...about the refusal of a third of ABC televisions stations to air "Saving Private Ryan," out of fear the FCC would come down on them. Apparently the film dares to suggest that soliders might occasionally use profanity, or that blood is spilled and bones are broken in war.
You know what I've been idly wondering? Whether Spielberg will have anything to say about this apparent censorship of a film that by most accounts is near and dear to his heart. It would seem that if anyone in "liberal Hollywood" has the power and wealth to stand opposed to the Bush empire, he would be the one. Or Tom Hanks, for that matter. He's supposed to be as hot as any actor can get ("Polar Express" notwithstanding). And again, he's made it clear in the past that "Private Ryan" was more than just another film to him.
But so far, near as I can tell with a quick "Yahoo!" search, niether man has had anything to say on the subject. Maybe they remembered they're going to have movies opening in the red states in the next four years. Maybe they remembered what happened to Lenny Bruce & Mort Sahl.
On December 25, 2005 Roger Ebert wrote:
Spielberg said he has been particularly struck by charges that his film ["Munich"]makes him "no friend of Israel."
"I am as truly pro-Israeli as you can possibly imagine. From the day I became morally and politically conscious of the importance of the state of Israel and its necessity to exist, I have believed that not just Israel, but the rest of the world, needs Israel to exist.
"But there is a constituency that nothing you can say or do will ever satisfy. The prism through which they see things is so profound and deeply rooted and so much a part of their own belief system that if you challenge that, you challenge everything they believe in. They say the film is too critical of Israel. The film has been shown to Palestinians who think it is too pro-Israel and doesn't give the them enough room to air their grievances.
"Some of my critics are asking how Spielberg, this Hollywood liberal who makes dinosaur movies, can say anything serious about this subject that baffles so many smart people. What they're basically saying is, 'You disagree with us in a big public way, and we want you to shut up, and we want this movie to go back in the can.' That's a nefarious attempt to make people plug up their ears. That's not Jewish, it's not democratic, and it's bad for everyone -- especially in a democratic society."
"My film refuses to be a pamphlet," Spielberg said. "My screenwriter Tony Kushner and I were hoping to make it a visceral, emotional and intellectual experience, combined in such a way that it will help you get in touch with what you feel are the questions the film poses. He said he was taught by his parents, his rabbi and his faith that discussion "is the highest good -- it's Talmudic."
He repeated that he was wounded by the charge that he is "no friend of Israel" because his film asks questions about Israeli policies. "This film is no more anti-Israel than a similar film which offered criticism of America is anti-America," he said. "Criticism is a form of love. I love America, and I'm critical of this administration. I love Israel, and I ask questions. Those who ask no questions may not be a country's best friends."
and
"[Emerson's article] brought together some sources and some criticisms I hadn't seen," Spielberg said, "and it made me want to be more specific about the responsibility of a Jewish artist.
"Everybody is sort of saying they wish I would be silent. What inspired me by what I read in Emerson's article is that silence is never good for anybody. When artists fall silent, it's scary. And when Jewish artists fall silent about Israel, it's maybe not so much because we think asking questions will do damage to Israel, but because we're intimidated by the shrillness and hysteria with which these questions are received sometimes.
Of course, in November 2004, George W. Bush had just been elected (not reelected), we were all holding a funeral for our liberalism, and asking questions just wasn't done. And by the time "Saving Private Ryan" had been censored, it had already won all the Oscars it was going to.
Maybe those are just a couple of the reasons why, on that point, Spielberg was remarkably silent. Now, with "Munich" in play, suddenly he's the poster boy for Talmudic discussion. To paraphrase Bart Simpson: I'm not calling him a hypocrite, but...I can't think of a way to finish that sentence.
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