Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

I have taken a few days off from the blog researching into a couple of topics (conspiracies) over the past week. While I did not find any new revelations, I did find a few tidbits that may prove interesting. During this period, I did catch a couple movies. One of the first was the 2007 entry Charlie Wilson’s War.

Plot/ A drama based on a Texas congressional representative Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

I sat down to watch this one because I wanted to see how Hollywood portrayed this time in history. Of course, what they created was a one-sided piece of propaganda that does not provide a clear narrative on the aspects of this period that still haunts us today. The overall depiction of the Russian army is quite atrocious. While I am not saying they were great or saints, they were also not quite the bloodthirsty rapists that were depicted. Plus, the movie never truly reveals the truth about the Mujahedin (or gives even a hint that they would become al Qaeda). With the way paragraphs can be added to the visual effects, Being loosely based on a true story and book, Hollywood should have informed viewers of this fact before the end credits (but, I understand that does not meet the propaganda aspects I am sure Hollywood was going for). Yes, the acting, cast, and scripting was solid (especially Phillip Seymour Hoffman), but overall the movie fails to take advantage of those elements by creating a one-sided and inaccurate account of history and a film that should be considered demeaning to women. In the end, like many films that deal with history, the liberties taken to create a singularly focused narrative distort reality. Sure, it has its moments, but it should not be taken seriously in any way.