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American Sniper, anti-war, Billy Hallowell, Blaze.com, Bradley Cooper, Chris Kyle, Clint Eastwood, George W. Bush, Iraq War, Jason Hall, Mediaite, Michael Moore, Navy SEALS, politicians, PopPolitics, Producers Guild Awards (PGA), SiriusXM, Ted Johnson, Variety.com, veterans, war, Yahoo! News
The following are two articles elaborating on the anti-war elements of “American Sniper.” –SB
1.)
Blaze.com
Entertainment
Clint Eastwood Reveals ‘Biggest Anti-War Statement’ That Can Be Found in ‘American Sniper’
Jan. 26, 2015 10:23am Billy Hallowell
Some critics have lambasted Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” for purportedly glorifying war, but the famed movie director recently revealed what he believes to be the “biggest anti-war statement” that can be found embedded in the record-breaking film.
“The biggest anti-war statement is what [war] does to the families left behind,” Eastwood said at Saturday’s Producers Guild Awards nominees breakfast, according to Variety.
Similarly, Yahoo! News quoted the “American Sniper” director as saying that the “biggest anti-war statement any film” can offer up is the “fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did.”
In making the film, which tells the story of famed Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, Eastwood said that meeting the late military hero’s family members was important to the process for both him and actor Bradley Cooper, who portrayed Kyle on screen. [ For movie trailer, see: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/26/clint-eastwood-reveals-biggest-anti-war-statement-that-can-be-found-in-american-sniper/ ]
So, the two went to Texas to meet Kyle’s wife, children and extended family members before filming “American Sniper.”
“I thought I’d better meet the rest of the family and see what they looked like and that would probably dictate the casting and to see what Mrs. Kyle was like,” Eastwood said. “I went down there and met the mother and father and their grandkids. It was of great value to [Bradley] because he could get into the history of the family and their feelings about the whole situation. It was a very pleasant experience from beginning to end.”
Screenwriter Jason Hall made similar comments earlier this month when he told Variety’s “PopPolitics” that the lives of Kyle and his fellow soldiers, as depicted in the film, counter any images that might be seen as glorifying war.
“The cost is man, the toll is man, and it’s this man and every other soldier that fights,” Hall told the outlet. “If we understand that, maybe we won’t be so hasty into jumping into war, and if we understand that, maybe we’ll find a way of welcoming [veterans] home better.”
Hall added that he personally didn’t entirely understand the Iraq War, but that he believes in supporting the troops once battle begins. The screen writer added that “soldiers don’t choose their war; war chooses them or their politicians choose the war.”
Listen to Hall make these comments below: [ For audio recording, see: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/01/26/clint-eastwood-reveals-biggest-anti-war-statement-that-can-be-found-in-american-sniper/ ]
Emotions surrounding “American Sniper” — from support for the film to claims that it inaccurately portrays Kyle and the Iraq War — are complex and diverse, with some like filmmaker Michael Moore responding by issuing attacks.
“Instead of being a sniper to protect our troops, I tried to save their lives by stopping Bush from sending them to their deaths in Iraq,” Moore tweeted over the weekend.
(H/T: Mediaite)
2.)
Variety.com
PopPolitics: Screenwriter Jason Hall on Why ‘American Sniper’ Is Anti-War (Listen)
January 10, 2015 | 01:44PM PT
Jason Hall, the screenwriter of “American Sniper,” says that while the movie features harrowing scenes of combat, he also set out to convey the toll of the Iraq War on its central figure, Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL considered to be the most lethal sniper of the modern American military.
While there has been some criticism that the movie glorifies some of the deadly battles as the U.S. fought insurgents during its occupation of Iraq, Hall, in an interview with Variety‘s “PopPolitics” on SiriusXM this week, says that it’s countered by the movie’s focus on the personal life of Kyle and other fellow soldiers.
“The cost is man, the toll is man, and it’s this man and every other soldier that fights,” Hall says. “If we understand that, maybe we won’t be so hasty into jumping into war, and if we understand that, maybe we’ll find a way of welcoming [veterans] home better.”
Hall said that he initially “didn’t totally understand” the war in Iraq, but coming from a family with a military background, he understood that, once U.S. military action began there, it was important to support the soldiers. “I’m very aware those soldiers don’t choose their war; war chooses them,” he said.
Listen below: [ For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]
Director Clint Eastwood has said that he was opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which may be a surprise given his history of support for Republican candidates (and appearance at the 2012 GOP convention).
Hall, meanwhile, says that “American Sniper” may generate different reactions from different moviegoers, as well as provoke debate over the American experience in Iraq. He says the movie is “a new perspective of a war we are still trying to understand,” because of its focus on the soldiers.
In developing the script, the first challenge Hall had was gaining Kyle’s trust. Their first meeting wasn’t going so well until Hall took an unusual action: He put one of Kyle’s friends in a headlock.
Listen below: [ For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]
Hall describes his final contact with Kyle in 2013, just as he was turning in the first draft of the screenplay. The next day, Kyle was murdered at a Texas shooting range by a veteran he was trying to help.
Listen below: [ For full article, see: http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/poppolitics-jason-hall-why-american-sniper-is-anti-war-1201399776/ ]
“PopPolitics,” hosted by Ted Johnson, airs on SiriusXM’s POTUS Channel on Thursdays at 11 a.m. PT and Fridays at 3 p.m. PT, as well as on demand.
