MovieChat Forums > Harsh Times (2006) Discussion > Absolutely Sick of This S***

Absolutely Sick of This S***

posted 11 years ago by iamdamnedbroke
7 replies | jump to latest

I am absolutely sick of Hollywood portraying veterans as psychopathic PTSD burnouts.

Before I get flamed, please understand: I recognize that PTSD is a very real problem with our returning vets. But the portrayal of them as violent criminals is a crude, disgusting stereotype, without basis in reality.

This movie was over the top trash, pure and simple. It was just really really bad.

The character Bale played wasn't merely suffering from PTSD, he was an alienating jerk, pure and simple, incapable of getting along with other men on any level, except his criminal friends. What kind of an idiot would behave the way he did in the recruiting station. "I see dumb people." I'm surprised the other guys didn't get together to beat the cr*p out of him.

I'm disappointed with Christian Bale's artistic choices. He was a producer on this train wreck.

He looked and sounded more like Timothy McVeigh than a real American. Sometimes I think that Bale secretly hates the US and resents it, and therefore most of his characters are sleazeballs.

[–] activista 11 years ago

@iamdamnedbroke

Uh, MeVeigh the domestic terrorist WAS an American AND a veteran, and just as damn crazy as this guy in the movie was. So your last sentence is really redundant. And if you don't believe this is close to a real portrait of what some vets with PTSD are like, read this thread:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433387/board/flat/134314793?p=1

[–] brightmidnight71 10 years ago

The guy who spazzed out and killed Chris Kyle at the shooting range was a vet with PTSD. It doesn't happen to every vet with the condition, but it happens to some.
Just because you didn't like the character's personality doesn't mean it's unrealistic.

[–] member-id 10 years ago

I hate when idiots say something is unrealistic just because they didn't like the character.

[–] marty_jump 10 years ago

Wah wah wahhhhh

[–] jaymcc445 10 years ago

U should be mad at the guy who wrote and directed it...Ayer. He is ex military also.

[–] Prismark10 10 years ago

I wonder how many ex military personnel in the USA end up in jail or low paid jobs. I know in the UK there is higher proportion of ex army veterans who end up in jail.

Its that man again!!

[–] booley118 9 years ago

I was an army ranger from oo to 06 and I can say I was a lot like Jim when I came home its def hard to adjust and many don't ever get right ...but also a lot of us do get help and figure it out and I myself am in a very good place now