Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Unfortunately, an otherwise decent movie was ruined by gratuitous anti-semitism of the new left Jeremiah Wright-David Duke hybrid variety.
The lead bad guy is a Russian speaking Jew (oddly named Christo) in the Ukraine whose specialty is smuggling drugs from Mexico into the into the US (at least he did not confess to developing the AIDS virus to target blacks). The scene introducing him shows him as a hook-nosed, snaggle-toothed, import from a Goebbels poster speaking with a New York Jewish accent. Late in the film, it is gratuitously announced, by an American interrogator, that Christo is Jewish (more below).
The other lead bad guy is Christo's childhood friend (unclear whether he also was Jewish) who is now a Chechen terrorist leader (having adopted the nomme de guerre "Abu Shamal"). Abu Shamal is purported to be a convert to Islam (although it is unclear whether he is sincere).
The main actual Muslim characters in the film are innocent looking Filipinos (stereotypes of people intimidated/duped into their roles rather than more active intellectual participants) who are used by Abu Shamal to smuggle suicide bomb vests into the US via Christo's smuggling routes. Abu Shamal conspicuously does not join in their Islamic prayers, thus further drawing his conversion into doubt (originally hinted at by Christo mockingly addressing him by his Russian name).
In the scene where the interrogator notes Christo's Jewishness relative to the Muslim nature of Chechen terrorists, Christo goes into an odd soliloquy about some sort of yin-yang relationship with Abu Shamal since their childhood in which America is now in the middle. Because this dates back to their childhood, it must be Christo's Jewishness rather than his friend's Islam that is the driver. Christo also appears to not well hold his Russian accent, sounding more and more New Yorker during the course of the interrogation. Again, this seems in line with much modern anti-Semitism wherein Islamic terrorism is asserted as encouraged by Jews.
Christo's Jewishness added nothing to the film. If anything its gratuitous addition only created confusion.
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Dec '10
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
ctlaw
Ignoring the tangent others may be taking, what's your source for the line being ad lib.? If ad lib., presumably one of the producers handed the SEAL portraying senior a profile of the Christo character that said he was Jewish. Did that SEAL (who I've been defending) just make up that Christo was Jewish (in which case I was wrong defending him)?
You don't even read the things people post to refute your argument, do you?
The answer was contained in a link provided by Dogsbody on the second page of responses. Link.
Because the SEAL who was going to do the interrogation was a real life interrogator, the writers left it all in his hands (nobody is going to write that scene to be more realistic than just letting him actually go at the guy).
The guy who played Christo (who is NOT the principal villain in the movie, BTW) actually IS Jewish, he also played a part in a movie or mini-series that was done by a Croatian production company with many Croatian actors in it.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 4:20pmDec '10
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Why do I mention this? Because the SEAL who played Senior Chief is a real life interrogator and did what he'd do for any other interrogation. He did some research on the guy he'd be grilling, got into his background, and made his plan of attack.
Because the guy had been in a Croatian production and had something of a Croatian background, the first words that the Senior Chief spoke to him in that scene were Croatian, to rattle him (which it did). But, since the actor playing Christo wasn't raised there, he didn't understand what the Senior Chief said. The character is supposed to be Russian, so the actor defaulted to a short bit of Russian, and the Senior Chief responded that he didn't speak Russian, so they settled on English (which was probably preplanned, to abrogate the need for subtitles).
He then moves on, here and there, and then smacks him with the question of his heritage as another ploy to push him off balance. Why did he say that? Because the actor really is Jewish and the Senior Chief was trying to use this information to keep the man off balance.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 4:19pmDec '10
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Now, which is more likely?
1) The Senior Chief is an anti-Semite, and went there because he wanted everyone to draw the conclusion that you did (but which I and a whole lot of other people did not).
2) The Senior Chief did his research and ad lib'ed the whole interrogation except for that Jew question which was inserted in exactly the right place by the writers to make everyone draw the conclusion you did (but which I and a whole lot of other people did not).
3)The Senior Chief did his research and ad lib'ed the whole thing including the Jew reference because that is how he would interrogate these men (the actor and the character) in real life. He is not an anti-Semite, but rather just a very hard nosed interrogator who will use whatever tactics he thinks will work in a given situation. The ideas that you are going on and on about never crossed his mind, because he is neither an anti-Semite, nor a grievance monger.
Which option would you choose CT?
My money is on #3.
Dec '10
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Another question.
Have you actually seen the film, or are you just regurgitating what you've read on other review sites?
I ask, because the things you're fixating on are so momentary that if you're not looking for them explicitly, they just whiz by.
I did watch the movie (on opening night, with a sold out crowd for both showings), and none of that stuck out to me at all.
The Jewish question was asked with incredulity of the "WTH are you thinking?" variety, not some accusatory tone.
Yes, Christo is a bad guy, but he's a middle man at best, and he breaks down rather quickly over the idea of never seeing his family again. In the end, he helps the Americans and basically enables the SEALS to go shoot the real bad guys in the face by divulging crucial information.
That's hardly the portrayal I'd work up if my intention was to create/perpetuate an Evil Joooooo stereotype.
Jews are people just like everyone else [comment redacted]
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 8:57pmMay '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
CoolHand,
My dyslexia is makes it difficult to find reference in your link to the line being ad-libbed, let alone based on the real Senoir's independent research into the personal and professional history of actor Alex Veadov who is not listed as Jewish in IMDB and is listed as of "Caucasian" (that's actual Caucasian, not slang for white) ethnicity in wiki (perhaps Senior had access to the same Jew-hunting database the DNC used to out George Allen's mom. ;-) ).
Then, of course, Veadov amazingly ad libbed his response using that Newton's Cradle as the most conveniently fortuitous prop in the history of improv. film.
Also, my recollection of the scene had Senior switching from Serbo-Croatian to English with Christo indicating he spoke Russian although I do not recall whether or not he started in Czech.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 3:13pmMay '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
CoolHand,
Isn't it more likely that the most innocent plausible explanation is that the producers were walking on PC eggshells:
- we'll show no actual Arab Muslims as baddies;
- the main nominal Muslim baddie will be a convert;
- make him really pale to accentuate his unnaturalness;
- heck, make him insincere (not participating in Muslim prayers);
- other Muslims will be not be from the near or middle east and will be portrayed as relatively innocent;
- not enough, add another white bad guy;
- in case people are too thick, name him "Christo" so that people will know he is Christian;
- kill 2 birds with one stone by making him a bad drug smuggler to take away pressure from Latino groups about having only Latinos involved in the drug/smuggling trade;
- not enough? We still might get burned in effigy in Cairo? We still might not be allowed to show the movie in Londonistan? Ok, let's make Christo a Jew;
- we'll have to make that explicit...
Done!
And the SEALS just went along. The other plausible alternatives only get worse. Some much worse.
At least you and I likely agree that the 200-word limit should be raised to 500.
Edited on February 28, 2012 at 2:59pmApr '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Leporello
gkstuart: What a bunch of hogwash. [...]
I loved this movie. It's not anti-Semitic. It's about the sacrifices the SEALs and their families make and the sheer awesomeness of our warriors.
Sheesh. · 18 hours ago
[...]
The SEALs are great, of course. The point is not about the SEALs but about the nature of America's enemies - who are just the pawns of...
(that's right, you guessed it)
...the JOOOOOO-OOOOOOOS! · 12 hours ago
Leporello - Thank you! The JOOOOOOOOS! line lightened me up a little bit. I want to amend my earlier response to ctlaw: I understand and acknowledge his point.
ctlaw, however, grossly harmed his case with the title of the post. This is one line slipped into a movie. Given the subject matter, I'm all for highlighting, discussing it, and considering how it got in.
However, the way to proceed is not to slander the entire movie with the title of your post, which is exactly what you did. Quickest way to get people NOT to listen to you.
This one called to be handled with care and not a sledgehammer.
Nov '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
ctlaw: CoolHand,
Isn't it more likely that the most innocent plausible explanation is that the producers were walking on PC eggshells:
And isn't it possible that many viewers are blinded to this because of their understandable admiration for the SEALS?
Forget about the Jewish issue, folks, since that seems to hit some raw nerves. Ctlaw's summation here seems definitive to me, and also of a piece with so much we have seen come out of the leftist-dominated world of entertainment. Maybe I missed it, but I don't see that any respondent has given a good answer as to why the bad guys are not Arab muslims and why Arab muslims in general are given a pass.
Feb '12
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Sandy
ctlaw: CoolHand,
Isn't it more likely that the most innocent plausible explanation is that the producers were walking on PC eggshells:
And isn't it possible that many viewers are blinded to this because of their understandable admiration for the SEALS?
Forget about the Jewish issue, folks, since that seems to hit some raw nerves. Ctlaw's summation here seems definitive to me, and also of a piece with so much we have seen come out of the leftist-dominated world of entertainment. Maybe I missed it, but I don't see that any respondent has given a good answer as to why the bad guys are not Arab muslims and why Arab muslims in general are given a pass. · 42 minutes ago
It's too bad that you probably won't ever get a response, Sandy. Very few of the commenters at Ricochet have been willing to think about it for more than a second - time enough only to reject it out of hand.
But your point is compelling, as is ctlaw's excellent summary just above.
Feb '12
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Tenther
jetstream
Leporello
jetstream
So, the movie was anti-Romanism - the Romans executed Christ. · 6 minutes ago
Cute, jetstream, but not so bright.
For many, many centuries, the Church spread the lie that the Jews killed Christ. That was the idea being portrayed in the movie. · 1 minute ago
It's a well known historical fact that the Romans executed Christ - history does not support your goofy conspiracy theory. · 4 hours ago
Yeah, that's what makes it what's commonly known as a "lie." You really aren't aware that Christians have spent the last two millenia repeating this foul falsehood against the Jews? · 6 hours ago
Thanks very much, Tenther. Unfortunately, many here are simply unaware of the history of anti-Judaism. Wake up, folks: much of that nasty anti-Jewish propaganda by Muslims nowadays was taken from the Church. Before the Holocaust, the main purveyors of anti-Judaim were (1) Catholics (and, more rarely, Protestants like Luther), and (2) Socialists. Fortunately, today Catholics and Protestants (with some notable exceptions) tend to be friends of Jews, but the history is quite different.
Consider as only one example the Dreyfus Affair, which happened just a century ago.
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Everyone, please redouble your efforts to make your points civilly. Consider rather your points are adding light or just heat to an already inflamed conversation.
May '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Remember, Ricochet members are not the intended (or unintended) audience which the producers would have been considering when adding/highlighting Christo's Jewishness.
Nobody here would have denounced the film for not having a Jewish Christo or is likely to go into an anti-Semitic rage in response to a Jewish Christo.
The same goes for the vast majority of Americans.
The problem is that this was likely included to have an intended effect on particular people who, at a minimum, would have denounced the film with an areiligious Christo, but not done so with a Jewish Christo. Particualrly abroad, this group does include those who will go into murderous rage over a Jewish Christo. Heck, some of them would go into a rage if you hinted to them that the wise bearded senior was a representation of Mohammed. Also, at a minimum, a very large group of fellow travelers of the more murderous will have their biases reinforced.
Much of this last group (where the effect is more of bias reinforcement) is also represented in the small domestic minority: the new left anti-Semites now affiliated with the old anti-Semites.
And this is from our government.
Sep '11
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Leporello
Unfortunately, many here are simply unaware of the history of anti-Judaism. Wake up, folks: much of that nasty anti-Jewish propaganda by Muslims nowadays was taken from the Church.
Consider as only one example the Dreyfus Affair, which happened just a century ago. · 1 hour ago
Very true. A more modern event that I hope most people are aware of is the Mohammad al-Dura blood libel, in which the IDF was accused of coldly murdering a young Palestinian boy. Even though the raw video of the "shooting" showed it to be a hoax, the mainstream media eagerly presented the story as true. When it was revealed to be yet more vile antisemitic propaganda the MSM just ignored it. It really shows you can't trust anything the media and the Left says on any topic concerning Jews and Israel.
Feb '12
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
Leporello
Everyone agrees the movie is good. The debate here is about one part of the movie that implied that our enemies were not so much the Islamists as the Jews. The only purpose of this scene was to pass on a piece of leftist, anti-Jewish propaganda. Naturally, since the movie was about how great our SEALs are, folks were willing to overlook this. But the message is there, and it's not an insignificant matter at all.
If a televangelist was working hand-in-glove with Islamists, what exactly would the message be? Would you shrug your shoulders? · Feb 27 at 3:08pm
Edited 21 hours ago
You can call it a debate if you want, but I would not use that term. I think it was just arm-flapping followed by a stubborn refusal to accept the fair-minded criticism of the original supposition. Or maybe the OP was just bored and is trolling. And we all got suckered in....
Dec '10
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
No, you're right, it is Croation. I should have said Croation from the beginning.
I got my crummy eastern european dialects crossed up.
As for the rest of it, I'm gonna take my own advice and give up.
This argument has long since passed into Global Warming territory in that your hypothesis is entirely unfalsifiable. The charge just morphs from one thing to the next to allow the continued cries of "Jew Hate!!!".
Ergo, I'm done trying to reason with you.
Believe what you like. It's a free country (for now).
Feb '12
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
RedRules
Leporello
Everyone agrees the movie is good. The debate here is about one part of the movie that implied that our enemies were not so much the Islamists as the Jews. The only purpose of this scene was to pass on a piece of leftist, anti-Jewish propaganda. Naturally, since the movie was about how great our SEALs are, folks were willing to overlook this. But the message is there, and it's not an insignificant matter at all.
If a televangelist was working hand-in-glove with Islamists, what exactly would the message be? Would you shrug your shoulders? · Feb 27 at 3:08pm
Edited 21 hours ago
You can call it a debate if you want, but I would not use that term. I think it was just arm-flapping followed by a stubborn refusal to accept the fair-minded criticism of the original supposition.
You didn't answer the question. Most of the questions posted by ctlaw and those of us defending him have gone unanswered. See posts by ctlaw and Sandy directly above for other unanswered questions.
Feb '12
Re: Act of Valor = Act of Anti-Semitism
You aren't listening. I am saying the "questions" raised are... umm.... the opposite of thoughtful... and deserve ridicule, IMHO, not answers. Re-read my "arm-flapping" sentence from above. It's just hysterical-ness for the sake of hysterical-ness. But hey, free speech and all. But that doesn't mean people have to take it seriously.