Posted on 10/15/2005 6:10:31 PM PDT by Hildy
I Love This Place!!!
How crazy are you? Have you seen the movie...did you read what he said? All I have to say is ... wow. if if if...
I think that needs to be restated.
Can we authenticate these messages? Do we know he wrote them? Would an educated man write "cowardness" for cowardice, or "should" for showed?
Believe me, he wrote it. You'll just have to take my word for it.
If you're vouching for it, I'll accept that. I guess becoming a billionaire requires a "big picture" approach, rather than a schlub like me who sweats the small stuff. ;O)
You said it, not me. :))
Then, he is called several obscene names and violently nabbed by American agents. We next see secular, innocent Hassan in a dark Karachi, Pakistan dungeon--questioned, tortured, and mutilated. Throughout the film we are treated to views of his various ugly scars and his flashbacks of the torture.
I really doubt Schlussel is lying. Perhaps you think she is. Knock yourself out.
A main character subjected to torture speaks volumes about the the dramatist's intention in establishing audience sympathy. These tricks are as old as Hollywood, indeed, as old as Greek tragedy.
See post #29..
Thanks for clarifying and I had a feeling Debbie was off base. I don't always agree with Mark Cuban but he is not stupid. He understands where his "bread is buttered." Dallas is a very conservative town and he could not afford to make a pro-terrorist or pro-Islam movie.
Website is here:
http://movies.aol.com/movie/main.adp?mid=23490
Schlussel does have a point here.
You're going to judge an entire movie by an 8 minute trailer?
No, you are missing the point. The point is that Hassan is the central character. He is the one we observe through the life of the film...and his motivation to take his actions, whatever they are, are generated on false pretenses, that he was kidnapped and tortured by Americans (through a Paki proxy).
One of Schlussell's points is that this false pretense is not a good basis for the action in the film. And I think this is a valid point. Instead, it tries to plan the age old argument of "America made them through America's actions" as opposed to the jihadists making themselves through a corrupt culture and taking on a violent religious POV.
The producers of the film seem to have the mantra "we must know our enemy", but Hassan's motivator is not the motivator of our enemy, though they would love for it to truly be.
I do plan to go see it, for it did look like the acting was credible, and the subject matter disturbing enough to provoke thought, but based on what I am seeing as indicators for Hassan's driving force, I would hope people would acknowledge it as flawed, for I do believe it is.
He said he picked it up after nobody else would. It looks pretty good but I've never heard of it, have you? Why do you think that is?
Bttt
However, it does use the kidnapping/torture angle introduced as his motivation. And at several moments in the film he flashes back to this event to fuel himself.
It really is a shame, because there are also scenes which indicate his interpretation of Islam is a motivator. But this is overshadowed by the vindictive element. It only begins to explore what I think should have been examined deeper.
So I think the writers did themselves a disservice with the kinapping/torture part, because in the end it really did not add to the plot, and it made the character less realistic, less believable. And it obviously points to a blame American syndrome, when there are more complex issue I would have wnated it to explore. One can only question why...
I would recommend it to all as an interesting film. I don't think it is going to convince anyone to go blow themselves up.
Thanks, I'm going to send your post to Mark. Being you're one of the few who actually SAW the movie, it means the most.
I generally find Debbie to be spot on, and Mark Cuban is a jackass, so I'd have to see the film to know for sure.
one more time...
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