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Valley of the Wolves: Iraq
So I heard Rover talking about this on my way to my son’s school.
Valley of the Wolves: Iraq (this goes to the low bandwidth site, for high bandwidth, go here) is a film that was made in Turkey. It’s the most expensive Turkish movie ever made - $10 Million.
The Washington Post says:
>U.S. soldiers shoot small children at point-blank range, harvest kidneys from Iraqi prisoners for shipment to Tel Aviv, blow a Muslim cleric out of his minaret and, to top it all off, display utter contempt for Turkish foreign policy. The feature film set a box office record in its first weekend, after opening in more theaters than any movie in Turkish history.
The American actors are Gary Busey and Billy Zane. They went to another country to make a movie that depicts U.S. soldiers as monsters during a time of war.
Would you have taken a role in the movie??
on February 14th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
I am against the war in Iraq, but I would have to say no, I would not take a role in the film. Our soldiers are there because they were ordered to be there. There are some who are “monsters” before they enter the military, and the effects of fear and war turns some soldiers into monsters if they weren’t already, but movies like this while showing the realities of war, damage the reputation of all American soldiers as a whole. There are atrocities committed on both sides. Are there any beheadings of hostages, or brutal slayings of American civilians and soldiers in this film? Without seeing the film it’s hard to be a fair judge but I would say that this film seems to be a biased anti-American film only.
on February 15th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Yeah, I’m interested in hearing more about this movie. But I have to say that I find it sad. I hate to see our men and women who are over there doing their jobs portrayed as organ theives and child murderers. I wonder how much Gary Busey and Billy Zane were paid to make their country look this way.
on February 16th, 2006 at 11:07 am
I think movies like this one are damned important, and yes, I would have taken the role. It is well-known that the american military lends its support (ie. allows the borrowing of tanks, etc.) only to movies that show the army in a positive light. This is why there are so few films that dare to connect the military to negative themes. The dissenting voice presented by the film regarding the American military is more important now than ever.
‘Freedom’ and ‘dissent’ are not separate entities. In a society where ‘freedom’ is a top priority, we must not only allow, but encourage ‘dissent’, to extend ‘freedom’ to those who don’t subscribe to the mainstream ideology.
I would also argue that there could be no better time to publicly voice dissent against the American Military, as this war is illegal.
The unfortunate thing is that the film depicts the wrongs committed by the soldiers, rather than the wrongs committed by the US government and the top military personnell. I’m sure we can all reason out that one caused the other and that this war is not the resposibility of American soldiers, rather the responsibility of pupeteers who hold the power.
on February 16th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
Calista, I can see your point.
You say:
The unfortunate thing is that the film depicts the wrongs committed by the soldiers, rather than the wrongs committed by the US government and the top military personnell.
I don’t think that it’s unfortunate, I think it’s terrible. I’m sure that I would have a different opinion if we weren’t at war (right or wrong), but the fact is that we are at war, and to depict the soldiers as organ theives is just disgusting. How many people out in the Middle East will see that movie and think that it’s all true? Will they be able to make a separation between soldiers and the administration? Do they see a difference between the two?
on February 24th, 2006 at 8:08 am
I have seen the movie and it has not change my mind regarding anti-americanism as I was already anti-american. All you have to do is watch the independed daily news everyday to see what Americans are doing around the world.
It is also hard to understand you Americans as most of your Hollywood movies are anti-arab, anti-muslim movies. When complain about it you talk about freedom of speach/press etc. One movie is anti-american you forget all about free speach and freedom of press. wakey wakey…isn’t this double standards…I recommend the movie all to see what really is happening in Iraq as we speak.