Hollywood films where the Americans lose

[ElvisL1ves]

Also, if we allow films where *both *the US and the USSR (or other evil superpower) lose: Colossus: The Forbin Project, where the defense computer systems of both nations become sentient, connect, and subjugate all of humanity.

[Horatius]

@Asuka

There’s quite a number of movies where the terrorists /bad guys actually win/accomplish what they set out to do in the final part even if the heroes survive until the end.

Another one like that is “Arlington Road”, in which the anti-government the right-wing militia not only succeeds in blowing up a bomb in the FBI headquarters, but also successfully deflects all suspicion onto their patsy, and effectively rides off into the sunset to start over with a whole new plot.

Arlington Road

[Wrenching_Spanners]

@ElvisL1ves

Also, if we allow films where *both *the US and the USSR (or other evil superpower) lose: Colossus: The Forbin Project, where the defense computer systems of both nations become sentient, connect, and subjugate all of humanity.

If you’re going with those criteria, then Terminator 3.

[ZPG_Zealot]

How about Escape from LA? Snake Plissken plunged the United States and the rest of the world into a medieval level of power technology.

[Slow_Moving_Vehicle]

@Slow_Moving_Vehicle

It’s a fantastic (and eerily prophetic) book, as well.

@terentii

Red Alert? As I recall, it bore little resemblace to Kubrick’s movie.

No. Kropotkin and I were both referring to The Quiet American, by Graham Greene, which was made into a movie of the same name.

[terentii]

@Slow_Moving_Vehicle

No. Kropotkin and I were both referring to The Quiet American, by Graham Greene, which was made into a movie of the same name.

Oh. Well, that’s very different.

Never mind.

[Sitnam]

@DWMarch

I know this is the traditional perspective on how The Day of the Rangers went down but considering that the Somalis went back to what was left of their homes with about 4,000 casualties, I’d say it was an absolute curb stomping by the US forces. I have said it before and I will say it again: they didn’t lose, they left. As I recall from the book, Super Six Four pilot Michael Durant was returned intact after a general explained to the Somalis that if he was not returned in pristine condition with the quickness, not a single stone would stand upon another stone in Mogadishu. Black Hawk Down tells the story of how these soldiers were caught off guard and under-prepared and still handed the whole city its ass. Hence why the locals don’t refer to it as “the day we beat the Rangers”.

This is such jingoistic nonsense. They left while shooting behind them, you know, like during a retreat. I would love to know where the 4,000 casualties figure came from I can find nothing close to that. How many were civilians, the shooting began in a crowded market. The Americans instigated the attack so are responsible for the loss of innocent life. Les Aspin the Sec of Def stepped down because of this. It changed the course of US foreign policy in Africa for a decade. Let’s say the Durant story is true, what kind of John Wayne bombastic nonsense is that? Americans leveling a city is a win for SNA. If this operation WAS so much win, why not do it again and again right after?

Heroism can be found in defeat, Dunkirk is a great example of that. Black Hawk Down qualifies here.

[Just_Asking_Questions]

@ZPG_Zealot

How about Escape from LA? Snake Plissken plunged the United States and the rest of the world into a medieval level of power technology.

And all these years later I’m still not sure how we were supposed to think he was the good guy.

[Mama_Zappa]

@Kropotkin

The Quiet American, 2002, an underrated and under-appreciated film, portrays Americans in Vietnam as “losers,” that is, evildoers. Many of the above mentioned films, e.g. those about Custer and the Alamo, are more of the “we lost the battle but we won the war!” type, and so I’d suggest not really “Americans as losers” films

Good Morning Vietnam had a similar take on the Americans in Vietnam. Not the movie as a whole, but when Adrian find out that his buddy is actually working for the VC, and the buddy screams out about the American atrocities and how “You’re the enemy!”.

[Dale_Sams]

Has Red Dawn (1984) been mentioned? The coda (and its certainly an unreliable narrator) says the war ended like all wars do…but “our heroes” have had the utter shit beat out of them by the end.

And all these years later I’m still not sure how we were supposed to think he was the good guy.

Best. Ending. Ever.