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Since I am a non-American, hence atypical consumer of Hollywood confection, one thing
caught my attention in the movie "Three Kings". In an amazing fashion, director
David O. Russel portrays Americans in the eyes of the other nations of the world. In one
moment, they are just cold bystanders, in the very next they become miraculous liberators,
but not long after that, they are demoted to calculated politicians. America and its Army
is represented in this movie by four soldiers, led by Archie Gates (George Clooney). In
the chaos that followed the Gulf War cease-fire agreement, they are looking for enormous
quantities of gold stolen from Kuwaiti sheiks by Sadam’s soldiers. The truce itself
is on their side, because it prevents Sadam’s forces to interfere, but they gladly
help load the truck. Things are not exactly that simple, as our heroes are about to find
out. In the twists and turns that ensue, they will become a biblical metaphor in the
middle of the Muslim country - three heroes bringing gifts. Gifts of life to Iraqi
refugees and gifts of wealth (back) to Kuwait. What really shocks in the movie "Three
Kings" is total neglect for Pan-American propaganda that bends the backs of such
powerful Hollywood directors (see "Saving Private Ryan"... if you have to).
"Three Kings" is much more accurate movie than most than we saw in the last
couple of years. Not only because it projects the horrors of war through an isolated group
of characters, but the humor that goes with that horror. Then again, the dilemmas of the
main protagonists are not the distant, however glorious, past of World War II, but
today’s everyday life in America. This movie even describes cynically that there is
no such thing as a glorious past in any war. Of course, that flavor of black comedy makes
this movie so controversial that it would be a true miracle if it maintains a strong
presence in the box-office, let alone be a contender for awards. I’ll be cheering for
it because it is honest and fair, and I have the right to believe that honesty and
fairness are values that still have a meaning somewhere in show-business. Besides,
it’s a funny movie.
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Kao neamerickom, pa tako i
netipicnom konzumentu holivudske konfekcije, jedna stvar mi je zapala za oko u "Three
Kings". Na zadivljujuci nacin, reditelj David O. Russel prikazuje Amerikance onako
kako ih vide druge nacije na svijetu. Oni su u jednom trenutku hladni posmatraci, vec u
sljedecem cudesni oslobodioci, ali nedugo zatim kalkulantski politicari. Ameriku i njenu
armiju u ovom filmu predstavljaju cetiri vojnika, koje predvodi Archie Gates (George
Clooney). U haosu uslijedilom nakon primirja izmedju Amerike i Iraka 1991, oni tragaju za
golemim kolicinama zlata koje je Sadam Hussein oteo od kuvajtskih seika. Na njihovoj
strani je upravo to primirje, koje sprjecava Sadamove vojnike da se mijesaju, vec im cak i
pomazu pri utovaru kamiona. Stvari nisu sasvim jednostavne, kako ce nasi heroji ubrzo
utvrditi. U zapetljanom razvoju dogadjaja, oni ce postati neobicna biblijska metafora
usred zemlje muslimana - tri heroja koja nose darove. Darove zivota irackim izbjeglicama,
a bogatstva Kuvajtu. No,
ono sto zaista sokira u filmu "Three Kings" je potpuno zanemarivanje sveamericke
propagande kojoj se povinuju i najutjecajniji holivudski reditelji (vidi "Saving
Private Ryan"). "Three Kings" je mnogo precizniji ratni film od mnogih koje
smo vidjeli u posljednjih nekoliko godina, jednostavno zato sto izoluje ogranicenu grupu
ljudi i kroz nju prikazuje kako stravu i uzas rata, tako i humor koji njegove protagoniste
odrzava mentalno zdravim. Dileme glavnih junaka nisu daleka proslost Drugog svjetskog
rata, vec danasnja americka svakodnevnica. Naravno, to ovaj film cini i tako kontroverznim
da ce biti pravo cudo ako se odrzi na trzistu, a kamoli bude u konkurenciji za nagrade. Ja
cu navijati za njega zato sto je iskren i posten, a imam pravo vjerovati da su iskrenost i
postenje vrijednosti koje se jos negdje cijene u show-businessu. |