Essay --

1. There is a very homoerotic/masculine feel from the opening scene of Rambo III. We are introduced to a ripped and glistening character that looks like he has been bathing in baby oil/tanning oil for the past 48 hours. There is nothing that seems to hurt Rambo as he takes every blow delivered to him in the opening scene. He is also willing to kill countless amounts of Russians in order to save the American general. The game that Rambo learns to play? It is only a physical game played with goat carcass. Rambo is made out to be un-stoppable and even God-like. When Trautman reveals that Rambo is coming to resue him, Zaysen asks Trautman who he thinks Rambo is†¦God? Trautman replies, â€Å"No, God would have mercy†¦he won’t.† Rambo would rather die than not fight for what he believes in. Even at the end, when all seems lost, he refuses to go down without a fight. His determination to fight is the greatest testament to his masculine identity. The Afghanis respec t this and in this sense, Rambo almost becomes a martyr to them. By the end, it almost seems like they aren’t fighting for themselves, but for Rambo! In relation to Jeffords, the â€Å"hard-body† physique is clearly present with Stallone’s character as are the narratives of heroism, toughness, strength, etc†¦ in the film which helps to clearly demonstrate the mastery over foreign enemies. 2. Orientalism is the way that the Middle East is depicted by its’ friendly acquaintances over in the West. In other terms, it is a â€Å"racist discourse which constructs the orient for Western aggrandizement.† The way that the Afghans are depicted in the film alongside Rambo makes the audience sympathize with them. The little boy also looks up to Rambo. He looks up to him a masculine father-figure. Using th... ...ew what we know now. If only they knew about how 9/11 and the actions the Bush administration took because of it. Furthermore, I wouldn't be surprised if the same question asked of Rambo â€Å"Where’s the honor here?† is asked today by Afghans/Pakistanis wondering where the â€Å"honor† is in unmanned drones? It was hard to figure out who to root for in the film†¦especially with historical bias†¦because the Taliban and entire nation of Afghanistan are made out to be heroes in the film. Back then, it may have been acceptable to insinuate that anyone fighting Russia was practically Christ. They are even referred to as â€Å"freedom fighters† in the film (President Reagan would use this term as well). Today though, we have to watch this film while knowing about the death and destruction caused by terrorists on September 11. Back then, our present â€Å"enemies† were our former â€Å"comrades.†