Hollywood often uses national stereotypes when portraying villains in movies. So in 2014, the dream factory forgot about its tolerant attitude towards Russia and returned to the idea of bad Russian guys. This can be seen in the crime drama Obshchak, based on a script by Dennis Lehane. The film features brutal Chechens, sometimes referred to as Russians.
Introducing you American films about Russia, a list of ten iconic Hollywood films that demonstrate the changing image of Russians in the 21st century. The list was compiled based on a sample of Forbes magazine.
10. "25th hour", 2002
A film about a young drug dealer, for whom the last 24 hours of freedom go before being sent to prison for 7 years. The Russians in the film are shown as mafiosi, and the main one is played by Levan Uchaneishvili. He was also an associate of Boris Berezovsky in the film "Oligarch".
9. "Vice for export", 2007
The events of the film take place in London among Russian emigrants and thieves in law. "Vice for Export" shows the image of not only a cruel, but also an attractive enemy, played by Viggo Mortensen.
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, 2008
Aged and still energetic, Dr. Jones confronts equally energetic KGB agents, led by Colonel Irina Spalko. Fortunately, in this film the Russians do not flaunt in felt boots and do not sing in chorus "Black Eyes", although there is a hammer and sickle, and evening dances squatting by the fire. The film is interesting in that it predicted changes in relations between Russia and the West, which had not yet been hinted at during filming.
7. "Iron Man 2", 2010
Battered with life, but still charismatic Mickey Rourke plays the main villain, a Russian physicist. This is not a stereotyped villain who constantly drinks vodka and relies solely on muscle strength, but a genius inventor, an extraordinary personality, albeit in tattoos from head to toe.
6. "Salt", 2010
The Incredible Adventures of a Russian Spy in the United States, starring Angelina Jolie. In the 90s, Hollywood showed stupid and evil Russians, not noticing the changes taking place in our country. In 2010, albeit with a delay of several years, he began to show a strong Russia and admitted that there are not only bad, but also good Russians. With all this, "Salt" shows well that the Russians continue to be feared and considered the main threat to America.
5. "Mission Impossible: Phantom Protocol", 2011
In the fifth place in the list of American films about Russians, as in the case of "Salt", Russia appears to be a strong country, but the Russian special agents (in the person of Vladimir Mashkov) are not smart. Unlike Tom Cruise, of course. But in the end, Russia is shown as an assistant and friend.
4. "Die Hard: A Good Day to Die", 2013
There are no good Russians in this expensive film about the misadventures of John McClane Sr. and Jr. in Moscow. And the fact that an American is carrying half of the Russian capital in a stolen truck is not worthy of attention.This part of "Die Hard" is the first Hollywood film since the second half of the 1990s, in which there are references to the specific political realities of the USSR and Russia.
3. "Jack Ryan: Chaos Theory", 2014
Russia is again named the main enemy of America, as it was in the 90s. At the same time, the film was filmed in 2013, when Crimea had not yet ceded to Russia. But if the dream factory again makes a monster out of Russia, it means that the American audience, for which the movie is being made, demands it.
2. "Search", 2014
Director Michel Khazanavichus's film about the war in the North Caucasus shows hideous Russian soldiers, sadists and murderers, and wonderful Chechens. There is no third.
1. "The Man of November", 2014
The spy thriller in which Pierce Brosnan plays a retired CIA officer on a final mission in Moscow rounds off the top 10 iconic Hollywood films about Russia's attitude. The film is full of spreading cranberries: the main villain is Russian general Arkady Fedorov, who raped girls during the conflict in Chechnya. He intends to become the head of Russia. Having won the presidential elections, Fedorov wants to bring Russia into NATO. He is assisted by the CIA, which is interested in the Chechen oil deposits. And since Russia has now opposed itself to the West, the topic of "ugly Russians" Hollywood, apparently, will not leave alone soon.