Redacted (film)

Infobox Film
name = Redacted


image_size =
caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Brian De Palma
producer = Laird Adamson
Mark Cuban
Jason Kliot
Christopher Matson
Gretchen McGowan
Simone Urdl
Joana Vicente
Todd Wagner
Jennifer Weiss
writer = Brian De Palma
narrator =
starring = Kel O'Neill
Daniel Steward Sherman
music =
cinematography = Jonathon Cliff
editing = Bill Pankow
distributor = Magnolia Pictures [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ Retrieved 2007-09-12]
released =
runtime = 90 min.
country = USA
CAN
language = English
budget = $5 million
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.redactedmovie.com
amg_id = 1:387268
imdb_id = 0937237

"Redacted" is a film written and directed by Brian De Palma that is a fictional drama loosely based on the Mahmudiyah killings in Iraq.Abdul-Ahad, Ghaith. This film is a companion to an earlier film by De Palma: Casualties of War. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1926954,00.html "We have been silent about many crimes but we will not stand rape"] . "The Guardian", 20 October 2006.] cite news
first=
last=
author=Josh White
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/03/AR2006070301206.html
title=Ex-Soldier Charged in Killing of Iraqi Family
work=
publisher=The Washington Post
pages=
page=A01
date=July 3, 2006
accessdate=2007-10-16] This film, which is a companion to an earlier film by De Palma, 1989's "Casualties of War", was shot in Jordan.cite news
first = Silvia | last = Aloisi
title = "Redacted" stuns Venice
url = http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL3190384420070831?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&rpc=22
publisher = Reuters
date= 2007-08-31
accessdate = 2007-08-31 ]

"Redacted" premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, where it earned a Silver Lion "best director" award.cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2165582,00.html|title=Brutal Iraq film is Venice hit: Award for real-life story of rape by US soldiers|date=2007-09-09|publisher=The Guardian|author=Jason Solomons] It was also shown at the Toronto Film Festival, the New York Film Festival and the Independent Film Festival of Buenos Aires, Argentina (BAFICI). The film opened in Spain, and in fifteen theaters in limited release in the United States on November 16, 2007. The film has received mixed reactions from critics [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-11-26 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] and a poor financial response in its limited U.S. release [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/27/wmovies128.xml Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US] , The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.] cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/23/MNJNTG272.DTL|title=Iraq war is hell on the bottom line at the box office|author=Joe Garofoli|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2007-11-23]

Reception

Critical reception

"Redacted" has received mixed reviews. Michael Medved said "it could be the worst movie I've ever seen". [cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11252007/gossip/pagesix/de_palma_iraq_flick_bombs_582058.htm |title=De Palma Iraq Flick Bombs |accessdate=2007-11-25 |publisher=New York Post] However, Kyle Smith gave the movie a 3 star (out of 4) rating, saying, "(It) is a piece of anti-war propaganda whose aims I don't agree with, but it jolted me nonetheless."cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007/entertainment/movies/battle_scarred_600609.htm |title=Battle-Scarred |accessdate=2007-11-16 |publisher=New York Post] As of July 2008 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film was rated "rotten", with only 43 percent of the 93 reviews being positive (including 48 percent of 27 "top critics" reviews) and the average rating 5.3/10. [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-05-19 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 52 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, and a user rating of 4.0/10. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/redacted |title=Redacted (2007): Reviews |accessdate=2007-11-25 |publisher=Metacritic]

Box office

On the weekend of its U.S. release the movie was viewed by approximately 3,000 people, grossing only $25,628.cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=redacted.htm|title=Redacted (2007)|publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC] Brandon Gray, publisher of Box Office Mojo, said the low per-theater ratio made the film a flop for De Palma. Richard Johnson ran an article titled "De Palma Iraq flick bombs". [cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11252007/gossip/pagesix/de_palma_iraq_flick_bombs_582058.htm |title=De Palma Iraq Flick Bombs |accessdate=2007-11-25 |publisher=New York Post] "The Daily Telegraph" also said that the theatrical release had "bombed" in the U.S. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/27/wmovies128.xml Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US] , The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.] The worldwide gross as of May 19, 2008, was only $762,252.cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=redacted.htm|title=Redacted (2007)|publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC] The film's budget was $5 million.

Controversies

Relation to the real life incident

De Palma has been criticized for not including the fact that all of the soldiers involved in the real-life Mahmudiyah killings were prosecuted for the rape and murders. The film ends with an official investigation underway, and does not depict a trial or conviction. Kurt Loder wrote that "all five of the soldiers involved (in the rape and murder) were arrested and charged, and three have been tried and sentenced to 90, 100 and 110 years in prison." In addition, at the time of the film's release, the alleged ringleader, Pfc. Steven Dale Green, was being tried in a federal court in Kentucky, reportedly facing the death penalty. [ [http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1574478/20071116/story.jhtml "Redacted: Battle Casualty"] by Kurt Loder, MTV.com, Nov. 16, 2007, accessed Nov. 25, 2007.]

However, De Palma pointed out that the film itself is fictional; HDNet's lawyers told him he couldn't use anything real about the true event - he had to fictionalize it, and wasn't allowed to refer to the real event in any way. [cite web|url=http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2007/09/redacted-in-ven.html|title=De Palma Defends Redacted From Venice|date=2007-09-04]

Political controversy

The film has attracted political controversy, with claims that it portrays U.S. Soldiers in a negative light, and may contribute to anti-American sentiment in Iraq and elsewhere. Sites like "boycottredacted.com" have accused Brian De Palma and the producer Mark Cuban of treason, and called for the general public to avoid watching the film. Republican Duncan Hunter, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee complained in a letter to the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America that the film "portrays American service personnel in Iraq as uncontrollable misfits and criminals" and "ignores the many acts of heroism performed by our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors in Iraq." [cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071122/NATION/111220043/1002&template=printart|title=War film's portrayal of soldiers draws fire from GOP lawmaker|date=2007-11-22|publisher=Washington Times] However, critic Kyle Smith opined that "De Palma isn't trying to insult the troops but illustrating how any war puts men in impossible situations."cite web|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007/entertainment/movies/battle_scarred_600609.htm |title=Battle-Scarred |accessdate=2007-11-16 |publisher=New York Post] De Palma himself has commented "the right wing is gonna come at this film. I mean, I've done something that is, it just can't be done. You can't ever say anything critical of the troops."Fact|date=November 2007 He argued that the film provides a realistic portrait of U.S. troops and how "the presentation of our troops has been whitewashed" by media. He expected that its graphic images would stir public debate about the conduct of American soldiers. [ [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18464892.htm Director De Palma disturbed over Iraq film edit] Reuters October 19, 2007]

Commentator Bill O'Reilly has called for protests of "Redacted" and against Mark Cuban. O'Reilly claims that the film demeans American soldiers and may incite violence against them, and he has called on ticketholders to bring signs to Dallas Mavericks games and all theaters showing the movie, stating 'Support the Troops'. [ [http://billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=1603 BillOReilly.com: The O'Reilly Factor Flash ] ] Mark Cuban has responded, saying "The movie is fully pro-troops. The hero of the movie is a soldier who stands up for what is right in the face of adversity... I think that the concept that the enemy will see these films and use it as motivation is total nonsense. We have no plans of translating these movies to Arabic or other middle eastern languages...It's really easy to hate, its really hard to think issues through on their own merits. Anything that makes people think about issues is a good thing." Cuban also pointed out that, through the Fallen Patriots charitable fund that he set up and finances, over $2.5 million dollars has been donated to soldiers in need. [cite web|url=http://www.blogmaverick.com/2007/09/04/me-and-bill-oreilly/|title=Me and Bill OReilly|date=2007-09-04|author=Mark Cuban] He went on to publish an email he received from a soldier wounded in Iraq, who wrote "they've already formed their opinions of us and very little we do or say is going to change their minds. One movie, regardless of its subject matter, is not going to overcome their personal feelings". [cite web|url=http://www.blogmaverick.com/2007/11/17/subject-this-soldiers-perspective-on-the-redacted-issue/|date=2007-11-17|title=Subject: This soldiers perspective on the Redacted issue.|author=Mark Cuban]

Film reaction

During a New York Film Festival press conference for the film, De Palma mentioned that "Redacted" is itself redacted, due to Magnolia Pictures owner Mark Cuban "being disturbed" by the ending photo montage's imagery. A voice from the audience called out "That's not true"; with the speaker identifying himself as Eamonn Bowles, president of Magnolia Pictures. The producer of the film later appeared on stage to explain that the images were taken out not because they were disturbing, but because of concerns about the possibility that relatives of the dead persons appearing on the photographs might bring lawsuits for emotional distress and the like. Magnolia, he said, had been put in "an untenable legal position" making the movie uninsurable.Fact|date=July 2008

In an interview conducted the day after the uproar at the press conference, Cuban said, "There is no way I am going to include images of people who have been severely wounded or maimed and killed when the possibility exists that their families could unknowingly see the images and recognize a loved one." He also said that Magnolia had offered De Palma the option of buying the film back from the distributor in order to release it himself and "absorb 100 percent of the risk", but that De Palma did not accept. DePalma responded, "That's not true. He never offered me that opportunity, he never answered my phone calls." [cite web|title=No one wants to know|publisher=The Guardian|author=Hattenstone, Simon|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2263424,00.html|date=2008-03-08|accessdate=2008-03-10]

References

External links

*imdb title|0937237|title=Redacted
*rotten-tomatoes|id=1185714-redacted|title=Redacted
*metacritic film|id=redacted|title=Redacted
*mojo title|id=redacted|title=Redacted
*amg movie|id=1:387268|title=Redacted

Listening

* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16289254 Interview with Brian De Palma] , from "Fresh Air" program, November 14, 2007