A disgrace

Rating: 1/10 (31 December 2000)

This movie is shameful. America's ongoing islamopobia is given the full Hollywood treatment. After the collapse of the USSR it appears that the studios are picking out new anti-American targets to satisfy their craving a big, bad enemy. It was hard enough to put up with the veiled racism of movies such as The Siege', but Rules of Engagement' positively flaunts its prejudices.
Once again, Arabs and Muslims are depicted as fanatics intent on destroying America whilst US soldiers are blameless and heroic upholders of Western civilisation betrayed by cowardly politicians.
No other ethnic group could be treated in the same manner as Muslims, Hollywood has sunk to the levels last seen in the 1950s anti-Communist movies, that big name stars and directors attach their name to such features is truly appalling.
The old excuse that this was fiction is trotted out by apologists, but surely studios must realise that the politics of the Middle East are not to be trifled with. Producing such a feature can only antagonise people's deeply held beliefs. How would they feel if their own religious convictions were trivialised and simplified to make suitable villains to be gunned down by all-American heroes?
It's hard to imagine who was the target audience for this disgrace. One would hope that the average viewer could see what a biased and disingenuous story was being told. Perhaps the dismal box office for this film is an indication that people can see through the lies.