Iron Man’s pro-military message
LEIA PETTY gives Iron Man way too much credit ("Iron Man seeks redemption"). The first 45 minutes were so horribly racist, sexist and pro-military that I nearly walked out.
Phenomenal performances by Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges (Terrence Howard was wretched), as well as beautiful cinematography, keep me from calling this a total waste of my time. Still, certain elements left me seething. Themes of "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim" abound throughout, and play into every stereotype the mainstream media has created to justify U.S. imperialism.
Paltrow's character, Pepper Potts, is quite well played and multi-dimensional, but the only other female character in the film, a Vanity Fair journalist, is downright insulting. In the beginning of the film, she is established as the only person asking hard questions about Stark Industries' weapons programs, but, of course, one semi-smooth line from Tony Stark, and she hops right into bed with him! For the rest of the film, she is simply portrayed as a silly, bitter woman who only goes after Stark Industries because Tony never called her back.
The most frustrating element of this film, however, is the way in which the U.S. military comes out looking rosy and spotless. Portrayed as having only a loose alliance with Stark Industries, their main weapons dealer, they have no clue that these weapons could possibly be falling into the hands of the Taliban-esque organization.
Of course, this has no resonance whatsoever to reality--we know that the U.S. military has directly armed countless militia forces in the past and today, throughout the world.
Furthermore, the military is portrayed as the protectors of the world--in one scene where Stark, as Iron Man, goes to save an Afghan village from destruction, a clueless military leader claims that the U.S. can't help "because they are using human shields." Yes, the millions of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan surely prove the respect our military has for innocent human lives.
In all, this film's politics were dreadful, but do help further discussion emphasizing what is truly wrong with mainstream media's pseudo-indictments on war and corporate greed.
Libby Belden, from the Internet
