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10.9.07

Rambo in Burma: ‘This is a Hellhole Beyond Your Wildest Dreams’

An unlikely commentator has emerged on human rights in Burma. Sylvester Stallone, who recently spent time on the Thai-Burmese border while filming a new “Rambo” movie, is speaking out about the isolated regime’s ongoing war with ethnic minorities in outlying areas of the country. (He was there before the military crackdown on protesting Buddhist monks.) “I witnessed the aftermath—survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off. We saw many elephants with blown off legs,” Stallone said in an AP story. He added that people in his crew were threatened and had warning shots fired at them, while some of the families of his Burmese extras wound up in prison.

John Rambo, the new installment due out in January, features the aging Green Beret as he leads a search for Christian aid workers missing in Burma. Stallone says he hopes that the movie can help to expose the violence and cruelty of the military regime. “It would be a whitewashing not to show what’s over there,” he said. “I think there is a story that needs to be told.”

With John J. Rambo leading the way, Stallone is almost certain to have an audience to tell that story to. But if the trailer is any indication, it’s possible that his message will be lost in the carnage.

Posted by Eva Holland • 10.9.07
Categories: Weblog • Burma • Movies and Travel

Permalink • Comments (5)

COMMENTS

Love that tag at the end of the trailer:
“John Rambo...Attacking Soon.”

I also love that Sly considers Soldier of Fortune magazine the authority on genocide.

By on 10.9.07 at 06:33 PM

On my last day in Chiang Mai a very sketchy looking dude asked me to be an extra in the Sly film. I couldn’t do it, unfortunately.

It’s good to see anyone keep the spotlight on Burma. Our attention drifts to different things, but the Burmese protestors are still living in terror every minute of the day.

By Tim Patterson on 10.9.07 at 07:07 PM

The Soldier of Fortune bit was good, but my favourite part of the interview has to be Sly asking himself, in apparent seriousness, “Am I making a documentary or am I making a Rambo movie?”

It’s true that any exposure of the regime in Burma, from however unlikely a source, is a good thing - I’m just concerned that people will walk out of the movie not even knowing what country it took place it. The trailer seems to mainly involve a vulnerable blonde missionary gasping and shrieking a lot, and Rambo ripping guys’ throats out with his bare hands.

By Eva Holland on 10.9.07 at 07:17 PM

It’s always good to have movie stars and celebrities speaking out about injustices in the world - good on Sly! They’ve got a different audience to the politicians we’re used to hearing about such things from.

By Jewellery Television on 10.10.07 at 08:08 AM

Hopefully Sly knows from his movies what the monks of Burma are trying to show all of us: Peace is not ‘no war’, it is no threats. And no one can ‘give’ peace, it is only agreed --- or won.

Maybe Sly should/would/can also do a short to play w/the full length - about what we’ve since learned about what happened to the monks and other citizens that have ‘disappeared’ in Burma.

By on 10.10.07 at 08:31 PM