Iraq war movies as a group have not done well at the box office. Film critics have speculated that moviegoers see enough of war on the news or don't care to watch films about an ongoing conflict. The Army suggests another possibility: The public is rejecting films that feel didactic or inauthentic.
"The public does not deal too well with being preached at," Breasseale said.
The military has assisted with one Iraq war film that officials hope will be unlike "Redacted" or "In the Valley of Elah."
"The Lucky Ones," due out in the fall, follows three combat-scarred soldiers as they travel from New York to Las Vegas. The Army says the film -- which stars Tim Robbins, an outspoken war critic -- offers a more refined portrayal of soldiers.
During production, Robbins had a long conversation with Breasseale about what life might be like for his character, Staff Sgt. Cheever -- what would motivate an enlisted man through two combat tours in Iraq.
"It captures the nuance. It is not a broad brush stroke or just about PTSD" -- post-traumatic stress disorder -- Breasseale said. "They manage to tell a story that is familiar but different."
Producer Rick Schwartz agrees his film is unlike other war movies. It takes place almost entirely in America, and although it deals with the aftereffects of war, the word "Iraq" is never mentioned.
Schwartz hopes audiences draw their own conclusions about whether "The Lucky Ones" is pro-war or antiwar, he said.
Though some Iraq war movies have been influenced by post-Vietnam films, he said, makers of "The Lucky Ones" avoided Vietnam references.
"You want to be able look back in 20 years from now and say, 'That's what was going on then,' " Schwartz said. "We don't want to make a metaphor for any other war."
The tension between Hollywood and the Army may never fully dissipate.
But Breasseale is confident that he and officers who follow him will persuade more filmmakers to view them as a resource, not a censor.
"I am the last of the eternal optimists. I believe there is always a way to make things happen," Breasseale said. "My job is to help filmmakers tell an accurate story and help the American public understand their Army. End scene."
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julian.barnes@latimes.com
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Begin text of infobox
Hollywood and the military
Movies made with military assistance
Recent films
"The Lucky Ones," forthcoming
"Transformers II," forthcoming
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (new version), forthcoming
"Major Movie Star," forthcoming
"The Messenger," forthcoming
"Iron Man," 2008
"I Am Legend," 2007
"Transformers," 2007
"War of the Worlds," 2005
Older films
"Patton," 1970
"The Green Berets," 1968
"From Here to Eternity," 1953
"The Day the Earth Stood Still," 1951
"Wings," 1927
Movies made without military assistance
"In the Valley of Elah," 2007 (military declined)
"Lions for Lambs," 2007 (no help sought)
"Redacted," 2007 (no help sought)
"Rendition," 2007 (no help sought)
"Stop-Loss," 2008 (no help sought)
Sources: Army, Times research
Los Angeles Times
