Ok, correction. Bryan didn't think V FOR VEDETTA "was terrible". I, on the other hand, think that it was "basically terrible". Suffice to say that I find the writing of the Wachowski Brothers to be very lazy when it comes to putting their idealogy on the big screen. Anyone who has seen THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (part 3) knows that the Wachowski Brothers love to bash you over the head with a repetitive sledge hammer while screaming "Get it?", "Get it?", "Get it?".
This film was full of 3 or 4 really great scenes seperated by agonizing half hours of repetitive numb-skullery. And then we had the Hitler-esque government that was really, really bad and did really, really bad things to its people. Oh my God, do we really need another Hilter analogy? I find it extremely narratively weak when someone writes about an evil Nazi type government that must be overthrown. And it's been done 573 times before. We get it. And this movie was clearly doing that, down to waving red flags and black marching boots while the Hitler character pounds his fist on a podium. It's also absurd to compare George Bush or Donald Rumsfeld or any of our current "leaders" to Adolf Hitler. Where exactly do these assholes get off comparing the Bush Administration to anything promoted by this film's evil Nazi-esque government? Ok, maybe the illegal wiretapping. And further, the Bush Administration itself is waist deep in corruption, bigotry and war mongering, but still nothing cmes close to VENDETTA's totalitarian and facist regime.
VEDETTA promotes deep philosophical ideas without offering a realistic execution of those ideas within a social setting such as a government. It's kind of like The Boston Tea party, where colonists, upset with unfair British taxation and trade, dressed up like Indians and threw boxes of tea into the Boston harbor in protest. And then what happened? Well, it's written in history books supposedly. VENDETTA ends with the throwing of the tea in the harbor and it doesn't have the foresight or maturity to offer any real solution to such extreme measures. Sure, strap bombs onto your chest and blow up some buildings. Then what? Seriously, then what? I'd like to see the Wachowski Brothers try to write that movie. I actually might enjoy watching that one. But until then, they come off sounding like the current Democratic Party... a lot of poetic words with no solutions.
7 comments:
Steven,
I found V for Vendetta to be a very visually stunning film. I loved how the film looked! The cinematography was amazing. I loved the use of color and light. I loved seeing all of that low-key lighting stuff where you could see just enough to where you knew exactly what was going on. it was truly well done in terms of the visual elements!
Sure it's maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but one thing that's for sure, is it's a well shot film with stunning visuals!
Your pal,
Duckie
I didn't say I liked it. I said it wasn't terrible.
I doubt I'd go see it again.
I'm just glad people will get to see that one-two against Bush. I agree with you about the Wachowski's being lazy though.
Fuck those guys
I said the message was good. And Steve, every little step the administration takes to control the masses with fear and spy on them is a step toward a government like the one you saw in the movie.
And I don't exactly want to defend the Wachowski's (lord knows I hate them) but the whole totalitarian government thing was in the graphic novel, published in 1989...
I realize that many of the Hitler comparisons are simply absurd, but to me the comparisons are about how the whole 'system' (not sure if that's the right word) seems to work.
It's not just the Bush administration, but the right-wing, conservative movement in general. The best example, to me, is when I read a conservative blog on here where the woman's children are running around calling each other "liberals" as an insult and I just think "that's how it starts." Hitler didn't have tanks role down the middle of the street to gain control, he got the majority to be afraid and then to hate. I know that sounds familiar to you.
That's where the comparison lies, and it's a fair one.
One of the first things Hitler did to 'start' was ban 'degenerate' art. Since V has NOT been banned, among other films, it's probably safe to say that it hasn't 'started'. Considering recent events regarding a cartoon, this might give us a better idea of who in the world is more like the Nazis.
Another post on this site reports record low approval ratings for Bush. I'm sure Hitler's was much higher when he was getting it 'started'.
btw, those kids who are using 'liberal' as an insult will probably grow up to be liberals themselves.
;)
Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that it had started. It certainly looked as if it could a couple of years ago, and it is hanging around, but I make no claim that it has started.
I am saying that the groundwork has been laid for it, though. I don't think it's that far-fetched to think that if another attack of some kind happens that we could head down that path.
Here's another example of "That's how it starts."
And I don't think that all four of her kids will end up being "Liberals", but I'll bet that one will and he'll also be gay.
Well it could be because of this links that there is a comparison to hitler.
http://www.hugequestions.com/
http://www.911busters.com/911_new_video_productions/index.html
http://www.911blogger.com/2005/04/special-feature-911-related-videos_04.html
http://www.911truth.org/links.php
http://911revisited.com/video.html
Post a Comment