Harsh Times

[Dinkfuzz]

Has anyone reading ever seen "Harsh Times" with Christian Bale. He plays an ex- Army Ranger gone ballistic after all the atrosicities he saw and commited in Iraq. The movie is pretty much about him going completely insane. Its a pretty good movie, and kind of lets you know the stuff soldiers go through and how it can really f with them. I thought it was a good movie. Open to discussion though.

[MT Guy]

i didnt think it was too bad. thats the one where he gets back and becomes a cop and everythign right? I thought it was pretty good, although there were a couple things that were stupid and ridiculous, but pretty good overall.

[Going_Loud]

I saw the movie and thought it opened up my eyes to what combat can do to a person. It was an interesting movie.

[Fuzz1028]

it was ok, a little too much drug crap for me. I did however laugh at the part where he flipped out about the hiring process.

[Presence]

i thought this movie was absolutely terrible. christian bale made a stinker with this one. his character and his buddy in the film were so completely annoying, I could barely even make myself watch the whole thing. over the top annoying druggy behavior- incessant swearing and violence. i know the movie is called "harsh times", and it wasn't to be an enjoyable two hours, but i wish i could have those two hours of my life back. :P

[Gene L]

The starting of Anti-military movies, as they did in Viet Nam.

Hollywood's showing through, and it's near election year. Next year you'll see more of them.

[Kieth M.]

The starting of Anti-military movies, as they did in Viet Nam.

Hollywood's showing through, and it's near election year. Next year you'll see more of them.

Yes, there's no happy ending for Harsh Times, I think the plot is that he doesn't get hired and ends up as an enforcer/regulator for a gangster....okay, whatever. Like most movies about anything, tell a bad story so people will pay attention.

No one's going to shell out $10 a head, to watch Iraq vets returning to the states, resuming a normal, quiet life...doing everyday work, raising kids, paying taxes, etc. Just like no one wants to see police movies where all the action takes place in the first ten minutes, then the next 100 minutes is paperwork and evidence processing.

And, as Gene L. said, there are more anti-Iraq war movies coming, look for Rendition, with Jake (Brokeback Mountain) Gyllenhall (sp?), soon. According to a headline I saw, there will be U.S. lead massacres and other Iraq atrocities put out soon.

[Presence]

perhaps... it is bound to happen, isn't it?

[Gene L]

And not just in the movies. I remember after Viet Nam, a huge number of cops and robber TV had a traumatized Vet as the antagonist, many times drug addicted and almost always involved in an atrocity.

Hollywood managed to paint the Viet Nam vet, for a while at least, as kill-crazy and psychotic, ready to go crazy at any time. It was the de jour villian for a long time.

[concon02]

Hollywood is stupid.

[Presence]

I do agree with you...even though I know better, the picture of a vietnam vet in my mind is associated with ptsd, substance abuse, and cardboard signs on the roadway.

maybe the bums in my town have painted this vivid picture for me, but I believe that hollywood has had an influence somewhere along the lines.