WASHINGTON D.C. (Texas Insider Report) Clint Eastwoods latest movie American Sniper" with its six Oscar nominations has turned the story of Chris Kyle and his Navy SEAL career into one of the most successful war-portrayal box office smashes in history. God country family" is the films unofficial motto repeated several times by Kyle a proud Texan who is shown hunting and with a Bible close at hand.
The film opens a new front in the culture wars by reigniting debate over the Iraq War. And to critics like filmmaker Michael Moore the effort glorifies random violence in service of a lost and reckless cause in Iraq.
To supporters of the film including GOP figures like Sarah Palin the controversy illustrates a shameful lack of support for the military and the Iraq War among Hollywood leftists."
The film is striking a chord at a fragile time just weeks after terrorist attacks in Paris and a slew of new executions by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria raised questions about the threat from radical Islam.
And the controversy is promising to spill over into the wider political debate not to mention the looming Oscar fight by renewing old rifts between left and right coasts and heartland.
Actor Seth Rogen made waves when he said American Sniper" reminded him of a Nazi propaganda film depicted in the 2009 World War II film Inglourious Basterds." He walked back the comments after they prompted a backlash from country music star Craig Morgan actor Dean Cain and others.
Moores tweet that snipers arent heroes" brought Republican leaders into the fray including former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and several lawmakers who called Moore a coward."
The petulant knee-jerk backlash vs American Sniper is driven by fear of facing the idea that maybe our soldiers fought for a just cause" tweeted Dan McLaughlin a contributor at RedState.
The controversy over what the film stands for appears to be growing as attention rises from publications and major TV networks all of which are carrying stories about celebrities debate over American Sniper." There is precedent to suggest that President Obama could eventually face questions about the film.
Aspects of the movie seem tailored to appeal to conservatives.
It is directed by Eastwood a supporter of Mitt Romney who memorably criticized Obama by talking to an empty chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention.
God country family" is the films unofficial motto repeated several times by Kyle a proud Texan who is shown hunting and with a Bible close at hand.
The film tracks Kyles transition from minor success as a rodeo cowboy to his enlistment in the Navy and training as a SEAL. After four tours in Iraq and 160 confirmed kills as a sniper he is known as the legend" among his fellow troops.
The film struck a nerve with some commentators on the left who felt Eastwood an opponent of the Iraq War should have done more to challenge Kyles perspective which is presented as black and white.
While Kyle is shown facing painful decisions about killing women and children he repeatedly calls the insurgents savages" and evil."
The problem is that the film makes no attempt to tell us anything beyond Kyles limited comprehension of what was happening" wrote Peter Maass for The Intercept a publication founded by Glenn Greenwald.
Maass criticizes the movie which was based on Kyles best-selling autobiography for giving a grunts view that the people killed in Iraq were animals deserving their six-feet-under fate" without any further discussion or context.
Yet the film avoids speaking directly to the merits of the Iraq War and has won support from figures like Jane Fonda.
Critics have given it favorable views. On the Rotten Tomatoes website it gets favorable marks from 73 percent of critics though this is lower than its 89 percent favorable score from audiences.
Bradley Cooper a Democrat who stars as Kyle and helped produce the film said the movie was not intended to be political.
If its 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 doesnt go any farther than that" Cooper told The Daily Beast.
The beginning of Oscar season only promises to heighten the controversy. Hollywood trade publication TheWrap reported Sunday that Academy members are starting to pay attention to criticism of the film and of Kyle himself who wrote in his memoir that killing Iraqis was fun."
With an eye on next months awards proponents of American Sniper" are wary of the precedent of Zero Dark Thirty" another highly acclaimed film that ultimately failed at the Oscars due to political controversy over its story.
Like Zero Dark Thirty" Eastwoods film also lacks a best director nomination a rarity among films that go on to win Best Picture.
Mark Harris at Grantland said the debate will go much further than that.
Theres going to be more discussion all along the ideological spectrum about the degree to which American Sniper is in fact a conservative movie … in its relative lack of interest in the people Chris Kyle killed or the country in which they were killed or what we were doing there" Harris wrote.
The degree to which Kyles life should be memorialized as opposed to examined is an argument the films success will reignite rather than resolve.
WASHINGTON D.C. (Texas Insider Report) Clint Eastwoods latest movie American Sniper" with its six Oscar nominations has turned the story of Chris Kyle and his Navy SEAL career into one of the most successful war-portrayal box office smashes in history. God country family" is the films unofficial motto repeated several times by Kyle a proud Texan who is shown hunting and with a Bible close at hand.
The film opens a new front in the culture wars by reigniting debate over the Iraq War. And to critics like filmmaker Michael Moore the effort glorifies random violence in service of a lost and reckless cause in Iraq.
To supporters of the film including GOP figures like Sarah Palin the controversy illustrates a shameful lack of support for the military and the Iraq War among Hollywood leftists."
The film is striking a chord at a fragile time just weeks after terrorist attacks in Paris and a slew of new executions by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria raised questions about the threat from radical Islam.
And the controversy is promising to spill over into the wider political debate not to mention the looming Oscar fight by renewing old rifts between left and right coasts and heartland.
Actor Seth Rogen made waves when he said American Sniper" reminded him of a Nazi propaganda film depicted in the 2009 World War II film Inglourious Basterds." He walked back the comments after they prompted a backlash from country music star Craig Morgan actor Dean Cain and others.
Moores tweet that snipers arent heroes" brought Republican leaders into the fray including former Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) and several lawmakers who called Moore a coward."
The petulant knee-jerk backlash vs American Sniper is driven by fear of facing the idea that maybe our soldiers fought for a just cause" tweeted Dan McLaughlin a contributor at RedState.
The controversy over what the film stands for appears to be growing as attention rises from publications and major TV networks all of which are carrying stories about celebrities debate over American Sniper." There is precedent to suggest that President Obama could eventually face questions about the film.
Aspects of the movie seem tailored to appeal to conservatives.
It is directed by Eastwood a supporter of Mitt Romney who memorably criticized Obama by talking to an empty chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention.
God country family" is the films unofficial motto repeated several times by Kyle a proud Texan who is shown hunting and with a Bible close at hand.
The film tracks Kyles transition from minor success as a rodeo cowboy to his enlistment in the Navy and training as a SEAL. After four tours in Iraq and 160 confirmed kills as a sniper he is known as the legend" among his fellow troops.
The film struck a nerve with some commentators on the left who felt Eastwood an opponent of the Iraq War should have done more to challenge Kyles perspective which is presented as black and white.
While Kyle is shown facing painful decisions about killing women and children he repeatedly calls the insurgents savages" and evil."
The problem is that the film makes no attempt to tell us anything beyond Kyles limited comprehension of what was happening" wrote Peter Maass for The Intercept a publication founded by Glenn Greenwald.
Maass criticizes the movie which was based on Kyles best-selling autobiography for giving a grunts view that the people killed in Iraq were animals deserving their six-feet-under fate" without any further discussion or context.
Yet the film avoids speaking directly to the merits of the Iraq War and has won support from figures like Jane Fonda.
Critics have given it favorable views. On the Rotten Tomatoes website it gets favorable marks from 73 percent of critics though this is lower than its 89 percent favorable score from audiences.
Bradley Cooper a Democrat who stars as Kyle and helped produce the film said the movie was not intended to be political.
If its 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 doesnt go any farther than that" Cooper told The Daily Beast.
The beginning of Oscar season only promises to heighten the controversy. Hollywood trade publication TheWrap reported Sunday that Academy members are starting to pay attention to criticism of the film and of Kyle himself who wrote in his memoir that killing Iraqis was fun."
With an eye on next months awards proponents of American Sniper" are wary of the precedent of Zero Dark Thirty" another highly acclaimed film that ultimately failed at the Oscars due to political controversy over its story.
Like Zero Dark Thirty" Eastwoods film also lacks a best director nomination a rarity among films that go on to win Best Picture.
Mark Harris at Grantland said the debate will go much further than that.
Theres going to be more discussion all along the ideological spectrum about the degree to which American Sniper is in fact a conservative movie … in its relative lack of interest in the people Chris Kyle killed or the country in which they were killed or what we were doing there" Harris wrote.
The degree to which Kyles life should be memorialized as opposed to examined is an argument the films success will reignite rather than resolve.
