The advent of WWIII!? Russians and their Central American allies breaching the American borders to wreak havoc in an unsuspecting American town!? Teenagers forced to abandon their childhood bliss of football games and lovers’ lanes in favor of organizing an insurgency in defense of their liberty!? Sounds like a recipe for a depressing thriller a la Hart’s War if considered soberly. But in a time when the fears of Soviet aggression were all too real in the Cold War-stricken America outside the theater, perhaps the filmmakers felt obliged to provide moviegoers with a dose of much-needed escapism.
While we can never know what impact the movie could have had as a potential gritty, action drama, the choice to take a lighter tone would seem to have paid off in the long run, as the gods of Hollywood have chosen to smile upon a remake by long-time stunt coordinator and directorial newbie Dan Bradley. Due for release on November 24, the new film will focus not on the old Cold War plotline, but on a military-economic assault coordinated by a coalition of Chinese and Russian forces. One has to wonder how such a script could survive the vitriolic anti-Americanism of modern Hollywood. Interestingly enough, the first sharp criticism seems to be emanating from Red China herself.
Chinese state-run newspapers are reportedly complaining of the suspicion that such a film would cast on the so-called “People’s Republic”. The perception is that the American citizenry is prone to paranoia in regards to the Chinese agenda, and that ‘Red Dawn’ will aggravate those feelings. This is the second time in recent memory that China’s reaction to an American film has received attention in the press, the other being Roland Emmerich’s ‘2012,’ in which Chinese troops are portrayed as protagonists, if only briefly.
As it has grown into an ever-more influential presence on the world stage, the Chinese state has seen a proportional rise in political sensitivity in regards to the country’s portrayal in media around the world, of which ‘Red Dawn’ is only the most recent example. The Chinese oligarchy has, of course, become accustomed over the last several decades to stamping out political dissidents among their own citizenry however small the offense, so it does not exactly come as a surprise that they would seek to shame the “insensitive” American agitators for their “reckless” depiction of Chinese movie villains. But if the Chinese want to avoid American paranoia, pointing fingers at the free media is the last thing they should do.
Americans have grown accustomed to anti-American rhetoric not only from abroad, but from our citizens, our elected officials, our president’s czars, and, to the disappointment of many a voter, from the Commander-In-Chief himself. Conservative Americans have gotten used to fighting critics not by attempting to shut them down, but by forming logical counter-arguments and peaceful, if heated, discussions. We should not expect such an inherently democratic logic to spring forth from the mind of a Chinese communist just because they wish to claim the mantle of modernity.
If China really wants to quell our anxiety in regards to their agenda on the world stage, that very arena will afford them an opportunity in the coming week as Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pays them a diplomatic visit to discuss the threat of UN sanctions. As reported at Breitbart.com (read the article here: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.91bd23e2c5fc004cdd77440e9dc6ec94.7f1&show_article=1) , China’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council gives it the power to veto resolutions against the Islamic “Republic”.
Such a decision by the Chinese state would do more to damage relations between our two nations than a hundred Red Dawns.
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