Why Hollywood ignores the war on terror

Why Hollywood ignores the war on terror
by Andrew Klavan, Los Angeles Times
Published in THE WEEK, February 9, 2007

If ever there were a "rousing story" tailor-made for the silver screen, said Andrew Klavan, the war on terror would be it. Hollywood has a long history of turning real-life drama into blockbuster films, and the battle against Islamic fanaticism does not lack for drama.

Think of the vivid characters a great filmmaker could flesh out, from the brave soldiers and FBI agents on the front lines to the madmen they must stop. Yet, "in the history of our time as told by the movies, the war on terror largely does not exist." The reason, I suspect, has something to do with political correctness.

"To honestly dramatize the simple truth about this existential struggle, you have to depict right-minded Americans - some of whom may be white and male and Christian-hunting down and killing dark-skinned villains of a false and wicked creed." Do that, of course, and you risk appearing "bigoted and jingoistic" - a Hollywood liberal's worst nightmare.

Money plays a part, too. As the film industry grows more dependent on overseas sales, foreign sensibilities are hard to ignore. What a shame that such a powerful art form has been unwilling to tackle "the central event of our time."