FILM-US/IRAQ: Heart of Darkness (Redacted)

www.ipsnews.net...

Midland, a small city in the heart of the west Texas oil country, is proud to be known as the childhood home of the U.S. president and commander-in-chief, George W. Bush.

Brian De Palma's new movie "Redacted" is a fictional take on the overseas exploits of another youthful resident of the city, one whose Midland days are not touted by the local Chamber of Commerce. The real-life character whose deeds inspired the film is Steven Dale Green.

Like his famous predecessor, Green fell early and even harder for the charms of the spirit bottle. Still shy of his twentieth birthday, he had already racked up a record of alcohol and drug abuse that included three misdemeanor convictions.

Meanwhile, two years after Bush had declared a United States victory in its latest war, the U.S. Army was experiencing a severe recruitment shortfall. More liberal, embracing attitudes naturally gained sway in the hiring office.

First of all the article is a review of the movie, critiziced for not taking stand and somehow romantizicing "a bunch of regular guys" -- which they were not.

The article is gives fairly good the background for the movie, that I didn't know about.

Hardly a boxoffice hit, in Europe we have to wait till spring to see it.