Seth Rogen: 'American Sniper' Reminds Me of Nazi Propaganda Films
by Andy Neuenschwander
"American Sniper" may be the #1 movie in America right now, but there's at least one person who isn't a big fan.
Seth Rogen apparently saw the film, which stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most prolific sniper in U.S. history with the most confirmed kills. While the movie is drawing patriotic crowds, Rogen saw it as a little too patriotic.
"'American Sniper' kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of 'Inglorious Basterds,' " Rogen tweeted.
The movie he's referencing, which plays in the theater scene of Quentin Tarantino's WWII epic, is "Stolz der Nation" or "Nation's Pride," and features a lone German sniper taking out an army of Allied soldiers from a tower.
"American Sniper" is considerably more nuanced than that, and director Clint Eastwood infused the movie with a strong anti-war message, which is the opposite of what a true propaganda movie does.
However, filmmaker Michael Moore had his own complaints about glorifying snipers and the movie's treatment of Iraqi citizens. "My uncle killed by sniper in WW2," Moore tweeted. "We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot you in the back. Snipers aren't heroes."
Those comments were made without mentioning "American Sniper," but Moore did talk about the movie on his Facebook page. "Too bad Clint gets Vietnam and Iraq confused in his storytelling," Moore said. "And that he has his characters calling Iraqis 'savages' throughout the film."
Moore did praise the movie for its quality as a film, and praised Bradley Cooper's performance as well.