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The time is right

“Black Hawk Down” was a hit on the bookshelves and in the movie theaters because of its riveting portrayal of the deadly 1993 battle between elite U.S. Army forces and Somali bandits. Though 18 Americans were killed, the book and screen stirred little in the way of controversy.

The upcoming video game “Six Days in Fallujah,” however, has brought complaints about capitalizing on the events of November 2004, in which hundreds of Marines, soldiers and sailors were killed and wounded while clearing the hotbed of insurgency. Some family members of the fallen are outraged that those sacrifices are being turned into entertainment.

They have a right to criticize the endeavor. For many, surely, the emergence of the video game reopens emotional wounds. That young men, mostly, will indulge in video violence so divorced from the flesh-and-blood reality their loved ones faced is surely offensive.

But were the Battle of Fallujah turned into a movie, would it prompt a similar response? Probably not.

the mere fact that a video account is a “game” is problematic. Unlike a movie, in which the customer passively follows the story, the plot of a video game only unfolds with the help of the player. That can mean taking part in portrayals of violence and moral compromises that offend others. But that also can require an emotional and intellectual investment that movies, or even books, do not require.

As a result, a well-crafted video game offers up history in an interactive format no other medium can touch. It is important to remember that “Six Days in Fallujah” is based on the input of no less than three dozen former Marines, soldiers and sailors who participated in the battle and lost buddies there. They served as technical advisers, and it was their prodding that led to the game’s creation and accuracy.

No doubt, “Six Days in Fallujah” will be just as unsuitable for young children as any realistic book or film retelling, and the ratings on games make that easy for parents to judge.

But a realistic game might also offer a glimpse into the heroes and tragedies of Fallujah for a generation for whom video is an essential form of communication. And such history lessons would come long before historians pass judgment in textbooks and filmmakers adapt them for the screen.