BLOG POST #2

I wanted to watch Tropic Thunder for this assignment because I have watched the film before, and it will always be very distinguishable. With this star studded cast and action filled plot, Tropic Thunder was an instant classic. 

The Hollywood film industry is depicted in a cynical way in Tropic Thunder. Big budget film companies are given a bad wrap in the film because they seem to not care for the well being of the actors and production crew. In Tropic Thunder a group of A-List hollywood actors are casted to play out author Fourleaf Tayback’s novel Tropic Thunder. The rookie director of the film decides that they are going to drop the actors in the middle of the jungle with a specific route for them to follow and act along in hopes of making the film as authentic as possible. Little do they know, there is a real life drug war happening during filming! While the actors struggle to determine what situations are real or scripted, the film company decides to keep the camera running from a safe distance for the best shots. Throughout the movie, the actors are faced with life or death situations but in the company’s eyes, they see it as more money in their pocket. Thus, the movie exposes and exploits the foibles of American celebrities. Instead of being considered for the well being of the actors, Hollywood directors only care if the film becomes a hit. 

A scene in the movie that shows this is when Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) gets a call from the “Red Dragon”, letting him know that Speedman has been kidnapped and they demand 100 million dollars for his safe return. Instead of negotiating prices Grossman responds with: “Do your thing and kill the B*stard. Go to town!”. This response shows how badly the character Les Grossman and the rest of the film industry treated the actors. This depicts Hollywood is a very shady and selfish way.