MOSCOW, January 24 (Sputnik), Ekaterina Blinova — "American Sniper," Clint Eastwood's long-anticipated blockbuster has sparked a heated debate, winning praise from American audiences while at the same time facing sharp criticism for its "black-and-white" narrative of the US intervention in Iraq.
"The movie gives America something it’s lacked since the start of the war – a war hero on a truly national, cultural scale," David French, a Senior Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice, wrote in the National Review.
The blockbuster, directed by Clint Eastwood, based on former Navy Seal Chris Kyle's memoir, narrates the story of a US sniper fighting in Iraq. The movie has been nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor nominations.
Former soldiers have welcomed the film positively and even organized special early screenings of "American Sniper" for US veterans. The blockbuster has also received high praise from the US public.
Amazing! Bradley Cooper surprised wounded troops at an #AmericanSniper screening: http://t.co/6UDzpgptL6 pic.twitter.com/GdQYM0NogJ
— EntertainmentTonight (@etnow) January 22, 2015
Saw #AmericanSniper.. What an amazing movie..I support Everything our troops do to protect us and themselves.. Thank you to our troops ��������
— Deena Nicole Cortese (@DeenaNicoleMTV) January 22, 2015
RETWEET: IF YOU BELIEVE CHRIS KYLE IS AN AMERICAN HERO! �������� #AmericanSniper #HonorChrisKyle pic.twitter.com/pvtP2aBzN1
— HONOR CHRIS KYLE (@HonorChrisKyle) January 21, 2015
On the other hand, the film has also faced sharp criticism and has been criticized as a brazen attempt to whitewash the history of the US invasion of Iraq. Some critics claim that deadly sniper Chris Kyle cannot be honoured as a hero.
"It [the film] presents a very sanitized picture of what the occupation of Iraq was like and the nature of the Iraqi resistance," noted Caputi, a US Marine, who fought in Iraq ten years ago.
"I stopped believing in good guys and bad guys because of my experience in Iraq," he added, as cited by the media outlet.
Saw #AmericanSniper. Man, somebody steal all the crayons out of Clint Eastwood's box except the black & white? Us Not Them Productions? Wow.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) January 24, 2015
America would rather be political and culturally represented by #AmericanSniper than #Selma. as proven by box office & response to criticism
— pettyington bear (@femmeminem) January 21, 2015
A reminder that if #AmericanSniper Chris Kyle and similar US war criminals hadn't destroyed Iraqi society, there would be no ISIS today.
— Joe Catron (@jncatron) January 21, 2015
Chris Kyle, on who’s book the movie was based, was indeed a controversial figure. Regarded as the most lethal sniper in US history, killing more than 160 Iraqis with his rifle, he wrote in his best-selling memoir: "I couldn’t give a f… about the Iraqis," "I hate the damn savages." The Guardian cites Kyle as saying that his work was "fun" that he "loved it," adding that the man obviously believed that everyone he shot was a "bad guy."
Chris Kyle was murdered in 2013 in Texas by a 25-year old US veteran, who reportedly suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.
"Kyle, much like many I served with, and our president himself during most of the Iraq War, held a very black-and-white view of the conflict. We were right, they were wrong," emphasized Paul Rieckhoff, the head of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America, as quoted by Agence France Presse.
