Not even trying to disguise it anymore: New movie uses real life Navy SEALS

[Hugabear]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/movies/act-of-valor-film-with-active-duty-members-of-navy-seals.html

By now, many of us have probably seen the trailers for the upcoming movie, Act of Valor. What makes this propaganda piece recruitment tool movie different from previous rah-rah military themed movies is its heavy use of active-duty soldiers. Not content to simply provide assistance, the Navy is using its actual special operations forces as the starring actors.

<snip>
Rear Adm. Denny Moynihan, of the Navy Office of Information in Washington, explained that every four years the Defense Department “looks at itself and says, ‘What is it that you need to be moving forward, and where do you think you are?’ ” He added, “For the Navy and the SEAL community it was, ‘Hey, you need 500 more SEALs’ and that launched a series of initiatives to try to attract more people. This film was one of those initiatives.”
<snip>


They're not even trying to disguise it anymore. Basically it's a feature-length recruitment tool.

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I saw a commercial for this recently. Looks like a pile of shit to me.

n/t

[surfdog]

2. I thought it was illegal

For the Pentagon to use propaganda against the American people

But here we are

[NutmegYankee]

8. Using movies for recruitment is legal, and in fact encouraged. nt

[Erose999]

3. Remind me to miss this film.

[Richardo]

4. That's what they said about 'Top Gun' too.

[Scuba]

5. Goebbels would be so proud.

[Dreamer Tatum]

6. Why did Obama allow this? nt

[lunatica]

10. How is he supposed to stop it?

The military recruiting young people is perfectly legal. What do you think these are:



And then, of course, sex sells:

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. DoD is a cabinet-level entity. DoD approved movie.

Do the arithmetic. Obama approved this, explicitly or implicitly.

[lunatica]

29. That doesn't answer my question about how he stops it

And why he should given the military industrial complex and attitude this country has.

I truly doubt they even asked him.

[Hugabear]

18. HUGE difference between recruitment posters and feature length movies

Especially when the movie is packaged and presented as entertainment.

I also have just as big of a problem - perhaps even bigger - with Pentagon involvement in producing military-themed videogames geared towards young people.

[lunatica]

30. There's not that much of a difference

If you don't think the military took photos and video for war propaganda then you've never seen the newsreels they used to show people who had gone to see movies.

And the Nazis also made films

This is not new nor will it go away no matter how much we don't like it.

This is how they get young people to sign up. By glorifying war and killing.

And John Wayne movies worked to recruit soldiers too and they were considered 'entertainment'.

[Occulus]

36. "One of these things is not like the other...."

[DCKit]

21. They're not above a bit of homoerotica either.... when it suits the purpose. nt

[2ndAmForComputers]

13. Because he micromanages everything.

In fact, he personally ordered that the Post Office delay that bill you paid last month just to screw with you.

[WilliamPitt]

15. Good Lord.

[Dreamer Tatum]

16. So you think Obama DIDN'T know about a multimillion dollar movie using real SEALS.

Ummmmm....OK.

Gee, what else happens at a Cabinet level that he doesn't know about?

[Angleae]

38. It's quite possible that SecDef didn't know about it until afterwards.

It's even possible that SecNav & the CNO didn't. The highest ranking person that would have to be notified would likely be a two star (commander of navy recruitment or chief of naval information). He, or his flunkies gets with JAG and asks if it's legal, then asks public affairs about possible political fallout then orders it done.

[raouldukelives]

7. Well they are our Nations Pride. nt

[zbdent]

9. Why would they have to make a recruitment film?

I mean, aren't they turning away overwhelming numbers of young Republican/TEAParty/Conservative types who are eager to rush into combat and have their asses shot at and possibly killed or horribly maimed in the defense of oil companies ...

oh, never mind. I just answered my own question ... the would actually have to put their money where their mouths are when it came to supporting the military ...

[jeff47]

11. I'd rather pay SEALs for the movie than actors.

If you start from the assumption that a military movie is going to be made, and they have been since movies were invented, might as well pay SEALs instead of actors.

[Hugabear]

19. Well that's one way to get around the whole pesky actor's union

Just don't use actors.

[RZM]

25. Are you sure they didn't have to get SAG cards?

I don't know about that. I have no inside information, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did get them.

[jeff47]

34. As the sibling mentioned, I wouldn't be surprised if they have SAG cards now (nt)

[graywarrior]

17. There's another one being filmed now called Code Name: Geronimo

http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2012/02/04/code-name-geronimo-begins-filming-at-a-former-prison-in-santa-fe-nm/

One of my favorite actors is in it.

[DCKit]

20. I've also noticed, over the past 30 years or so, that war toys become popular...

when the NeoCons are in power, in tandem with the war propaganda released by Hollywood.

Just an observation.

[Hugabear]

22. Don't forget videogames

Military-themed videogames (ie Call of Duty, Battlefield) absolutely skyrocketed while Bush was in office. Not coincidentally, most of these videogames take place in the Middle East, allowing boys and young men to shoot up brown-skinned folks to their little hearts delight.

[Muskypundit]

37. That doesnt account for the hundreds of millions those games make outside the u.s

But, yeah sure, we play video games because we are all racist mother fuckers who want nothing more than to kill people different than us. Shit. That must be why everyone joins the military too. This level of ignorance is not ignorance... It's a fucking art, isn't it.

[RZM]

26. Kids didn't dress up as cowboys and play with toy six-shooters before 1982?

Westerns were quite popular on radio, television and in theaters for a long time. It's nothing new.

[DCKit]

28. Even then, it was a much kinder and gentler slaughtering of the Injuns.

There was almost always a component of morality to westerns, even their depiction as "Noble Savages". It's no-holds-barred when it's Muslims (or hookers and drug dealers).

None of our famous western stars would have got any traction slaughtering women and children, even as collateral damage.

[RZM]

32. I'm going to have to remember that line :)

I'm not aware of any mainstream Hollywood films where Americans killing women and children is portrayed positively.

Granted I'm not an action fan, but I can't name any film that portrays civilian deaths that way. Can you?

In fact, I can't even think of a recent WWII movie that does that, despite the fact that the US was responsible for quite a few civilian deaths in that war. Remember 'Memphis Belle?' I recall a scene where one crew member wants to just forget about the target and unload the bombs over a German city so they can get the hell out of there. He's overruled because other crew members argue that it would be immoral to do that to the civilian population.

And 'The Pacific' emphasized the suffering of Okinawan civilians and made sure it greatly affected the main character.

[Johnny Rico]

23. There have been (to use your phrase) feature-length recruitment tools for decades.

1927:



1942:



1955:



1968:



1986:



2001:



All made with extensive support from the US armed forces. This is nothing new...

[Hugabear]

24. How many of those films featured actual active duty soldiers as the main actors?

I know there has been heavy military involvement with Hollywood films over the years. The point is, this new movie takes that involvement to a whole new level. For example, in "Top Gun" - the main actors are still Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer - not active duty pilots. Sure, you might see stock footage of real Air Force jets - but the film doesn't feature those active duty pilots.

[Johnny Rico]

31. General James Stewart comes to mind.

He was active in the Air Force Reserve during the '50s and '60s, and actually flew as an observer on a B-52 bombing mission in the Vietnam War. To be fair, I can't think of any beyond that...while WW2 films may featured active duty soldiers, I can't think of any that had them as leading actors.

Sure, you might see stock footage of real Air Force jets - but the film doesn't feature those active duty pilots.

In some films, it went way beyond stock footage. In the film "The Final Countdown", most of the film was shot on the Nimitz with full cooperation from the Navy. Many of the crew members were used as extras, a few with speaking parts. What's more, the footage of F-14s vs Japanese Zeros was not stock footage, and while shooting one scene an F-14 almost crashed.

[RZM]

27. Don't forget 'Black Hawk Down'

You're right, it's nothing new at all. If anything, I'd say it's an improvement to actually use real soldiers on camera and not just as behind-the-scenes advisers.

I say who cares. Action movies have been around for a long time and will be for some time to come. This is just another one with a new shtick.

Maybe now at least now the characters won't endure hours of combat with their hair looking perfect the whole time

[Noodleboy13]

33. They should show it in conjuction with "Restrepo"

A powerful documentary that shows what combat does to young men.

I needed a quiet walk around the lake after watching that one.


peace,
Noodleboy

[hootinholler]

35. Audie Murphy n/t