MJS: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" Is About Obama's Terror-Suspect Kill List, Say the Film's Directors

[JMS]

http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/04/captain-america-winter-soldier-obama-kill-list-politics-drones-nsa

 

 

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" Is About Obama's Terror-Suspect Kill List, Say the Film's Directors

 

There are currently no plans to screen Captain America: The Winter Soldier at the White House, as far as the film's directors have heard. But if it makes it to the White House family theater, President Obama would be watching one big-budget, action-packed, and Scarlett Johansson-starring critique of his controversial terror-suspect "kill list."

This isn't me reading things into a mainstream comic-book movie. It's what the directors themselves will tell you.

"[Marvel] said they wanted to make a political thriller," Joe Russo, who directed the film with his brother Anthony, tells Mother Jones. "So we said if you want to make a political thriller, all the great political thrillers have very current issues in them that reflect the anxiety of the audience...That gives it an immediacy, it makes it relevant. So [Anthony] and I just looked at the issues that were causing anxiety for us, because we read a lot and are politically inclined. And a lot of that stuff had to do with civil liberties issues, drone strikes, the president's kill list, preemptive technology"—all themes they worked into the film, working closely with screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

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Which of coarse is just awesome.   I remember when during the Vietnam war Captain America ceased being Captain America as a criticism of American Foreign Policy.   I think he called himself Nomad for a while...  I've always associated political protest and activism with Cap.   I like them keeping him edgy..

[Slateman]

Yes, I noticed the political overtones. I also think that Captain America would be a big Snowden supporter.

 

Good movie was good.

[Hunter_R]

I've always thought Captain American was misunderstood like that. People seem to write him off as a jingoistic, patriotic, flag-waving patriot. That couldn't be further from the truth, and I think this movie will make a lot of new fans when they see it.

[Predicto]

Good for them.  Too long has this subject been merely an abstract foreign country issue for us Americans.   We need a national debate on where the War on Terror is taking us.

[elkabong82]

There's also a big story line in Marvel Comics about Caps' POV vs. Fury's/Hydra's from the movie, it's a real issue that's been debated for a long time, security vs. freedom. It's good to see it in the movie in a serious way. In the comics they tie-in mandatory registration of heroes to the security vs. freedom issue which causes a serious rift between heroes and leads to the Civil War storyline.

 

I'm glad the issue was being pressed in this movie and since the new X-Men movie will push registration of mutants and security vs. freedom (Sentinels mirroring drones) and also will be a big grossing movie, hopefully both movies will help younger and middle aged audiences care more about the security vs. freedom issue that needs to be better addressed in this country rather than bullied by fear mongering.

[Larry]

Glad to see the comics (OK, comics-based movies) noticing that issues exist. 

 

(And no, that was not some backhanded way of implying that they haven't been doing it for some time.) 

[JMS]

There's also a big story line in Marvel Comics about Caps' POV vs. Fury's/Hydra's from the movie, it's a real issue that's been debated for a long time, security vs. freedom. It's good to see it in the movie in a serious way. In the comics they tie-in mandatory registration of heroes to the security vs. freedom issue which causes a serious rift between heroes and leads to the Civil War storyline.

 

I'm glad the issue was being pressed in this movie and since the new X-Men movie will push registration of mutants and security vs. freedom (Sentinels mirroring drones) and also will be a big grossing movie, hopefully both movies will help younger and middle aged audiences care more about the security vs. freedom issue that needs to be better addressed in this country rather than bullied by fear mongering.

That whole theme of order vs freedom I thought was very well handled in the Batman Dark Knight movie series too.

That Captain America character has always since the 60's anyway been concerned with that distinction..

The other up and coming Marvel movie which is going to hit that theme very hard is the new X-Men movie, I think it's titled the future passed or something like that.

[CurseReversed]

Really glad to see that these important issues are being addressed in this movie.

 

Originally was not planning on it, but I might have to check this one out in the theater.

 

After the batman franchise decided to basically poop on the civil liberties vs security issue, it would be nice to see something come from the other angle.