'Act of Valor' must balance publicity with secrecy

Extracted 17FEB2012 from http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/12/entertainment/la-ca-act-of-valor-2012...

The casting of real SEALs creates a layer of intrigue and authenticity about "Act of Valor" for audiences, but the movie raises questions of propriety for some in the military community — the SEALs have been uncomfortably in the limelight since one of their teams conducted last May's Bin Laden raid, and the hunt for the terrorist leader is the focus of yet another Hollywood movie, one that has become the subject of a Pentagon investigation about whether its director and screenwriter, Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, had improper access to classified material.

Just how much America's secret warriors should open themselves to the world is a complex issue. "The quiet professional means, 'Do your job. Keep your mouth shut,'" said Ken Robinson, a terrorism and national security analyst and former special forces soldier who produced a 2005 NBC military drama with Jerry Bruckheimer called "E-Ring." "A movie is a sword that cuts both ways. It shines a light on very brave, capable Americans. On the other hand, any time you crack open a door and give someone an insight into who you are, you give them an advantage. For some people, you draw the line at zero. Other people say, 'Someone else is gonna tell our story badly, why don't we tell people what we do?'"...