How is it to always be the bad guys?

[AceChilla]

Before we turn this into a "We don't like Hollywood" thread, let's remember that it's also devellopers of computergames that are a part of this thing. I don't remember a first person shooter where you could play as the Germans (In single player)

Silent Hunter 3, you are a German U-boot commander

Panzer general, Stalingrad the movie and the game. there are quite a few. Altough most are not from American developers. And what about Das Boot

I think it's getting more and more accepted to make films and games from a German point of view. I'm still waiting for a Band of Brothers the German version.

 

[The Last Conformist]

The only instance I can think of when a European filmmaker has done a reverse job on the US — using a European mythological pseudo-US background for a story (American enough for Europeans) — is Lars von Trier's 'Dancer in the Dark'. Of course the US critics didn't much like this US-simulacra.

Just of of curiosity, which features did they object to?

 

[Verbose]

Just of of curiosity, which features did they object to?

For starters Björk, Catherine Deneuve, Peter Stormare etc. all speaking 'American'.
It's no worse than Kevin Kline speaking French in 'French Kiss' (he did it rather well actually), but somehow US critics simply wouldn't buy all these European actors pretending to be Americans in an America made in Trollhättan ('Trollywood'), Sweden.

 

[HamaticBabylon]

James bond movies are stereotypes as well. We got to destroy and take out the Russians because they are "communists". Same with North Korea!

 

[CruddyLeper]

I think it's getting more and more accepted to make films and games from a German point of view. I'm still waiting for a Band of Brothers the German version.

Sven Hassel game license? Definitely not for kids... plus I think you'd have to go to a sex shop to buy them in Germany.

Silent Storm 2 (not an FPS) allowed you to play as Axis or Allies. Russian game, a bit like a 3D version of Advanced Squad Leader. Very absorbing.

 

[Yuri2356]

James bond movies are stereotypes as well. We got to destroy and take out the Russians because they are "communists". Same with North Korea!

But that's what James Bond has always been about, western spies fighting off the reds.

 

[kronic]

Silent Hunter 3, you are a German U-boot commander

Panzer general, Stalingrad the movie and the game. there are quite a few. Altough most are not from American developers. And what about Das Boot

I think it's getting more and more accepted to make films and games from a German point of view. I'm still waiting for a Band of Brothers the German version.

A WW2 movie from the German pov with the Germans winning in the end is taboo though (even in Germany) . Are their any movies in the 1939-42 period (despite Battle of Britain movies)?

I don't have a problem with us being the bad guys. We grow up with this and well...these are just movies.

 

[Babbler]

I heard that World War 2 games sell well in Germany and Japan. Apparently, they like killing their grandparents and parents in a virtual simulation of the world's greatest tragedy.

Sort of like Americans with the Civil War.

 

[Verbose]

Nobody identifies with the Bad Guy in a narrative, be it book, movie or game. Just coincidentally sharing a national identity with one of them is no way enough to make you identify with them.

It's like the phenomenon of Native Americans cheering when the Redskins go down in old Westerns. (I heard a lecture by an anthropologist who had watched 'Stagecoach' with a group of Navajos. He was so disturbed by this he had to ask them about it and got the answer: 'Of course we cheer. Those guys are Kiovas!')

Heck, even Hollywood during WWII was pretty conscientious in distinguishing between the Bad German Nazis and the Good German non-Nazis (no such luck for the Japanese though). Just because you're German doesn't mean you need to support the Nazis.

 

[Perfection]

I think people here are reading way too much into pop-culture. Not too many people I know base thier perceptions on movies and computer games.

 

[BasketCase]

Why has nobody ever raised the alarm at the number of American films where the bad guys are.....<drum roll> AMERICANS??



I'm willing to hazard a guess that the nationality of the bad guy in a film doesn't actually mean anything (unless chosen because it's a World War II film and the context is appropriate to have, say, German bad guys)--we just tend to notice bad guys of particular nationalities here and there. The bad guys in the original Star Wars may have all had European accents, but do remember that that was in another galaxy--they didn't HAVE a Europe out there!

 

[blindside]

For the most part badguys in Hollywood movies are Germans (usually ex-Nazi[if non ww2] or Eastern German communists), Russians (mafia or ex-commies, Italians mafia-only, Colombians (drug trade), Arabs (terrorists), or Koreans/Japanese. Historical enemies I suppose. I don't think I've ever seen a badguy that was either Jewish or Indian.

 

[Taliesin]

I have yet to see a villain with a Canadian accent, most likely because such a ridiculous manner of speaking would render him the least menacing nemesis in the history of film. Still, I can cross my fingers and hope we'll eventually be noticed. The hero of the Matrix must have a slight Canadian accent, which is heartening.

Actually, a Punjabi accent might be even less villainous than a Canadian. It's a close call, though.

 

[Keirador]

I have yet to see a villain with a Canadian accent, most likely because such a ridiculous manner of speaking would render him the least menacing nemesis in the history of film.

Give us the launch codes or the girl gets it, eh?!

 

[HighlandWarrior]

You may have a point here. And I can't immediately think of a lot of non-WWII, non-CW movies where the English are the good guys.

master and commander, english are the great guys, killing the villianous french. And also in the movie zulu, they're the good guys.

 

[Zardnaar]

A Sven Hassel novel made into a movie

 

[The Last Conformist]

I think people here are reading way too much into pop-culture. Not too many people I know base thier perceptions on movies and computer games.

That's 'cos you mostly associate with other intellectualist overachiever kids.

 

[Gelion]

Its fun I can tell you this much. You can make fun of American knowledge of Russian in Cold War films, silly inscriptions and stereotypes....

Sometimes it is frustrating seing your coutrymen die by the thousands, but then you just press the "off" button, knowing that the film director just doesn't know life...

 

[Reno]

Sometimes it is frustrating seing your coutrymen die by the thousands, but then you just press the "off" button, knowing that the film director just doesn't know life...

True.

I've yet to see some (none-finnish made) movies that have a finnish bad guy. But it's just sad to see a load of (ww2) movies that always portray the Germans/Axis as cold blooded murderers with no feelings what so ever. Shows how much some movie makers know. And i'm no hollywood fan, but some of the movies that they make are decent atleast.

 

[cegman]

Remember it's usually harder to make a movie supporting the loser in a war. I know it has been done but it is not nearly as easy.