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In addition to appearing at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also shown at the [[Toronto Film Festival]] and the [[New York Film Festival]]. The film opened in [[Spain]] and opened in [[limited release]] in the [[United States]] on November 16, 2007. It is scheduled to open in the [[United Kingdom]] on March 21, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/releaseinfo |title=Redacted (2007) - Release dates |accessdate=2007-11-17 |publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]}}</ref> So far, the film has received mixed reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-11-26 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> Over its limited release opening weekend it grossed $25,628 from 15 theaters in the United States (which was significantly below industry expectations) and $71,968 from Spanish theaters.<ref name="hell">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/23/MNJNTG272.DTL|title=Iraq war is hell on the bottom line at the box office|author=Joe Garofoli|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2007-11-23}}</ref><ref name="mojo"/> |
In addition to appearing at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also shown at the [[Toronto Film Festival]] and the [[New York Film Festival]]. The film opened in [[Spain]] and opened in [[limited release]] in the [[United States]] on November 16, 2007. It is scheduled to open in the [[United Kingdom]] on March 21, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/releaseinfo |title=Redacted (2007) - Release dates |accessdate=2007-11-17 |publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]}}</ref> So far, the film has received mixed reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-11-26 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> Over its limited release opening weekend it grossed $25,628 from 15 theaters in the United States (which was significantly below industry expectations)<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/27/wmovies128.xml Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US], The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.</ref> and $71,968 from Spanish theaters.<ref name="hell">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/23/MNJNTG272.DTL|title=Iraq war is hell on the bottom line at the box office|author=Joe Garofoli|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2007-11-23}}</ref><ref name="mojo"/> |
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==Cast== |
==Cast== |
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*Daniel Stewart Sherman — Specialist B.B. Rush |
*Daniel Stewart Sherman — Specialist B.B. Rush |
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==Critical reception== |
==Critical and audience reception== |
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''Redacted'' premiered at the 2007 [[Venice Film Festival]] and earned a Silver Lion "best director" award.<ref name="brutal"/> However, the film has received mixed reviews from critics. As of November 25, 2007 on the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 46% of reviews were positive, and 54% negative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-11-26 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film had an average score of 51 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, and a user rating of 1.8 out of 10, based on 22 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/redacted |title=Redacted (2007): Reviews |accessdate=2007-11-25 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> |
''Redacted'' premiered at the 2007 [[Venice Film Festival]] and earned a Silver Lion "best director" award.<ref name="brutal"/> However, the film has received mixed reviews from critics. As of November 25, 2007 on the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 46% of reviews were positive, and 54% negative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ |title=Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2007-11-26 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film had an average score of 51 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, and a user rating of 1.8 out of 10, based on 22 votes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/redacted |title=Redacted (2007): Reviews |accessdate=2007-11-25 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> |
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IMDB users rated the film 5.7 out of 10, where the figure is a weighted average of the personal views of 1127 people. The distribution of ratings is highly [[Polarization (psychology)|polarised]], with 42.6% of people giving the film a rating of 3 or below (very bad) and 41.7% a rating of 8 or above (very good). The average for users in the United States is 4.1, whilst non-US users average at 7.4. The highest ratings are provided by male users under the age of 18, who gave an average score of 7.9. (figures correct as of 25th November 2007).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/ratings|title=User ratings for Redacted (2007)|publisher=IMDB}}</ref> |
IMDB users rated the film 5.7 out of 10, where the figure is a weighted average of the personal views of 1127 people. The distribution of ratings is highly [[Polarization (psychology)|polarised]], with 42.6% of people giving the film a rating of 3 or below (very bad) and 41.7% a rating of 8 or above (very good). The average for users in the United States is 4.1, whilst non-US users average at 7.4. The highest ratings are provided by male users under the age of 18, who gave an average score of 7.9. (figures correct as of 25th November 2007).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0937237/ratings|title=User ratings for Redacted (2007)|publisher=IMDB}}</ref> |
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Online box office monitor [[Box Office Mojo]] users gave the film an average rating of "F" based on 58 votes. According to Box Office Mojo, on the weekend of its limited US release the movie played in only 15 theaters and was viewed by approximately 3,000 people, grossing $25,628.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=redacted.htm|title=Redacted (2007)|publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC}}</ref> Brandon Gray, publisher of Box Office Mojo, said the low per-theater ratio made the film a flop for De Palma.<ref name="hell"/> |
Online box office monitor [[Box Office Mojo]] users gave the film an average rating of "F" based on 58 votes. According to Box Office Mojo, on the weekend of its limited US release the movie played in only 15 theaters and was viewed by approximately 3,000 people, grossing $25,628.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=redacted.htm|title=Redacted (2007)|publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC}}</ref> Brandon Gray, publisher of Box Office Mojo, said the low per-theater ratio made the film a flop for De Palma.<ref name="hell"/> [[The Daily Telegraph]] also reported that the movie was a "bomb."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/27/wmovies128.xml Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US], The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.</ref> |
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==Controversies== |
==Controversies== |
Revision as of 21:35, 28 November 2007
Redacted | |
---|---|
Directed by | Brian De Palma |
Written by | Brian De Palma |
Produced by | Laird Adamson Mark Cuban Jason Kliot Christopher Matson Gretchen McGowan Simone Urdl Joana Vicente Todd Wagner Jennifer Weiss |
Starring | Kel O'Neill Daniel Steward Sherman |
Cinematography | Jonathon Cliff |
Edited by | Bill Pankow |
Distributed by | Magnolia Pictures[1] |
Running time | 90 min. |
Countries | United States Canada |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million |
Redacted is a film written and directed by Brian De Palma that premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, where it earned a Silver Lion "best director" award.[2]. The film was shot in Jordan.[3]
It is a drama based on the Mahmudiyah killings, the rape, murder, and burning of Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi, a 14-year-old Iraqi girl in March 2006 by U.S. soldiers who also killed her parents and younger sister.[4][5]
In addition to appearing at the Venice Film Festival, the film was also shown at the Toronto Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. The film opened in Spain and opened in limited release in the United States on November 16, 2007. It is scheduled to open in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2008.[6] So far, the film has received mixed reviews.[7] Over its limited release opening weekend it grossed $25,628 from 15 theaters in the United States (which was significantly below industry expectations)[8] and $71,968 from Spanish theaters.[9][10]
Cast
- Francois Caillaud — McCoy's buddy in bar
- Patrick Carroll — Reno Flake
- Rob Devaney — Lawyer McCoy
- Izzy Diaz — Angel Salazar
- Mike Figueroa — Sgt. Vazques
- Ty Jones — Msgt. Jim Sweet
- Paul O'Brien — Barton's Father
- Kel O'Neill — Gabe Blix
- Abigail Savage — Ranting Teen
- Daniel Stewart Sherman — Specialist B.B. Rush
Critical and audience reception
Redacted premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival and earned a Silver Lion "best director" award.[2] However, the film has received mixed reviews from critics. As of November 25, 2007 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 46% of reviews were positive, and 54% negative.[11] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 51 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, and a user rating of 1.8 out of 10, based on 22 votes.[12]
Critic responses were equally varied. Michael Medved said "it could be the worst movie I've ever seen" and Richard Johnson labelled the film a "bomb."[13] However, Kyle Smith gave the movie a 3 star (out of 4) rating, and Tim Brayton said "it might well be the most compelling film of the year...this might well be the first great film on the Iraq War."[14]
IMDB users rated the film 5.7 out of 10, where the figure is a weighted average of the personal views of 1127 people. The distribution of ratings is highly polarised, with 42.6% of people giving the film a rating of 3 or below (very bad) and 41.7% a rating of 8 or above (very good). The average for users in the United States is 4.1, whilst non-US users average at 7.4. The highest ratings are provided by male users under the age of 18, who gave an average score of 7.9. (figures correct as of 25th November 2007).[15]
Online box office monitor Box Office Mojo users gave the film an average rating of "F" based on 58 votes. According to Box Office Mojo, on the weekend of its limited US release the movie played in only 15 theaters and was viewed by approximately 3,000 people, grossing $25,628.[10] Brandon Gray, publisher of Box Office Mojo, said the low per-theater ratio made the film a flop for De Palma.[9] The Daily Telegraph also reported that the movie was a "bomb."[16]
Controversies
Political
The film has attracted political controversy, with claims that it portrays US soldiers in a negative light, and may contribute to anti-American sentiment in Iraq and elsewhere. Sites like "boycottredacted.com" have accused Brian De Palma and Mark Cuban of treason, and called for the general public to avoid watching the film. Republican Duncan Hunter, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee complained in a letter to the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America that the film "portrays American service personnel in Iraq as uncontrollable misfits and criminals" and "ignores the many acts of heroism performed by our soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors in Iraq."[17] However, critic Kyle Smith opined that "De Palma isn't trying to insult the troops but illustrating how any war puts men in impossible situations."[18]
De Palma himself has commented "the right wing is gonna come at this film. I mean, I've done something that is, it just can't be done. You can't ever say anything critical of the troops."[citation needed] He argues that the film provides a realistic portrait of U.S. troops and how "the presentation of our troops has been whitewashed" by mainstream media. He expects that its graphic images will stir public debate about the conduct of American soldiers.[19]
Commentator Bill O'Reilly has called for protests of Redacted and Mark Cuban. O'Reilly claims that the film demeans American soldiers and may incite violence against the troops, and he has called on ticketholders to bring signs to Dallas Mavericks games and all theaters showing the movie, stating 'Support the Troops'.[20] Mark Cuban has responded, saying "The movie is fully pro Troops. The hero of the movie is a soldier who stands up for what is right in the face of adversity... I think that the concept that the enemy will see these films and use it as motivation is total nonsense. We have no plans of translating these movies to arabic or other middle eastern languages...It's really easy to hate, its really hard to think issues through on their own merits. Anything that makes people think about issues is a good thing." He also points out that, through the Fallen Patriots charitable fund that he set up and finances, over $2.5 million dollars has been donated to soldiers in need.[21] He went on to publish an email he received from a soldier wounded in Iraq, who wrote "they've already formed their opinions of us and very little we do or say is going to change their minds. One movie, regardless of its subject matter, is not going to overcome their personal feelings".[22]
De Palma has been criticized for not including the fact that all of the soldiers involved in the real-life Mahmudiyah killings were prosecuted for the rape and murders. The film ends with an official investigation underway, and does not depict a trial or conviction. Kurt Loder wrote that "all five of the soldiers involved (in the rape and murder) were arrested and charged, and three have been tried and sentenced to 90, 100 and 110 years in prison." In addition, the alleged ringleader, Pfc. Steven D. Green, is being tried in a federal court in Kentucky and is reportedly facing the death penalty.[23] However, De Palma points out that the film itself is fictional; HDNet's lawyers told him he couldn't use anything real about the true event - he had to fictionalize it, and wasn't allowed to refer to the real event in any way.[24]
Photo censorship
During a New York Film Festival press conference for the film, De Palma mentioned that Redacted is itself redacted, due to Magnolia Pictures owner Mark Cuban "being disturbed" by the ending montage's imagery. A voice from the audience called out "That's not true"; with the speaker identifying himself as Eamonn Bowles, president of Magnolia Pictures. The producer of the film later appeared on stage to explain that the images were taken out not because they were disturbing, but because of concerns about the possibility that relatives of the dead persons appearing on the photographs might bring lawsuits for emotional distress and the like. Magnolia, he said, had been put in "an untenable legal position" making the movie uninsurable.
In an interview conducted the day after the uproar at the press conference, Cuban said, "There is no way I am going to include images of people who have been severely wounded or maimed and killed when the possibility exists that their families could unknowingly see the images and recognize a loved one." He also said that Magnolia had offered De Palma the option of buying the film back from the distributor in order to release it himself and "absorb 100 percent of the risk." De Palma did not accept. [25]
References
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1185714-redacted/ Retrieved 2007-09-12
- ^ a b Jason Solomons (2007-9-9). "Brutal Iraq film is Venice hit: Award for real-life story of rape by US soldiers". The Guardian.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ Aloisi, Silvia (2007-08-31). ""Redacted" stuns Venice". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
- ^ Abdul-Ahad, Ghaith. "We have been silent about many crimes but we will not stand rape". The Guardian, 20 October 2006.
- ^ Josh White (July 3, 2006). "Ex-Soldier Charged in Killing of Iraqi Family". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^ "Redacted (2007) - Release dates". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ "Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US, The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.
- ^ a b Joe Garofoli (2007-11-23). "Iraq war is hell on the bottom line at the box office". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ a b "Redacted (2007)". Box Office Mojo, LLC.
- ^ "Redacted - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ "Redacted (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "De Palma Iraq Flick Bombs". New York Post. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ Tim Brayton (2007-11-24). "The live of the wicked". Antagony & Ecstasy.
- ^ "User ratings for Redacted (2007)". IMDB.
- ^ Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US, The Daily Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2007.
- ^ "War film's portrayal of soldiers draws fire from GOP lawmaker". Washington Times. 2007-11-22.
- ^ "BATTLE-SCARRED". New York Post. 2007-11-16.
- ^ Director De Palma disturbed over Iraq film edit Reuters October 19, 2007
- ^ http://billoreilly.com/show?action=viewTVShow&showID=1603
- ^ Mark Cuban (2007-09-04). "Me and Bill OReilly".
- ^ Mark Cuban (2007-11-17). "Subject: This soldiers perspective on the Redacted issue".
- ^ "Redacted: Battle Casualty" by Kurt Loder, MTV.com, Nov. 16, 2007, accessed Nov. 25, 2007.
- ^ "De Palma Defends Redacted From Venice". 2007-09-04.
- ^ The Redacting of REDACTEDSpoutBlog October 9, 2007
External links
- Redacted at IMDb
- Redacted at Rotten Tomatoes
- Redacted at Metacritic
- Redacted at Box Office Mojo
- Redacted at AllMovie
- Redacted reviewed at Twitch
- Redacted reviewed at The Swan Archives
- Review
Listening
- Interview with Brian De Palma, from Fresh Air program, November 14, 2007