At war with himself

What is this compulsion Kenneth Turan has to begin writing incisive editorials and then backpedal from his own remarks (“Film: war’s foot soldier?,” Nov. 24). In his otherwise excellent editorial concerning Hollywood and the coming war with Iraq, Turan nullifies every critical remark he makes by saying things in the last paragraph like: “Perhaps it is asking too much of the movies [Hollywood] to explore these dark and pessimistic thoughts” or “even if it’s not Hollywood’s place to do anything differently....”

Puleeeease! It is Hollywood’s place to do things differently. That’s the point I thought he was making. Movies like “Armageddon,” “The Sum of All Fears,” “Pearl Harbor” and even “Saving Private Ryan” are responsible for selling a glorified vision of American hegemony that blunts our own ability to think critically of ourselves. We should be asking questions about whether America truly is unbeatable and whether war will irreparably destabilize the Middle East. At the very least we should expect the movie industry to not make us wholly stupider as a culture. These are tricky times. Our lives may depend on the choices we make in coming years.

Mr. Turan ... let it rip. Stop backpedaling and make your point.

Bill Karydes

Los Angeles