By Rob on Thursday, August 30, 2001 - 12:27 pm:
For my money you have to go back to Platoon or Full Metal Jacket to get anything resembling decent modern combat footage. Its a shame because I'ld love to see a modern SPR-styled movie. After Viet Nam, the most adaptable conflicts might be Israeli-Arab. Although, I would be pretty happy to sit through a Falkland Island war movie. "Sir, Exocet missile off the port bow!"
By Robert Mayer on Thursday, August 30, 2001 - 01:03 pm:
We'll see how "Blackhawk Down" does I guess.
By XtienMurawski on Thursday, August 30, 2001 - 02:25 pm:
I'm actually concerned that Black Hawk Down is going to be too jingoistic. One of the great things about the book is that it does convey the muddy politics and morality of the situation. The situation was a complex one. It would be a shame if it was just reduced to Lee Greenwood simplicity.
-Amanpour
By Robert Mayer on Thursday, August 30, 2001 - 03:15 pm:
Agreed.
By mtkafka (Mtkafka) on Friday, August 31, 2001 - 01:11 am:
I think, most likely, Scott will do a good job with Black Hawk Down. I dont think the guy is a right wing jingoistic type... though his views may be conservative they aren't exactly jingoistic imo. I mean, his brother Tony is Gay.. so he can't be totally right wing.. can he?
Oh and if you really want to experience a war just go and play Operation Flashpoint. That should satisfy the bloodlust in us all! OFP is STILL getting alot of play from me. Plus the new additions of the humvee, Apache 64 and Chinook are way cool. The chinook is a huge chopper that can carry more than 2 squads!
Also, they can make a BHD mission for OFP. It could be done (though putting in a few thousand civilians would LAG you to hell).
Also again, i rewatched Sgt York with Gary Cooper... some of the best WW1 combat scenes i have seen... a Howard Hawks movie. Paths of GLory possibly ripped off Sgt Yorks battle scenes.
etc
By XtienMurawski on Friday, August 31, 2001 - 05:52 pm:
Not only is Tony gay, he's Gay with a capital 'G'! So that totally indicates Ridley's political leanings.
I don't think whether BHD winds up being jingoistic in this case is necessarily a function of this director's politics. I'm more concerned with his filmmaking abilities/proclivities, and the tendency for mass market films to dumb things down. Sound-bite packaging and the slick commercial filmmaking style that hallmarks so many big commercial films are not exactly compatible with polical and moral nuance.
-Amanpour