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American Sniper’ thrills audiences — in Iraq
By Chris Perez
Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in "American Sniper." Photo: Warner Bros.
Moviegoers in Baghdad were on the edge of their seats while watching “American Sniper” — as the controversial war drama thrilled audiences in Iraq, where much of the film is set.
“When the sniper was hesitating to shoot [the child holding the RPG in the film’s first scene], everyone was yelling, ‘Just shoot him!’”
Gaith Mohammed told the Global Post, adding that his theater was packed.
“Some people watching were just concentrating, but others were screaming, ‘F-ck, shoot him! He has an IED, don’t wait for permission!!’”
Since the movie’s release, many people have objected to the film’s portrayal of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle — a man who described Iraqis as “savages” in his memoir.
But despite the debatable subject matter, audiences turned out in droves at the upscale Mansour Mall for one short week to see the Clint Eastwood biopic, the Global Post reported Thursday.
Management eventually put their foot down, though, and ended showings “because the hero of this film boasts of killing more than 160 Muslims,” according to a theater employee.
While the film obviously stirred controversy among locals, Iraqi moviegoers couldn’t get enough of the film, packing numerous showings during opening week, according to the Global Post.
“I love watching war movies because especially now they give me the strength to face ISIS,” Mohammed said.
Crowds swarmed the cinemas throughout the week and most of the showings were sold out, according to the Global Post.
People were even forced to book their tickets a day in advance during opening week, Mohammed said. When asked if he thought the movie was racist or anti-Arab, the young man —roughly in his 20s — replied, “No, why? The sniper was killing terrorists, the only thing that bothered me was when he said he didn’t know anything about the Quran!”
The film about Chris Kyle went down surprisingly well with audiences in Iraq.Photo: AP
“[Kyle] was a hero and he went through difficult training,” student Omar Jalal added, saying he believed Kyle was simply serving his country. “Besides … it’s just a movie, and I like war movies. If they are true or not, whatever!”
Others weren’t so accepting of the film’s “hero” or its highly debatable content.
“To some extent, I considered it against all Muslims,” said Wael, a government ministry employee. “The sniper, he has a chance to hit the child and his mother in their foot [during the opening scene] or anywhere without killing them, but he didn’t because he’s bloodthirsty like all the American troops.”
Wael added that he was only giving his first name because he fears that speaking out about the film could put his life in jeopardy.
While some may be surprised by how popular “American Sniper” was in the Middle East, Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji believes it makes perfect sense.
“When Iraqis see a film [about war], they’ll be engaged in it because they feel part of them is there,” he explained. “That’s why we Iraqi filmmakers have to make films about Iraqi people.”
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By Chris Perez
Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in "American Sniper." Photo: Warner Bros.
Moviegoers in Baghdad were on the edge of their seats while watching “American Sniper” — as the controversial war drama thrilled audiences in Iraq, where much of the film is set.
“When the sniper was hesitating to shoot [the child holding the RPG in the film’s first scene], everyone was yelling, ‘Just shoot him!’”
Gaith Mohammed told the Global Post, adding that his theater was packed.
“Some people watching were just concentrating, but others were screaming, ‘F-ck, shoot him! He has an IED, don’t wait for permission!!’”
Since the movie’s release, many people have objected to the film’s portrayal of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle — a man who described Iraqis as “savages” in his memoir.
But despite the debatable subject matter, audiences turned out in droves at the upscale Mansour Mall for one short week to see the Clint Eastwood biopic, the Global Post reported Thursday.
Management eventually put their foot down, though, and ended showings “because the hero of this film boasts of killing more than 160 Muslims,” according to a theater employee.
While the film obviously stirred controversy among locals, Iraqi moviegoers couldn’t get enough of the film, packing numerous showings during opening week, according to the Global Post.
“I love watching war movies because especially now they give me the strength to face ISIS,” Mohammed said.
Crowds swarmed the cinemas throughout the week and most of the showings were sold out, according to the Global Post.
People were even forced to book their tickets a day in advance during opening week, Mohammed said. When asked if he thought the movie was racist or anti-Arab, the young man —roughly in his 20s — replied, “No, why? The sniper was killing terrorists, the only thing that bothered me was when he said he didn’t know anything about the Quran!”
The film about Chris Kyle went down surprisingly well with audiences in Iraq.Photo: AP
“[Kyle] was a hero and he went through difficult training,” student Omar Jalal added, saying he believed Kyle was simply serving his country. “Besides … it’s just a movie, and I like war movies. If they are true or not, whatever!”
Others weren’t so accepting of the film’s “hero” or its highly debatable content.
“To some extent, I considered it against all Muslims,” said Wael, a government ministry employee. “The sniper, he has a chance to hit the child and his mother in their foot [during the opening scene] or anywhere without killing them, but he didn’t because he’s bloodthirsty like all the American troops.”
Wael added that he was only giving his first name because he fears that speaking out about the film could put his life in jeopardy.
While some may be surprised by how popular “American Sniper” was in the Middle East, Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji believes it makes perfect sense.
“When Iraqis see a film [about war], they’ll be engaged in it because they feel part of them is there,” he explained. “That’s why we Iraqi filmmakers have to make films about Iraqi people.”
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
