Hollywoodism invades Iran with 'Robocops'

[Matemkar]

Salam. I recently saw the first five mins of the movie RoboCop (2014) where the US invades another country with the claim of spreading democracy (it is interesting the same US govt, along with the UK, in 1953, made a coup against Iranian government and toppled the democratically elected prime minister with the Operation Ajax and installed a tyrant Shah/King/Family rule there). And they topple the Iranian government in the movie again, disarm the nation and even scan the covered Muslim women for the fear of guns and bombs to be used against the invaders. It was sick to see Hollywoodism has another invasion and enslavement dream. But it was also nice to see that they also admit Iran is not like any other and such a thing can only be achieved in fiction. With this occasion, I want to know about your views on Hollywoodism and their war and invasion movies. In short cinema and propaganda. Thanks in advance.

 

[HonestJoe]

I'm not clear what point you're trying to make to be honest. More often than not, "Hollywood" is accused of being too left wing, making films attacking governments, war and big business (with some justification and some exaggeration IMO). I've not seen the new Robocop film but given the themes of the original, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the scene you're describing is presented as a negative rather than a promotion, showing what the "bad guys" do with the technology before Robocop breaks his programming and stops them.

There is a legitimate point to be made about the glorification of war and violence in a lot of mainstream films, often in stark contradiction to the purported message of the story but we are ultimately talking about an entertainment business and they'll generally only make the films that people want to watch. I feel attacking film-makers and "Hollywood" is as often simply trying to shift away the guilt for something we all play a part in creating.

 

[LuisDantas]

That is the one thing I disliked in the 2012 movie, "Argo".

The movie itself is very well-done, if a bit heavy on the action side.

But despite what turns out to be remarkable effort to counter the tide, it is still far too biased, far too dangerous in its portrayal of Americans and Iranians. I don't object to the displays of the level of revolt and conturbation in Iran at the time. But not too much effort was spent in showing its context.

Far too many people in the USA seem to actually believe that Iranians aren't actual fully human beings entitled to the same inherent rights of safety and respect that one would extend to, say, French or Israeli people. There is a common yet IMO shameful prejudice that states that they are "crazy violent people" that deserve no better than some eventual "peacemaker" aerial bombing.

I don't know that I blame the movies for that. But whether reflection or cause, or some combination of both, it is very distressing to see such a mentality portrayed by Hollywood.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If you bothered to watch the entire movie, you'd see that that the film isn't portraying it as a good thing. The Iran thing at the beginning sets up the movie's wider themes. It's a great movie.