AMERICAN SNIPER vs FURY

AMERICAN SNIPER vs FURY I made a mistake and paid to see American Sniper ... No matter how I queried I was not invited to any press screening. Clint Eastwood like his films or not is a master of craft and since I was putting the finishing touches on my Reel Deal: Movies that Matter: Best Films of 2014  I felt I should see it. MISTAKE! The press people must have know I would hate it. I did.The kind of mixture of blind Patriotism and hyper-masculinity is the breeding ground of bullies, tea party politics and the mentality that creates the police code of honor that makes some cops them think they are above the law. Based on a true story, I do not mean to say the "hero" played quite remarkably by a bulked up (30 lbs) Bradley Cooper, was not a good intentioned man. But war destroyed a part that had survived his father's training. and made him less a complete human than he was before he went on his four tours of Iraq.Again another Clint idea of awomen. Despite his casting Sienna Miller, another strong actress, we have a female character that as written and directed is so one dimensional and pregnant . It was disturbing to see how Eastwoodm, like Chaney and  has dehumanized the Iraq people. There were no sympathetic Iraqis. Within 20 minutes in and 8 minutes in Iraq, Bradly Cooper's character has "taken out " his first two killings: a woman and a boy.And than there is the cinematic tension between the Iraq sniper who has very very long eyelashes and is the enemy and and Cooper the hero  doing the same kind of killing. Clint sets the tone. How we bring up boys concerns me . I believe boys and girls are different ..their bodies both externally and most importantly internally are different as are their nervous systems and and their hormonal and genetic make up. I am not talking about gender expression. Chelsea/Bradley Manning is a very brave and strong soldier. Anyway I endured the 2 hour + film and was angry when I left the theater. There is a very good movie about about soldiers and bonding and loyalty. It stars Brad Pitt along with Shai LaBouef and new comer Logan Lerman. FURY was written and directed by directed by David Ayer  I think FURY is far superior in exploring soldiers and their relationships to each other and their commander who above all else wants to keep his soldiers alive. Values that are not specifically gendered but certainly are the a prime turf of what I call masculine in the Jungian definition which can be male or female expression.

AMERICAN SNIPER trailer 

FURY trailer