War films seek to buck the 'feel-bad' factor

[Jacaylbaro]

In the United States, at least, 2007 was judged to be a pretty bad year for war films. As Edward Helmore noted in the Observer last month, a clutch of multi-million dollar movies on conflict and terrorism - including Lambs for Lions, Rendition and The Kingdom - got the big thumbs down from moviegoers and critics alike, pretty much bombing at the box office.

 

But why? One explanation is people have simply had enough of war, and don't want it shoved down their throats in their leisure time too (the liberal view). Or perhaps they don't welcome criticism of the troops when they're still being killed and injured in the field (the conservative view).

 

Helmore suggests that audiences "seem to be reacting against the lazy uniformity of Hollywood liberalism" - which fails to question its assumption that you can oppose the war in Iraq while still rallying behind the troops.

 

Yet another interpretation is that movies have just become too depressing. Helmore quotes Variety editor Peter Bart, who observed in a column last October, "Now, I'm not a cinematic philistine; I applaud filmmakers for dealing with real issues in the real world. At the same time, the feel-bad genre (which is only in its early stages) is becoming downright oppressive. Filmgoers have a right to ask: When do we get some comic relief?"

 

Now, I'm not a film critic, so I'm afraid I can't give you an exhaustive analysis of whether the boom in "feel-bad movies" is about to crash. But over the holidays, I spotted a couple of interesting projects that could help buck the trend.

 

There was the news, again in the Observer, that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is due to swap his school blazer for a flak jacket, playing the part of Dan Eldon - a young photographer killed in Mogadishu in 1993 while working for Reuters - in a film called Journey, which will be based on his tragically short but prolific career.

 

Eldon was one of four journalists stoned to death by an angry mob after a botched bombing by international forces in Somalia killed and injured dozens of civilians. He left behind 17 journals documenting his work in Africa, which were compiled into a book, "The Journey is the Destination", selling more than 200,000 copies.

 

Eldon's mother Kathy told the Observer she'd met and turned down several other stars eager to play her son, but Radcliffe fits the bill perfectly because of the many parallels between the two - not least a global outlook, magic and poetry.

 

And for those looking for feel-good films about war, Journey seems to fit the bill. "The film is a teen coming of age story - entertaining, funny, dark at times - but ultimately triumphant," Kathy is quoted as saying. "People will leave the cinema feeling inspired, thinking: "Oh my God, let me start living right now!" It won't be pious. We're not trying to idolise him or make him or a hero."

 

Filming is due to start this year in Kenya, with profits going to the Creative Visions Foundation, which supports artistic activists trying to raise awareness and motivate people to take action on social, humanitarian and environmental issues.

 

Another forthcoming drama hoping to shed new light on the challenges of covering conflict in Africa is "Taking the Flak", a six-part BBC comedy said to be based on the experiences of the British broadcaster's world affairs editor, John Simpson. According to the BBC, it's "an acerbic, authentic and caustic comedy that covers the entire progress of a small African war, as seen through the eyes of a team of journalists sending back the nightly reports for the BBC 'Ten'".

 

The BBC Two press material for the winter/spring 2008 season continues: "The team includes the smooth, veteran correspondent; the harassed, but infinitely resourceful, producer; and the green and gauche rookie stringer, dropped into a hotel and forced to choose between a room on 'the shooting side' and 'the mortar side'." So not too many stereotypes then!

 

A senior source involved in the production told the Observer: "The series really makes fun of what it's like to be a reporter in a war zone - it's a bit like Drop the Dead Donkey meets The Constant Gardener and it's very funny."

 

War's no laughing matter, but providing this series can be humourous and nuanced at the same time (and it's a big ask), a light-hearted take on the subject could be just what's needed to get conflict-fatigued viewers watching again.