‘Sniper’ shows polarization of society
Print Edition
CLINT Eastwood’s hit film “American Sniper” has reignited a bitter debate about the US invasion of Iraq and one of its most famous warriors, with conservatives hailing the movie as a long overdue tribute to veterans.
Critics on the left have slammed the popular film as an attempt to whitewash the history of the American occupation of Iraq and say the subject of the movie, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, deserves no hero treatment for his handiwork as a deadly sniper.
Directed by Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, the film has broken box office records and is based on Kyle’s best-selling memoir, in which he expressed no regrets for the lives he extinguished as a sharpshooter in the war.
The right-leaning National Review called the film a “cultural moment.”
“The movie gives America something it’s lacked since the start of the war — a war hero on a truly national, cultural scale,” David French wrote.
The film has been nominated for six Oscars, including for best film and best actor. And both Eastwood and Cooper insist the movie is not meant to deliver any political message.
Cooper said that “for me, and for Clint, this movie was always a character study about what the plight is for a soldier.”
But a war of words has erupted over the movie and its protagonist, exposing polarized views of the country’s wars since 9/11.
Filmmaker Michael Moore created a storm when he appeared to dismiss the movie, tweeting snipers were “cowards.”
“My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren’t heroes,” he wrote.
Conservatives and a slew of celebrities quickly shot back at Moore on social media, with former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin castigating “Hollywood leftists.”
Former soldiers have tended to give it high marks. But at least one US Marine who fought in Iraq 10 years ago was not impressed. He said Iraqis are given no voice in the film.
“I stopped believing in good guys and bad guys because of my experience in Iraq,” Caputi said.
In his memoir, Kyle — a former professional rodeo rider — expressed only pride about his war record and his targeting of what he called “savages.”
He is believed to have taken out 255 people with his rifle, and the Pentagon officially credited Kyle with 160 confirmed kills — making him the deadliest sniper in American military history.
Kyle was killed on February 2, 2013 by a former US soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress who is due to be tried next month.
Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq war veteran and head of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the movie reflected what many soldiers thought about the conflict in the Middle East.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
