MovieChat Forums > Black Rock (2013) Discussion > And guess who the villains are.......

And guess who the villains are.......


Apparently, they're Iraqi War vets. How original. Homicidal former members of the military--the predictable fallback for insane villainy in films and TV these days. And probably written by a Hollywoodite who doesn't even KNOW anyone in the military. Easier to make 'em the stock bad guys that way......

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At the Sundance Q and A Aselton made it very clear that the film is not anti-militaristic. She uses soldiers for the same reason Deliverance used hillbillies.
It should be noted that one of the veterans wants nothing to do with it. They aren't made out to be evil because they are veterans. They aren't made out to be evil at all. They are just in a desperate situation.

A better signature.

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They aren't made out to be evil? How do you figure?

These guys are clearly messed up from the get-go. They turn on the girls in a second as soon as they see what's happened to their buddy. Sure, one of them is hesitant for a second... but not much longer than that. A desperate situation? They could have just hopped in the boat, left the island and notified the authorities. They had guns. They had military training (...except when they needed to be able to shoot anyone who wasn't Sarah, which is a discussion for another time I suppose...). These guys were stock baddies through and through and, if none of that is enough, there's at least one scene when someone yells something almost verbatim to "I'm gonna find you and capture you and kill you."

You're right in that the film isn't militaristic and they aren't evil BECAUSE they're vets, but to say that one wants nothing to do with it just isn't sensible. He only hesitates for a second. I'm surprised Duplass even had him do that.

www.collegemoviereview.com

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I disagree. Paulson freaked out because his best and closest friend had been killed. Richardson has no intentions of killing them he is just accommodating his friend. It isn't until the girls escape and are planning on turning them into the law that he becomes involved. I definitely didn't see either of them as "evil". The word "evil" makes me think of something cartoonish like Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Terrible to everyone, can summon the powers of hell, etc. The people in this film are nothing beyond compulsive. They are acting on their most immediate emotions (something you are NOT supposed to do in the military hence their dishonorable discharge). Idk I just didn't see any of them made out to be evil.

A better signature.

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Hey you azz why don't you, I don't know not come onto a website discussion board meant specifically for movies. Since spoiler threads are pretty much standard since people want to, I don't know discuss the the frackin movie. Not to mention the thread name straight up implies there would spoilers here. What a moronic douche you are.

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Would you have preferred Russian Spies or South African racists?

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Thanks for the *insert* douche!

When there's hopelessness, people revolt - Tupac





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No there is no plot twist here. The second they are introduced you know these are the baddies.
Not to mention the title of the thread is guess who the villains are...

A better signature.

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I have not seen this movie and won't pay money to see it just on principle. When I look at the preview, I can't help but think of the guys Wounded Warrior helps. There are a lot of guys that came back in pretty bad shape, psychologically and /or physically. It's just poor taste to portray our veterans in this way,to me anyway.

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As a retired Army reserve components officer, I just have two things to say to the producers and writers of this piece of sh!t movie: *beep* you very much!

And to quote Warren Oates and Bill Murray from Stripes: One of these men may save your lives one day.... Then again, maybe one of us won't!

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Retiring from the reserve components doesn't mean never having served in an active component or never having been in a combat zone.

Show me any place on the IMDb boards where I ever called myself a hero. I just think that anyone who has ever worn the uniform honorably deserves better than the Hollywood stereotype.

And what are your military credentials?

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They were dishonorably discharged. It's not the Hollywood stereotype, Hollywood is very sympathetic to our vets. Most major Hollywood blockbusters are. However, if you expect some elements of Hollywood (Oliver Stone etc) to totally ignore the evil of some men in war (My Lai, Robert Bales etc etc etc) you can go *beep* yourself.

Anyway,you've totally missed the point of the film and chosen to focus on the throwaway military thing but that's cool :)

And I dont want military credentials.

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And I dont want military credentials.


I can spot your kind anywhere. You have such a deep craniorectal insertion about the military that you have no clue what the reserve components have done throughout America's history up to and including our present day wars.

I don't believe in telling people to STFU, it goes against the First Amendment of the Constitution that I've risked my life to defend. Feel free to continue to mouth off. In fact, I'd encourage you to do so at a servicemembers-and-veterans-oriented bar in say, Killeen, TX, Watertown, NY, Radcliff, KY or Fayetteville, NC. Or better yet the home armory of my old Guard Armored Cavalry unit.

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I'm not 'mouthing off', I'm just pointing out the severe flaws in the logic of writing off a movies just because it portrays ex-military in a bad light. It's just very immature and black-and-white. I'm not actually attacking the military, I'm attacking your ability to critique a movie.

Also, I'm not American I'm Australian.

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Then you have no business bad-mouthing the military reserve components of another country which you obviously know nothing about.

And by the way, your government is now in a campaign to recruit US military veterans into your armed forces. If your intent is to discourage that, you're succeeding marvelously in showing the kind of people they'll be defending and their ingratitude and ignorance toward their reserve servicemembers.

Fortunately for me, one of the other officers I served with in the National Guard was an Australian immigrant, and I know enough to believe that maybe the country is more like him than like your kind, even though he left the country of his birth to come to America for some reason, as I did.

BTW, I hope you don't delete your first post on this thread. If it stays up there, it demonstrates to the court of public opinion which one of us is more "immature and black-and-white". I stand on that.

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I have as much right bad mouthing the 'military reserve components' of another country as you have badmouthing a movie based on shaky logic.

Like I said, I'm not anti-military. Your objections to this film are objectively immature, let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a film message board.

Peace.

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Let's let the court of public opinion decide who's immature.

I love it when little p****s like you step in deep sh!t and then try to weasel their way out of it! You didn't insult one old retired officer, you insulted the over half a million soldiers of the US Army Reserve and Army National Guard who are currently serving, and the hundreds of thousands of other retirees like me, and now you're rationalizing your insults by saying "This is a film message board" and "I have as much right bad mouthing the 'military reserve components' of another country as you have badmouthing a movie based on shaky logic." You attacked me without knowing ANYTHING about me other than I was a retired reserve components officer, then you try to put yourself at MY level of credibility by trying to knock me and all other reservists down to yours just because all YOU know about war is what you've seen on TV.

Don't think you're fooling anyone with that "I'm not anti-military" claim." Anyone not anti-military would have had the respect to never have said what you did in your first post.

I could say more about your stepping into deep sh!t, but I won't. Again, you've shown the world what a miserable, weasely little p**** you are. Shout all you want about my being the one who's immature. The court of public opinion has the final judgment.

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lols you're so angry!! Take a chill pill bro :) Seriously, I don't care about all these issues you have with reservists not being real men. Maybe talk to a psych about it? But yeah, as far as respect goes, you don't get any, bro. Enjoy your retirement!

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lols you're so angry!! Take a chill pill bro :) Seriously, I don't care about all these issues you have with reservists not being real men. Maybe talk to a psych about it? But yeah, as far as respect goes, you don't get any, bro. Enjoy your retirement!

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I happen to be a psychologist in my civilian career. But ethics prevent me from saying anything about you while wearing that hat.

And it's all about credibility.

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The men deliberately and repeatedly said they'd been DIShonorably discharged, due to some explosively violent act that even the military didn't condone. They were supposed to be rogues with training in survival/combat, not shining examples of our armed forces. This part is generally played by rednecks/hillbillies in these types of films. I liked that this at least made an effort to be different.

So you're a clinical psychologist, huh? Lol.

They're coming to get you, Barbara!

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I gotta agree with Mr the Rohan here, you are being extremely thin skinned. Perhaps psychology is not the right career for you if you aren't able to be more emotionally detached in your reasoning and arguments.

Also, that's not how the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights works. It only protects speech from being suppressed by the government. That's it.

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I also agree with Rohan. These three guys didn't represent all veterans returning from Iraq or wherever. They were dishonorably discharged and weren't even back in the states for three weeks yet. They were bitter about their discharge and no longer trusted the government. Meanwhile Derek & Alex owed their lives to Henry. On top of this, they were trying to readjust to normal life in America and clearly suffering a bit of PTSD. All these factors pointed to them being a keg of dynamite waiting to detonate if treated unwisely. Abby's foolish actions were all it took. In her defense, she was drunk & just wanted to party (she was trying to get over her recent separation from her husband); she wasn't aware of the tenuous condition of these men and how potentially dangerous they were.

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Wow another US former Army guy who wants his arse to be kissed. Who would have thought?

Pity for you people don't blindly buy into imperialism anymore (at least outside of the US Bible belt). The US military is basically a mercenary outfit for corporate interests (Haliburton et al) and the CIA.

Good luck figuring out how the First Amendment (that tired old chestnut) had nothing to do with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It's not intellectual honesty you're going for though is it? You Americans contravene the First Amendment constantly at the highest levels of government. Congress shall not promote one religion above others? Hmm that worked out well didn't it? Such a secular civic culture over there.

It's a hard pill to swallow that so many working class guys died for corporations though, I'll admit.

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Thank you, Comrade Lenin!

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Pithy dude

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They made a point of saying that the three men had been DISHONORABLY discharged from the military. Clearly, these men were not intended to represent the military, as the military would not have them.

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WHO the deviants were is of little interest to me.....the "victims" were nauseating individuals....u COULD NOT kill them fast enough and slow enough for me..........what is it with writers not making victims likable anymore????? Don't get it.....

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Apparently, they're Iraqi War vets.


Not true at all. The villians are those who support a war and then abandon the men they send off to the war and then abandon those same men when they return home. Nothing more villainous than that, for sure!

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It's a damn movie. Everyone shouldn't take it so literally. And if u think just because someone was in the military their hero's, then u have a problem. (Don't take U literally either, it's for everyone. )

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Being a war vet means you are homicidal by definition. They kill people for a living. The hero worship for these guys makes me sick.

"I love Sonny and Sonny loves me"-Carly Corinthos

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Yeah....and to think they fought to protect the ungrateful likes of YOU...go back to facebook.....

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The last war fought by the US that protected anyone was WWII. Every war since has been to "protect our economic interests" AKA profiting the richest few. If it was any different we would treat our veterans a whole lot better.....

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