Posted on 07/14/2007 10:31:24 AM PDT by pabianice
Cannot post due to Navy Times copyright whining. Story deals with new movie dramatizing the story of LTJG Dieter Dengler, one of just a few to escape from a Communist POW camp. Critics of movie claim it is dishonest and distorted.
I notice the movie has had very good reviews. So should do well at the box office.
I read a very positive reviews.
It is a dramatization by Werner Herzog of his documentary "Little Dieter Needs To Fly". Within his documentary were some admittedly staged devices (like Dieter repeatedly opening doors, and the house belonged to someone else).
I think that the Left hates this new film because the soldier was unrepentant, Werner (who lives in America these days) is not critical of the Vietnam War or those who fought in it, and because of the horrors it exposes the enemy of employing (what we commonly call GENUINE war crimes).
The criticisms are that one character is “misrepresented” as suffering demented ticks of some sort while his brother says he was helping people in the prison. Going crazy under pressure is understandable and crazy does not equal stupid.
It could also be dramatic license and I could see how it is offensive to the family.
Another complaint is that there were SEVEN prisoners, not the SIX depicted in the film. The octopus in It Came From Beneath The Sea only had 5 tentacles too (the others were “not shown”, the model only had 5).
And in one incident that Dieter ran off when his co-POW was slaugthered by a village while in the film he is shown to attempt to help fight the villager.
The critics say it devalues the contributions of all the POWs. What contributions to the US military? Contributions to the escape? Only Dieter made it back alive. He’s told their story in a documentary made by the same filmmaker.
When the people are tortured in the POW camp, how do these elements reduce their pains?
I think that the art theater crowd feels cheated by “one of their own” who went and made a war film.
Is the Navy Times on our side?
Gannett paper, isn't it? Gannett sux.
Navy Times is published by the same company as USA Today/USA P’tooey.
Did USA Today or the Navy Times ever give favorable press to the criticisms that the Swift Boat veterans had of John F. Kerry and his revisionist historical accounts and false witness before Congress?
All Naval Aviators in Vietnam were required to read “The Dengler Debrief”. It was classified “Confidential” at the time, and it was one hellava story.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.