The Gun Always Shines on TV

The US webmag Gawker recently published a video survey of Army recruitment videos from around the world. The most entertaining was this ad for the Ukrainian Army, which basically promises young men that they will score with the girls if they drive a big tank and fondle their gun barrel suggestively enough (although the clip itself looks remarkably like a spoof). What was missing from the survey, however, was this classic ad for the Georgian Army (see above), which links military service to the country’s ancient Christian warrior traditions.

Here in Georgia, the authorities are rather fond of making promotional videos, with specially-commissioned, zealously patriotic songs to accompany them, such as this recent police recruitment advert. The biggest-budget Georgian promo of all time, however, looks set to be Hollywood veteran Renny Harlin’s forthcoming action movie about the war with Russia in 2008, Georgia. Those wondering which angle the film will take on the controversial conflict should bear in mind that the film was co-produced by an MP in Mikheil Saakashvili’s government, who was then promoted to a ministerial role after the film wrapped.