“To some extent, I considered it against all Muslims,” he said. He’s happy it’s no longer being shown in some Baghdad theaters. Wael, a government ministry employee in his thirties, says the film was too violent. More from GlobalPost: A comprehensive 54-step guide to how the US ruined Iraqīut not all Iraqis were cheering on "Chief" Kyle’s kills.
#28 WEEKS LATER SNIPER MOVIE#
When asked if he thought the movie was racist or anti-Arab - a charge made by some critics in the West - he replied, “No, why? The sniper was killing terrorists, the only thing that bothered me was when he said he didn’t know anything about the Quran!” “I love watching war movies because especially now they give me the strength to face ISIS,” he said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State. Mohammed, who lived through the events in Baghdad the film depicts, admits that scenes where women and children were killed were hard for him to watch. It's the same scene featured in the official trailer for the film: “When the sniper was hesitating to shoot everyone was yelling ‘Just shoot him!’” he said. Mohammed says one of the film’s opening scenes, when Kyle spots a woman and child who appear to be preparing to attack US troops during the initial invasion of Iraq, had the entire audience on the edge of their seats. Moviegoers interviewed at the mall say big budget action movies are usually the most popular, but romantic comedies and family dramas also do well. Behind tall gates and multiple layers of security complete with metal detectors and X-ray belts, the theaters here show a mix of Western and Arab films. Mansour Mall attracts a largely upscale crowd in Baghdad. A theater employee sitting at the box office says management made the decision “because the hero of this film boasts of killing more than 160 Muslims.” The employee declined to give his name because he did not have permission to speak to journalists. Dressed in a fur-collared coat and loafers, Mohammed says many of the showings were sold out, and he knows of people who had to book their tickets a day in advance during opening week.īut after just a week on screens, the Mansour Mall theater pulled the controversial war movie.
#28 WEEKS LATER SNIPER FULL#
In Baghdad, where much of the film is set, the movie drew full crowds at one of the city’s new upscale cinemas. It’s been stirring controversy in Iraq, too. 16 and racking up Oscar nominations, including one for best picture. It has proven to be a blockbuster, breaking records and topping box office sales since its wide release on Jan. More from GlobalPost: CSI Baghdad - Meet the small forensics team struggling to deal with a new wave of violence in Iraqĭirected by Clint Eastwood, the movie is based on a book by the late Kyle, now known ubiquitously as the most lethal sniper in US military history. Many people also objected to the film's portrayal of Kyle - a man who described Iraqis as "savages" in his memoir - as a hero. Some critics and commentators lauded it as patriotic and unflinching others dismissed it as reductionist and racist. The film, set during the US-led occupation of Iraq and released on Christmas Day, hit nerves in the United States immediately.
“Some people watching were just concentrating, but others were screaming ‘F*ck, shoot him! He has an IED, don’t wait for permission!!’” Mohammed laughed, recounting the film’s many tense scenes when US Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, radios in for authorization to take out a potential threat in his crosshairs. When Gaith Mohammed, a young man in his twenties with a degree in accounting, went to see "American Sniper" during its opening week at Baghdad’s Mansour Mall, he says the theater was full and rowdy.
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