The movie glorifies killing the Arab "savages" and this ethnocentric viewpoint has had a tangible impact on the American public. According to the Guardian, anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States have spiked as a result of this film as evidenced by all tweets
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/24/american-sniper-anti-muslim-threats-skyrocket
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In-lieu of threats such as the one above, the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination League wrote to both Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper requesting them to address the "violent rhetoric" that was being posted on social media in the name of the movie http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/28/civil-rights-group-eastwood-cooper-need-to-help-stop-anti-arab-speech-inspired-by-american-sniper/ Jack Shaheen writes in Reel Bad Arabs that "the word “Arab” is never used as a complimentary or even neutral term. Instead, “Arab” is employed to help advance the sinister stereotype: Arab=Muslim=Evil Enemy Other." This trend is especially evident in American media where the "Arab-as-Villain" motif has remained constant, and is exemplified in American Sniper. As explained by Edward Said in Orientalism, the west has long engaged in "otherizing" people in the East by painting them as different than us. American Sniper builds on this tradition. Throughout the entire movie, Iraqi militants and civilians alike are referred to as "savages" without any distinction. Almost all Iraqis in this movie are also portrayed as inherently violent as well. Since the American soldiers are civilized,we are more comfortable with them. We are supposed to feel uncomfortable with the Iraqi "savages" since they are violent and different than us. Islam as a religion is also otherized in American Sniper. The film juxtaposes familiar Christian, American culture against the disparate Islam. The main character's "bible is used as a symbol in nearly every scene he kills someone." The collective effect of these portrayals is the demonization of Islam, and the glorification of white Christendom that is tasked with destroying "savage" Iraqi Muslims. http://www.cw.ua.edu/article/2015/01/american-sniper-misses-the-target-furthers-islamophobia-in-america |