For the second weekend in a row, Clint Eastwood’s latest film “American Sniper” is crushing all other films at the box office. The movie, which has been in theaters less than a fortnight, has already grossed over $180 million at the box office on a budget of under $60 million. Americans are flocking to the film which tells the story of Navy SEAL and expert sniper Chris Kyle. Maher is upset over statements Kyle made about his view of Iraqi insurgents whom he categorized as savages. Maher, an atheist who disdains Christians, found the statements by Kyle to be un-Christian.
His criticisms were offered on the set of the show “Real Time”. The popular political satirist went so far as to accuse Kyle of being a psychopath. However, other panel members took issue with Maher and his criticism of the film as being a black & white pro-American patriotic film.
Bret Stephens, a foreign correspondent with the Wall Street Journal, pointed out the film deals with more than the Iraq war. It touches upon the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome, and the effects the war has on the spouses of servicemen and servicewomen.
Comedian Bill Burr rebuked Maher for taking Kyle’s comments out of context. Burr advocated the educated approach which is to take a holistic view to Kyle’s comments. Just because a person has finished their wartime service doesn’t mean the anxiety of the war experience has left them or isn’t shaping their opinions. Maher also made it clear that he is bothered that the left-wing film “The Hurt Locker” made a paltry $17 million at the box office. He is bothered that thus far “American Sniper” has taken in better than 10x that amount.