Vet. claims Avatar portrays marines as psycho...

Originally Posted by August

OTH, people can point at a pig and call it a duck but that don't make it an accurate identification.

The word "propaganda" implies government involvement and direction with the writing and production, and not just with technical details like what rifle or uniform is correct for the time period being portrayed but rather controlling the storyline itself to generate a particular impression on the countries involved. This does not happen in BoB. The government did not tell Ambrose what to write or Spielberg what to film.

So what you're saying is that it's 'mild' propaganda? They do have an agenda, the producers and financiers of present day Hollywood movies, just follow the money and you may find it.

[August]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

So what you're saying is that it's 'mild' propaganda? They do have an agenda, the producers and financiers of present day Hollywood movies, just follow the money and you may find it.

Ah I see, so you have no real clue, just a general belief that the evil US governments tentacles must be involved somehow in anything that remotely portrays my country or my people in a favorable manner.

Message understood.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Hello,
only some nitpicking:

" ... Only a few exceptions, like "Platoon", "Das Boot", or even "Full Metal Jacket" I thought were pretty good ..."

I second those were good ones, but "Das Boot" was a german production, NOT Hollywood
"Band of brothers" and "Saving Private Ryan", well while i think those are good entertaining films, there's not too much reality in them. Bit too much propaganda for my taste but entertaining films they are.


Greetings,
Catfish

..to nit-pick your nit-picking
I totally agree with your opinion of Ryan, not much reality there except for the violence, but I disagree on BoB. I have met personally several of the actual men and got to talk to them. There are parts of the show that are totally realistic (the history behind it). The directors changed weird things from the actual events. example: the nazi american guy from oregon. He was from Portland and not Eugene (as the show said.)

Originally Posted by August

Ah I see, so you have no real clue, just a general belief that the evil US governments tentacles must be involved somehow in anything that remotely portrays my country or my people in a favorable manner.

Message understood.

No you clearly misunderstood, possible due to low brain wattage or some other similar reason. Propagandistic messages aren't created and delivered only by nations, private companies and corporations also take part in the creation of propaganda.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by XabbaRus

Stalingrad is a German film too. Only the Germans could make a great film out of a battle where they got wiped out.

...and has a typical German ending. (good film though)

@xabbarus; which Russian warfilms do you like?

[Catfish]

Hello,
us germans also have some alert levels, from XabbaRus in another post:

"> The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful
> Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also
> have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose". "

Hehe sad endings have a tradition here, we are always working on perfecting those traditions and what we began. To be german means to do something for the sake of itself

B.t.w. I only meant this "propaganda" to be found in "Private Ryan", not "Band of Brothers" - and prop. is most probably not the right word, but PRyan makes the invasion and the figthing in Normandy look like a cake walk and heroic in a Hollywood way. And is there any real (non Hollywood) evidence that the US army gave a damn about whether one more member of a family died in the war, not mentioning sending out a unit to save him ?

Greetings,
Catfish

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Hello,
us germans also have some alert levels, from XabbaRus in another post:

"> The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful
> Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also
> have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose". "

Hehe sad endings have a tradition here, we are always working on perfecting those traditions and what we began. To be german means to do something for the sake of itself

B.t.w. I only meant this "propaganda" to be found in "Private Ryan", not "Band of Brothers" - and prop. is most probably not the right word, but PRyan makes the invasion and the figthing in Normandy look like a cake walk and heroic in a Hollywood way. And is there any real (non Hollywood) evidence that the US army gave a damn about whether one more member of a family died in the war, not mentioning sending out a unit to save him ?

Greetings,
Catfish

Maybe hollywood hoopla.

evidence that the US army gave a damn about whether one more member of a family died in the war

There is, but I doubt they would pull a ranger squad away from the invasion to go look for them.

[August]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

No you clearly misunderstood, possible due to low brain wattage or some other similar reason. Propagandistic messages aren't created and delivered only by nations, private companies and corporations also take part in the creation of propaganda.

Obviously we work from different dictionaries.

[Dowly]

Woot! OTH on it again!

[August]

Originally Posted by Catfish

but PRyan makes the invasion and the figthing in Normandy look like a cake walk and heroic in a Hollywood way.

That's amazing, did we even see the same movie? How can you describe the beach landing scene, or indeed any of the movies battle scenes, as a "cake walk"? In nearly every they lost people, and not in heroic ways either but bloody and horrific ways.

I saw Ryan when it came out in the movies. With a good surround sound system the opening scene was pretty good, and didn't have the usual CGI-overflow that many present day movies have.

However upon recent viewing I began to notice those 'cute' Spielberg-moments and the visceral impact of the opening scene had gone and I just remembered why he should stick to making movies about fluffy space aliens and the sort.

[Catfish]

Hello NikiMcBee,

You wrote:

" ... Maybe hollywood hoopla.
Quote:
' evidence that the US army gave a damn about whether one more member of a family died in the war '

There is, but I doubt they would pull a ranger squad away from the invasion to go look for them. ... "

I certainly meant sending out a ranger squad, not that they would not care about their dead soldiers, my fault sorry !

@August:
I still think that how the brave inspired US troops fought against this thoroughly villain, but however "helpless SS" doomed to lose, was not how it really was, as far as i read it was much more gruesome - both sides - but then you probably do not want to show this in a film.

Greetings,
Catfish

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

I saw Ryan when it came out in the movies. With a good surround sound system the opening scene was pretty good,

I thought the opening scene in the cemetery in Normandy was actually way too sentimental and had no real surround sound effects. The second scene when you see the landing on the other hand was not too badly done and the sound effects with a good surround system were excellent.

Originally Posted by TarJak

I thought the opening scene in the cemetery in Normandy was actually way too sentimental and had no real surround sound effects. The second scene when you see the landing on the other hand was not too badly done and the sound effects with a good surround system were excellent.

Oh yea the effing flag waving. And again in the end. And there's August claiming there's no propaganda in the movie.

[August]

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Oh yea the effing flag waving. And again in the end. And there's August claiming there's no propaganda in the movie.

I never claimed that. I disagreed with the idea that the battle scenes were depicted as "heroic cake walks". Do try to keep up.