But I did the same thing with V for Vendetta last week. At the time, I was unaware that the story the film is based on is a graphic novel, and that the author pulled his name from anything related to the movie. And I liked it!Because, of course, it was blatantly political. It reminded me of both 1984 and Fatherland, although I guess the only similarity is the fictitious totalitarian government in Britain. Those other books don't have a masked, mysterious, revolution-inciting hero.
Aforementioned masked bandit hacks into the state-controlled TV station and challenges his countrymen to meet him in one year to blow up the symbol of the government that is oppressing them. The questions throughout most of the movie are -- will people show up? Will they actually blow up Parliament? Before those answers come, the audience learns more about the social and political conditions that led to the evil, controlling party coming to power.
My inner history dork loved the November 5th references-- symbolism in and of itself, of course. My inner cultural studies dork wins out, though. The larger issue of myth and symbol and national identity is the more fascinating, unexplored subtext.
5 comments:
Yo - I saw the flick too, but didn't like it as much as I thought I would. I think because I'm a pacifist and I couldn't let the violent ends justify the means even in fiction. Really liked Natalie Portman in it though.
What was your opinion of the Matrixes? (Matrices?)
I LOVED the Matrix, but only the first one. I didn't care for the second or third. But I saw it mainly as a postmodern commentary, about questioning what's perceived to be "true," about structural behavior and social constructions of reality. The robots and revolution were side plots for me. I didn't care so much about "The One" business.
Re: V. I see your point about the violence -- in that scene near the end, I even thought of the Matrix! How the police were kind of like the unawakened (and therefore somehow expendable) humans, which even in the Matrix always made me uncomfortable.
I loved the first Matrix too. The second one I liked, but not in the same way, and the third one makes me want to puke all over the place.
As for V, maybe some of it went over my head. I was really distracted by the long Wachowski-esque monologues to the point that I didn't even listen to what the people had to say.
In any case - hooray for social commentary. I think I liked "Fight Club" better though.
So I haven't seen Fight Club in like 5 years, and I think I was in a uber-oppositional-cultural phase of my life then. So I didn't like the movie. It had something to do with "weakness" being associated with women and all things feminine. I remember I liked the anti-capitalist sentiment towards the end of the film, but resented the fact that women were left out of the struggle. I was weird back then....
hmm. I never thought about that. you were probably right though...
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