Based on the true story of the late United States Navy Seal Chris Kyle, “American Sniper” became the highest-grossing film of 2014 and won the 2015 Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound Editing, among multiple other nominations. Hailed by some critics as a stirring portrait of an American hero, others condemned it for dehumanizing the Iraqi population.
Earlier this month, students from the University of Michigan complained the film perpetuated stereotypes about Islamic culture, and the university almost canceled the campus screening.
The next day, backlash from students wanting to see it pushed the university to reverse its decision and proceed with the screening as planned.
Michigan’s decision to nix the film is an example of how political correctness nearly prevented intellectual debate and discussion. Before the university reversed its decision, the children’s movie “Paddington” was set to take its place at the screening.
I am neither agreeing nor disputing the claims that Clint Eastwood’s film is a misrepresentation of people from the Middle East. A strong argument can be made for both sides of this argument, which makes it one of many discussions that should take place on college campuses.
Sadly, people today are so easily offended that civil debates on matters such as this rarely happen and are instead reduced to mindless arguments online.
During my three years at NC State, controversial material often has been the catalyst for good discussion. Just this semester in one of my film classes, my professor screened Spike Lee’s widely debated 2000 film “Bamboozled” and asked us to write a paper discussing it. Like “American Sniper,” the film received a mix of both praise and criticism for its satirical look at the cinematic portrayal of African Americans from the perspective of a black television writer.
As students in my class voiced their opinions on “Bamboozled,” they were able to disagree with each other in a healthy, productive manner. While the film made almost everyone uncomfortable in its use of blackface and its depiction of African-American stereotypes, it enabled us to think about what Lee did with the film and come to our own conclusions.
Sony’s cancelation of “The Interview” as a result of threats from North Korean hackers was likely nothing more than a publicity stunt and serves as yet another example of the importance of controversial films, be they dramas or satirical raunch-fest comedies. Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, the film is about a pair of journalists hired by the CIA to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
I’ve spoken with people who feel making a movie about assassinating a living world leader and labeling it a comedy is both tasteless and disrespectful to those who are currently suffering under Jong-un’s tyrannical reign. I’ve also spoken with people who say the way in which “The Interview” uses satire shows that humor allows us to cope with tragedy.
In each of these cases, we see that controversial films have the power to provoke thought. College students especially should expose themselves to different viewpoints so that they might better understand their own.
In a culture that supposedly promotes tolerance and respect, it is ironic that a group of students would fight to have a film on campus not shown simply because it offends them. If we embrace this mentality, we limit ourselves to discussions and debates with only those who already think just like us.
