10 First Impressions of the New Machine Gun Preacher Poster

I'm not sure what to think of this article. It's Movieline, not some random blog. Anyway, click the link to read the comments after the article. They are pretty interesting.


http://www.movieline.com/2011/08/possible-headlines-brought-to-mind-by-the-new-machine-gun-preacher-poster.php

10 First Impressions of the New Machine Gun Preacher Poster


I’m sworn to secrecy regarding my recent previewing of Machine Gun Preacher, director Marc Forster’s forthcoming biopic about Sam Childers, a Pennsylvania junkie ex-con-turned-born-again-orphanage-building-gunslinging savior of Sudan. But there’s nothing that I or anybody else can say about the film that isn’t summed up in its new one-sheet featuring star and co-producer Gerard Butler, which is like whoaaa.

[Click right for full-size image.]

Not to take the easy, cynical way out either — Childers’s real-life story is genuinely mindblowing — but Jesus Christ indeed, pray for this poster. What to even say about it?

· Gerard Butler Packs Heat, Orphan in New Machine Gun Preacher Poster

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: No Condescending Racial Overtones at All, Nooooo

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: Say Hello to Gerard Butler’s Little Friend

· Orange Blood, White Messiah All Over New Machine Gun Preacher Poster

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: Is That an Orphan in Your Pocket or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: Have Sad African Child, Will Travel

· Hope For Another Machine Gun Preacher Poster is the Greatest Weapon of All

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: What Kind of Buddy Movie is This?

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: Hand Over the Oscar, and No Sudanese Kid Gets Hurt

· New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: That’s Racist

Dallas wrote:

http://www.movieline.com/2011/08/possible-headlines-brought-to-mind-by-the-new-machine-gun-preacher-poster.php

10 First Impressions of the New Machine Gun Preacher Poster


• New Machine Gun Preacher Poster: No Condescending Racial Overtones at All, Nooooo

• Orange Blood, White Messiah All Over New Machine Gun Preacher Poster

Okay, so it's not just me. These two statements kind of put into words what my first impression was of the poster. I wouldn't go so far as to label it flat out racist like this writer did at the very end, but something about the poster rubs me the wrong way. It's like he's the "Great White Hope" for adorable, defenseless black children. It really does seem borderline offensive and a bit condecending. I don't know...

I would dare say that Sam Childers bills himself as the Great White Messiah for these children, Emily. The poster certainly depicts him that way.

I don't have too much of a problem with that because, for me, it doesn't detract in any way from the fearless, brutal work he does to actually save their lives. When someone, anyone, steps into that role, I don't care if they are black, white or brindle.

It's the bouffant hair that irritates me the most. I mean 'c'mon man pat it down at least a little!'

Just to clarify, I totally support what he's doing helping to save these victimized children (at least based on my limited knowledge of what he does, having not seen the movie yet). I don't care either about the race of a person who is saving lives and helping those in need. It wasn't the subject of the movie or his life's work that bothered me. It was just this particular poster. The way they chose to present it. It just seemed a little racially condescending. Like he was a superhero come to save the day, towering over everything. The movie itself, on the other hand, I'm all for.