ROTTEN TOMATOES: De Palma Fights Redacted Edits

De Palma Fights Redacted Edits

Director's war film provokes purple-faced right-wing hysteria.

by Jeff Giles | October 12, 2007

In a classic example of irony in film, Brian De Palma has found that portions of his war drama Redacted have been...well, redacted.

The film, currently receiving decidedly mixed reviews during its limited run, closes with a montage of photos taken from the Iraq front -- photos De Palma was forced to edit by Redacted's distributor, Magnolia Pictures, due to what The Hollywood Reporter describes as "legal and financial concerns." The director took his concerns to the New York Film Festival on Wednesday, where he told an audience:

"The irony of all this is that even though everyone (in Iraq) has a digital camera and access to the Internet, somehow we don't see any of these images...why are things being redacted? My own film was redacted."

Movies about the Iraq war have proven to be a tough sell thus far, and given Redacted's particularly challenging storyline -- the Reporter describes it as depicting "fictional soldiers raping an Iraq teenager and killing her family" -- it's likely that the Mark Cuban-owned Magnolia was one of the only places De Palma's film could have been made. Still, De Palma feels misled. From the article:

De Palma added that he "lost" the long-running fight with producers to allow the images only 24 hours before the screening. At a postscreening dinner, producers acknowledged that it was a difficult decision but, given the legal and financial concerns, one in which they had little room to maneuver.

The graphic photos depict victims of the war; with the black magic-marker etchings across their faces, though, the faces are now difficult if not impossible to recognize. Magnolia execs have said that it's impossible to get legal releases for the photos, while Cuban has been quoted as saying he found the unredacted images problematic.

Redacted has already attracted criticism from right-wing pundits such as the popular comedian and respected film critic Bill O'Reilly, who the Reporter quotes as calling De Palma "a true villain in our country" and suggesting that even though "no one" will actually see it, the movie will somehow lead to the deaths of American troops.

De Palma's comments at the New York Film Festival were met with an emotional response from Magnolia executives Eamonn Bowles and Jason Kliot, who stood up from the audience to disagree:

Bowles countered the charge that Magnolia was taking the easy way out when he asked De Palma in front of reporters, "Who else would make this movie?"

Redacted is scheduled to see wide release on November 30.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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(1-20 of 66 posts) | Reply

SpikesInMySkull writes:
on Oct 12 2007 06:39 AM

"...popular comedian and respected film critic Bill O'Reilly... suggesting that even though "no one" will actually see it, the movie will somehow lead to the deaths of American troops."

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Though this movie does sound like a propagandist peice of crap (for the record, I am a non-supporter of the war, but I hate stupid propaganda from either Wing-Camp as these politics NEVER reflect the opinions of a majority of ANYONE, yes ladies and gentleman we're going to be just a screwed with Mrs. Clinton as we are with Mr. Bush, get used to it!)

But back to the issue at hand...

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA

/breath

(Reply to this)

Jaimon writes:
on Oct 12 2007 06:51 AM

Hello terrorist recruiting film.
But... you know Bush has screwed us when many international audiences will likely mistake fictional US war crimes as common place. Thanks for Iraq, buddy.
Stretched thin? My brother just got back from an Afghanistan deployment... oh yeah and my brother is in the navy... and Afghanistan is a land-locked country...

(Reply to this)

witherwings writes:
on Oct 12 2007 08:01 AM

De Palma is the devil. Extra people are going to die because he's making this movie, as in people who would not have died otherwise. Not a penny of my money's going to it.

By the way, not many Americans will see it--but you can bet it'll be playing on every station over there. Jaimon, you're right. Hello terrorist recruiting film indeed.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 12 2007 08:56 AM

from the time magazine review:

Redacted is inspired by the March 2006 rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, Abeer Qasim Hamza, and the killing of her family and torching of their bodies and their home, by four American soldiers. Three of the GI's have been convicted by military juries, earning from 90 to 110 years in prison. The fourth, who was discharged from the Army before charges were brought, is to be tried in criminal court; the prosecutor handling the case says he will seek the death penalty.

I dont think the terrorists need Brian De Palma to make "terrorist recruiting films", the stuff that happens in the real world is enough.

by the way, not many americans will see it, because we dont WANT to know about it. arrogance when combined with ignorance is a sad thing.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 12 2007 08:59 AM

case in point, when RT reports that mindless video game schlock like Hitman is getting edited down, everybody goes haywire (52 posts on that story so far). but when its a movie about stuff that actually matters or is thought provoking, nobody gives a hoot.

on this site, we're always bringing the studios down for "interfering with the directors vision". we'll see how many people are outraged at the fact that the studio is not letting a de palma bring his vision to the screen.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 12 2007 09:00 AM

finally, all this does not mean that i think it will be a good movie. i'll reserve that judgement until i actually see it.

(Reply to this)

agniyo writes:
on Oct 12 2007 09:05 AM

word.

(Reply to this)

Jeff Giles writes:
on Oct 12 2007 09:23 AM

What blank blank said.

(Reply to this)

rupertpubkin writes:
on Oct 12 2007 09:39 AM

"...popular comedian and respected film critic Bill O'Reilly..." - What??

By the way, the idea that a movie's really going to make any kind of a difference one way or another is just ridiculous. This film isn't going to stop the war and it sure as hell isn't going to get anybody killed either. Two hour of propoganda can't complete with what we're inundated with 24/7.

(Reply to this)

renodc writes:
on Oct 12 2007 10:09 AM

The concern here is that the deplorable actions of these four soldiers will be used to make a giant leap into demonizing the whole of the U.S. armed forces. The concern is justified because Hollywood (or Propagandawood) is notorious for dealing in half truths and giant leaps. You have to look no farther than the "King of Half Truths" Michael Moore to see this.
The action of 4 soldiers does not reflect the actions of the more than 200,000 troops stationed in Iraq.

(Reply to this)

Jeff Giles writes:
on Oct 12 2007 10:46 AM

In reply to this comment (#1185773)
It's called sarcasm, rupertpubkin.

(Reply to this)

knowingtoast85 writes:
on Oct 12 2007 11:46 AM

De Palma doesn't have the right to use someone's likeness if they don't want him to. That's completely understood.

Everything else that's being said depresses the **** out of me. Most people who feel the way I do would say they're laughing at it, but I'll just be honest. This is indignancy for indignancy's sake.

(Reply to this)

witherwings writes:
on Oct 12 2007 11:49 AM

In reply to this comment (#1185482)
That is so ignorant. There's a difference between real life facts and a movie glorifying/accentuating real life facts. The difference is one of degree. Simply put, a movie glorifying/accentuating real life facts will recruit more terrorists.

And it's good to know you're all for these mistakes being publicized so more people can die. I'm for less people dying, fyi. I'm for no crime in the military and less people dying, always. No I'm not "hiding from the facts," I'd just rather not use those facts to create more chaos.

(Reply to this)

witherwings writes:
on Oct 12 2007 11:54 AM

In reply to this comment (#1185889)
Well since someone already pointed it out, sarcasm in the middle of a news article kind of caught me off guard too. You're sarcastic often, so I figured it out... but the guy did win two Emmys for journalism. Dunno.

(Reply to this)

witherwings writes:
on Oct 12 2007 11:57 AM

In reply to this comment (#1185773)
You're right. This movie might not recruit another terrorist at all, in which case I'm perfectly fine with it, it's harmless. But if one guy is persuaded to go blow someone up...

(Reply to this)

Shatter24 writes:
on Oct 12 2007 12:04 PM

In reply to this comment (#1185794)
But something like this happenned, as stated previously on this post. Its important to show to the American people that we are stretching our troops pretty thin, physically and emotionally, if they start doing things like this. Are we really liberators or are we just replacing one form of dictatorship w/ another? These are questions worth asking, and any movie that gets audience to think and question is at least worthwhile of discussion.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Oct 12 2007 12:17 PM

i agree with renodc that hollywood spews out boatloads of propaganda. but so does the media. we live in a propaganda age. we just have to be smart enough to absorb the meaningful stuff from all the bull**** that goes on. taking half truths and stretching them is deplorable, and hollywood does alot of it, so....

can we at least see the movie before we label it as propaganda?

and witherwings, your line "Simply put, a movie glorifying/accentuating real life facts will recruit more terrorists." is pretty absurd. that's the bill-o'reilly-stating-his-opinion-as-fact argument right there. although, now that you mention it, if i ever see The Black Dahlia again, i might have to suicide bomb Brian De Palma's house because that movie sucked something awful.

(Reply to this)

witherwings writes:
on Oct 12 2007 12:26 PM

In reply to this comment (#1186101)
Yes, I realized that statement alone was absurd which is why I explained it. A movie which is more condemning of America will more sufficiently fuel American haters. Can't argue with that. And one way people hate America is by blowing us up.

(Reply to this)

Dunk writes:
on Oct 12 2007 12:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#1186173)
Witherwings, while I understand your point, unfortunately, it's a slippery slope to support your argument. Basically, your implying that we shouldn't make any movies about bad things that americans have done (inherently, any such film could be used as terrorist propoganda). Sounds a little like China to me.

(Reply to this)

Behind The Wall writes:
on Oct 12 2007 01:08 PM

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. I don't usually get into these things, usually preferring to sit back and watch the mud being slung, but the ignorance being displayed on this board by "witherwings" is actually infuriating. And it's all the more infuriating because, up until a few weeks ago, I sort of respected her posts. That changed when she suggested that Steven Spielberg commit suicide before he gets any greedier (?!?) and now she's saying that DePalma is the devil and his movie is going to cause people to die. Not that the situation in Iraq might be revealed from a different point of view but that people are actually going to be KILLED because of DePalma's movie. I can say with absolute and unequivocal certainty that that is the most retarded thing I've ever read on this or any board.

Witherwings, have you actually seen Redacted? Have you been to a screening or somehow downloaded a print online? I'm assuming that you have since that would be the only way to know exactly what harm, if any, this movie is going to do when it hits theaters. According to you, it's going to convince Al-Qaeda to recruit more terrorists (yeah, like they need a friggin' movie to convince them of that) and cause them to hate America more than they already do and create chaos and anarchy and who knows what else. Wow, you figured all of that out without even having seen the film? You're a genius. (By the way, Jeff, that's sarcasm :)

Blank Blank got it exactly right. Your line, "Simply put, a movie glorifying/accentuating real life facts will recruit more terrorists" is absolutely absurd. Try seeing a movie before making ridiculous statements. Of course, that's the great thing about the internet. Any fool with a keyboard can state his/her "My opinion is the right one" argument.

(Reply to this)