Dear Paul Haggis,
Who do you think you are?
Your latest film, In the Valley of Elah, displays
such a deep-seeded hated for the American Military that it could
be quite easily confused for a propaganda-film made by al-Qaeda
as a means of recruiting anti-West terrorists. Through your
deceptive screenwriting and direction, you depict United States
soldiers—the very men who defend your right to sit around and
make films all day—as being sub-human. You would like the
audience to think that there is an inordinate amount of men and
women serving our country that act like kill-happy,
blood-thirsty dogs. You are so desperate to vocalize an
anti-Iraq War “statement” that you are willing to take the easy
way out by blaming these noble human beings for the United
States’ governmental failures. Instead of delving into the
complexities of the country’s Foreign Policy by directly
criticizing the practices of the Bush Administration, an
establishment that can withstand such unwarranted attacks, you
see it necessary to rob the best and brightest American men and
women of their dignity onscreen. Why, Mr. Haggis, must you
pretend as though our military is comprised of killers and
sadomasochists in your film?
Not to mention, the way that you attack our soldiers in
such a cowardly, self-righteous manner makes the action all the
more offensive. That the first act of In the Valley of Elah
pretends to respect the traditions and the strength of the
American Armed Forces is a damn shame. What a cheap way of
suggesting to unknowing viewers that the film understands the
military, as if to make it seem okay for them to believe the
mistaken notion presented that the organization is full of
corrupt and sinful killers! Additionally, Mr. Haggis, your
choice to establish protagonist Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee
Jones), whose Iraq-veteran son dies just outside of his home
military base, as a man of nationalist values is disgraceful. It
is absolutely disgusting that you would ever purport that this
character, who even goes as far as to instruct an immigrant
Hispanic janitor to hang the American Flag up backwards during
the film’s final scene, is an admirable dissenter who loves
America but despises the Iraq War and its players.
It should be duly noted, Mr. Haggis, that I think you to be
very talented man. Your screenplay for Million Dollar Baby
is one of the best ever written, your more-thoughtful meditation
on the consequences of war in Flags of Our Fathers is
illuminating, and your direction Crash packs a punch
despite its considerable flaws. But with great ability comes
great responsibility. You must not continue to abuse your gift,
as you clearly did in making In the Valley of Elah. Your
work here allows passages of the movie to achieve a poetic
style, but what good is poetry when it is defamatory and
hateful? You bring out in Tommy Lee Jones what may be the best
performance of his entire career, but the veteran actor’s
efforts are rendered useless when one considers that they
contribute to a message of resounding hypocrisy.
I will not soon artistically forgive you for the
mean-spirited and downright wrong attitude that your
In the Valley of Elah exhibits toward the United States
Military, Mr. Haggis. You should be ashamed of yourself for
depicting the organization in the way that you do. But I still
realize what a crafty and influential man you are in the World
of Film, and must plead of you to reconsider your troubling
thoughts regarding the American Troops fighting in Iraq. In the
years to come, please fully realize the social power carried by
the images and ideas captured by your camera.
Sincerely,
Daniel S. Baldwin
Bucket Reviews
Review Published on: 10.11.2007
Screened on: 9.23.2007 at the Edwards San Marcos 18 in
San Marcos, CA.
