New war movie trends

[Dano]

Now, just you American rascals wait until we here in the UK make a film about (insert conflict where US was: not involved/beaten/not in existence) and make *you* the baddies!
*****  Haha!  Just make sure you put "Inspired by the works of Melvin Gibson" in the opening credits.  

In the spirit of U-571, you could make a movie about the British liberation of the Philippines.

[Funk, E.]

It is an unfortunate trend to attribute all modivations to the external qualities of characters instead of their motivations. I blame lame actors, writers and directors who can give characters depth.

We as a viewing audience have been reduced to pinning our reactions to blantent visual cues. Man in black bad, but black man can't be bad or it's racist. WTF

[Squishy]

Funk, E. wrote: "We as a viewing audience have been reduced to pinning our reactions to blantent visual cues. Man in black bad, but black man can't be bad or it's racist. WTF"

It's not quite THAT bad. After all, Denzel Washington just took an Oscar for playing a VERY bad man, and Michael Clarke Duncan is about to lay that embarrasing "Green Mile" caricature to rest by playing The Kingpin in "Daredevil." Billy Dee Williams was deeply disappointed that his "Batman" character was taken over by Tommy Lee Jones for "Batman Forever," but at least he got to play his own two-faced creep--for a few minutes, anyway, before joining the Good Side--in "The Empire Strikes Back."

People who have seen their races depicted for decades solely as degrading stereotypes--"inscrutible" or treacherous Orientals, slow-witted servile Negroes (the ones that weren't rapacious cannibals), or lazy, dirty Mexicans, etc. etc. etc., all with the "funny" talk and mannerisms--may still be on guard against a return to that kind of non-thinking, which can lead to overreaction (such as Jackson and Shapton's silly "Barbershop" backfire), but I think we're doing okay. We're at the stage where we can feel comfortable actually indulging a stereotype--like the "jive" passengers in "Airplane," for example--because we (well, most of us, anyway*) know it's not true...it's a very groovy time to be alive, baby.

Right now, there's some controversy because TV is showing its usual scarcity of diverse characters--except on UPN, where most "Black peoples is fun-kaaay"--but at least it's not like every "minority" on telly is a knife-wielding mugger. It's when those kind of stereotypes are taken--and intended--seriously that things are going to get really ugly.

(Getting back on the "war" wagon)  One of the key parts of past warfare has been using propaganda to dehumanize/demonize the enemy. As this becomes harder and harder to do, those waging the war have to work harder to justify a war through legitimate means. I just wish more cultures could go to such lengths as Hollywood does to humanize "the enemy"...
______________________________________

*Interview I'd Like To See:

Trent: "You know, if we had elected this man thirty years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today."
Interviewer: "What mess is that?"
Trent: "You know...with all these damned uppity smartassed (bleeeep)s not knowing their place and all."
Interviewer: "Wh...what?"
Trent: "Wait...did I SAY that, or just think it? Oh God! Get out of here! Get out of here! I didn't say that! I DIDN'T! You have to cut it out! I'll give you money! Gimme that tape! I can have you killed! POLICE!! RAPE! RAAAAAAAPE!"
Tom Daschle: "I'm certain he meant nothing by what he said. I shall now roll over and play dead. I'm a GOOD dog."
Interviewer: "This is (bleeeeep)ing insane."
_______________________________________

Favorite Moment of Crap TV:

I saw one--only one--episode of "21 Jump Street," and it's burned into my memory. The "kid cops" infiltrate a school being torn apart by a conflict over "interracial dating." At the end of the episode, one of the girls being "protected" by the racist troublemakers gives a brief, passionate anti-racism speech to the school. At this point, the chief racist--who had just shot another student in the groin with a slingshot, giggling all the while--suddenly becomes ashamed and looks at his feet, throwing the slingshot in the trash. I laughed for a half hour, easy. OMG, if only it were THAT EASY. (Henceforth, I called this the LAHF cliche, for "Looks At His Feet.")

[Fearless Freep]

I just wish more cultures could go to such lengths as Hollywood does to humanize "the enemy"...

Unfortunately, they aren't really doing it for altruistic reasons.

The same Hollywood that 'humanizes the enemy" is the same Hollywood that uses racial criteria for roles.  Ask Salma Hayek about how hard it is for a Hispanic actor or actress to get a role other than menial labor in Hollywood. Or Halle Barry railing against racism in Hollywood when receiving her Oscar.

Imagine this scenario in any business:

Hiring Manager: Hm..I see you have a masters degree in business law, but..your Hispanic so here's your broom, there's a spill in the break room.

For every Denzel Washington who can rise above that there are a hundred "token black guys" who are the first to die.

It's hard to take Hollywood seriously at "humanizing the enemy" when they spend so much time dehumanizing everyone else.