This film was racist, so racist towards Muslims. Portrayed them like violet, immoral cavedewlers and the american as the beacon of Good. It made me feel sick. The main charcter was creepy towards women, and the women were only portrayed as sexual objects.
For me, This film portrayed a negative, vacuous, ultra-capitalist and xenophobic view of america.
"Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more. It's contrast."
Who said they were Muslims? Besides, the film is about a superhero defeating scummy terrorists; they're not going to focus on the good Middle Easterners. But there are good Easterners. All the families he saved when he came back to destroy his weapons. And the businessmen Stark presented the Jericho to. The only violent immoral cavedwellers were the Ten Rings terrorists who held him hostage. They're not a representation of their whole continent or something.
Also, Tony is only creepy/sexualizing with the Vanity Fair reporter and I guess the stewardesses. Pepper is a strong woman character and saves Tony's ass.
"Oh, my God. Bear is driving! How can that be?!"
The only violent immoral cavedwellers were the Ten Rings terrorists who held him hostage. They're not a representation of their whole continent or something.
Being a Muslim, I found this movie (one of my favorites, though not for this reason) one of the most balanced portrayals of Arabs (it should be noted that nobody's religion is ever called out) in recent cinema. The defining motivation in the Ten Rings is not their religion or their heritage (which Yinsen elaborates as mixed all over the region) but solely superiority and escalation. They show heavy intolerance towards any people, considering their later attack in Afghanistan and their kidnapping of Yinsen, who is portrayed as one of the most noble characters and pretty much the only reason Stark is still breathing.
They are also funded by a capitalist head of Obadiah Stane, showing that there's as many bad corporate heads as there are good ones, like Tony evolves into.
As for the sexism, let's face it, Tony has his vices. The movie never at all paints him as a saint. He's simply trying to get on his legs and address that he needs to improve himself. As the Iron Man series (inc. The Avengers) showcases, it's about him learning more about himself as a person and trying better himself as he tries to better the world. The moment Tony finally ceases his womanizing or alcoholism, the Iron Man series can be considered dead, because that's what his character is all about.
'You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?'
'Yeah, he told me you're gay.'
*BANG!*
Being a Muslim, I found this movie (one of my favorites, though not for this reason) one of the most balanced portrayals of Arabs (it should be noted that nobody's religion is ever called out) in recent cinema. The defining motivation in the Ten Rings is not their religion or their heritage (which Yinsen elaborates as mixed all over the region) but solely superiority and escalation. They show heavy intolerance towards any people, considering their later attack in Afghanistan and their kidnapping of Yinsen, who is portrayed as one of the most noble characters and pretty much the only reason Stark is still breathing.
They are also funded by a capitalist head of Obadiah Stane, showing that there's as many bad corporate heads as there are good ones, like Tony evolves into.
As for the sexism, let's face it, Tony has his vices. The movie never at all paints him as a saint. He's simply trying to get on his legs and address that he needs to improve himself. As the Iron Man series (inc. The Avengers) showcases, it's about him learning more about himself as a person and trying better himself as he tries to better the world. The moment Tony finally ceases his womanizing or alcoholism, the Iron Man series can be considered dead, because that's what his character is all about.
AprilClash said: "This film was racist, so racist towards Muslims. Portrayed them like violet, immoral cavedewlers"
Well, all (or almost all) terrorists in Afghanistan tend to be muslim.
Regardless, I don't recall the term "muslim" even being brought up in the film.
But Al Queda is absolutely muslim. So is the Taliban.
All of the 9-11 hijackers were muslim.
Are you getting it now?
No?
Didn't think so as you didn't seem to bright to begin with.
The film strove to strike a balance between good and bad Muslims, so I don't agree with the thread-starter. But I can understand her sensitivity, because American cinema has declared open season on Muslims since the days of THE DELTA FORCE (in fact, anti-Muslim portrayals began far prior, but we're concentrating on the period when Muslims became synonymous with terrorism), followed through by TRUE LIES, and so many more. In other words, given the tremendous Islamophobia of our country, Hollywood has generally felt it has had license to certify Muslims as scummy sub-humans, while being careful to be far more delicate with other religious and ethnic groups, in a politically correct world.
Note how the last poster who smugly ended his message with "you didn't seem to (sic) bright" personifies this attitude. He wrote, "Well, all (or almost all) terrorists in Afghanistan tend to be muslim." This would have actually been a great retort against the second poster who feebly offered, "Who said they were Muslims?" Well, of course the people of Afghanistan are almost entirely Muslim (99%, according to the CIA World Factbook), so cinematic Afghan bad guys aren't going to represent anything else. Yet notice the last poster did not phrase his response (to the thread-starter's line referring to all Muslims, which he offered as a preface) as "Well, all (or almost all) PEOPLE in Afghanistan tend to be muslim." No, he wrote (with emphasis added), "Well, all (or almost all) TERRORISTS in Afghanistan tend to be muslim."
In short, the Islamophobia is so ingrained in most folks, that the first instinct of the last poster (even though no one should assume he consciously hates Muslims) is to substitute the word "terrorist" for Muslim people, because it's so natural for Westerners to believe all Muslims are fanatical creeps who love to cause death and destruction.
Finally, it was ironic that the fourth poster - who made very insightful comments - wrote, "Being a Muslim, I found this movie... one of the most balanced portrayals of Arabs... in recent cinema." I suppose it is easy to substitute the word "Arab" for "Muslim," yet Afghans, ethnicially, are not Arabic.
This film was racist, so racist towards Muslims.
1) Muslim isn't a race, its a religious group.
2) Thats the point of his character. He is an anti-hero.
3) Its a movie. If you didn't like it, then don't go crying to us. Watch a movie you do like.
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This is a reply to everyone really.
Yes your right mulism is a religious group not a race. That was a mistake i made. I blame the society i've grown up in.
The reason i made this thread, and i admit i was a bit over the top in my negativity, was just to draw attention to the Pro Capatalist, pro American message that i thought was being portrayed to the expense of a culturally rich and morally robust arab world (that isn't alluded to in the film).
However i think imdb is the place to vent steam if you dont like a movie, if at the cost of being ripped to shreds by people that disagree.
Gd day peoople
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Cheers. Society blames me so its cajj.
"Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more. It's contrast."
was just to draw attention to the Pro Capatalist, pro American message that i thought was being portrayed to the expense of a culturally rich and morally robust arab world (that isn't alluded to in the film).
"The reason i made this thread, and i admit i was a bit over the top in my negativity, was just to draw attention to the Pro Capatalist, pro American message that i thought was being portrayed to the expense of a culturally rich and morally robust arab world (that isn't alluded to in the film)."
*beep* commie
The reason i made this thread, and i admit i was a bit over the top in my negativity, was just to draw attention to the Pro Capatalist, pro American message that i thought was being portrayed to the expense of a culturally rich and morally robust arab world (that isn't alluded to in the film).
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Just watched it again, and I agree that no one ever specifically said the people were Muslim, and that the villagers were a counter weight to the terrorists. But Tony IS a ultra-capitalist, and turns himself around at the end and in further films. You see him do it, so in that sense, it's anti-capitalist. He sees the error of that course. This film is setting up for that.
shareFinally, it was ironic that the fourth poster - who made very insightful comments - wrote, "Being a Muslim, I found this movie... one of the most balanced portrayals of Arabs... in recent cinema." I suppose it is easy to substitute the word "Arab" for "Muslim," yet Afghans, ethnicially, are not Arabic.
Tony Stark is portrayed as a selfish individual. That is the point. After he is captured and faces near death he realizes how selfish he has been. He makes a moral change in his life and decides to start working for the good of the world instead of just working for himself.
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Nazi is a political party. read a history book.
sharePlease, please,lease get a life. Some things are suppose to be light and amusing not political correct.
shareYeah and some people are cheap and innoxious
shareWouldn't innoxious--if it were a word--mean not noxious?
shareYeah, i think it is a word, it means harmless.
shareInnocuous means harmless. Is innoxious an alternative spelling?
shareI believe so, I'm from england so maybe its just over here.
But i cant tell you what i ment by the comment, it was so long ago and i have'nt a clue what i was thinking.
I did find it in an online dictionary, but I didn't really research it that much to find the dialect, but you're absolutely correct and I am sorry I doubted you.
shareAll things are light and amusing for Americans, because they are light and amusing themselves. Try picturing Americans in the place of Arabs in this movie and you'll see why it's racist. If this was the case, you would all scream "Communist/Liberal propaganda!!"
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free