sure the Pentagon would divert resources to this if it would help opion and especially recruiting!


:freak:

[SIU_Blue]

52. good observation!!!!

though, they did show one scene with about 15 A-10's, which would be accurate. I wonder how they got those, maybe it was CGI.

[Deja Q]

54. There was no hint of a plot. Just one-liners ane boom-boom explosions.

Lamerz.

[NYC Liberal]

56. Aka, a trailer. That's all any trailer is anyway.

[Lisa]

55. Chris Cooper's in it, and he made an anti-war statement at the Oscars ...

He's definitely critical of Bush's policies.

[DainBramaged]

60. OohRah, Jamie Foxx, money for nothing and the fame is fleeting