The Political Spectrum

I just finished watching the Chinese movie "Hero." It's a wonderful film in the mode of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, though it's hardly one of a piece with it. There is an over-arching political message that is somewhat disturbing in its celebration of totalitarian/Communism, but then again they did have to get the movie past the censors. I was a little curious about reaction towards the movie and did a google search looking for some commentary. There was quite a bit of negative reaction to the political message, but most people felt the same way I did about the movie - great cinema, let's overlook the politics.

But there was one amusing review that I couldn't help sharing. Scroll down to number six. Truly we are standing in the midst of brilliance here.

Let me tell you why some Americans hate this film. You see, this is a Chinese film. That's right, a film made in that not-a-democracy China. What's worse, it's a communist country, and an Asian one at that Now most Americans can't read Chinese, can't speak Chinese, know diddly squat about China, and haven't been to China (or anywhere outside of their counties, for that matter). But they will knock anything Chinese They simply hate China for reasons they don't even understand.

For a second I thought I was reading De Tocqueville, for surely this writer understands the American polity in ways that few of the less learned can ever dream of. And the next sentence clinches the writer's place alongside Louis Hartz, Gordon Wood, and Bernard Bailyn in understanding America:

I have lived in the US for 14 years, and I can tell you this: more than 80% of Americans are an uninformed, propaganda-driven herd.

And how do we know this? Don't you remember the poll conducted a few years back by ABC News, the main question being "Are you an uniformed, propaganda-driven moron?" I believe the writer mis-represented the poll results as only 74.7% answered in the affirmative, but you also have to consider the margin of error.

Anyway, it's not as though he doesn't have a point. After all, a glance at these set of photos affirms the fact that least some Americans truly appreciate the art of propaganda.

So let's get back to the movie review, or, as I will now call it, Democracy in America 2

Regardless of the origin of the film, I submit that sacrifice for the greater good is a noble cause in any culture. Yet you see many Americans (and Brits, Aussies) doggedly obsess over the fact that the film is made in a communist country and the message is a communist one. Load of crap.

Ooooh, speak truth to power baby.

It's only an excuse. Deep down, they hate the film because of their blind hatred for China and disdain for all things Asian.

Seems reasonable enough a claim to me. After all, look at the way we treat poor Tiger Woods, and the way we boycott Chinese restaurants, and our obstinate refusal to buy Japanese electronics.

Take, for example, Braveheart, a historically based fiction well-received in the US which extols the heroism of William Wallace. Supposedly Willie fights and dies for Freedom. But does he die for his freedom to go shop at WalMart anytime he desires No.

Is that supposed to be one sentence or two? Punctuation is our friend. But I do so love the subtle dig here. I am a big fan of Braveheart, but not because of the brillaint directing, or the dyamic battle scenes, or the acting. No. For these ten years I appreciated what I thought was a celebration of American capitalism as symbolized by the mighty superstore known as Walmart. But today my world has come tumbling down like a house of cards for only now do I realize the error of my ways. Don't you see, Braveheart has nothing to do with Walmart. If I had only known.

Willie is a "hero" because his cause is (supposedly) freedom for Scotland. (Of course, his fight doesn't really start until his woman is slain, and he gets into big big trouble with the Brits.) In any case, the theme is sacrifice for the greater good. Americans foam in the mouth praising this film.

Well, you know we crazy Americans, always going around foaming "in" the mouth. I guess it's just because we can't handle the thought of anyone fucking with our Walmart. And now have come to the realization that Mel Gibson's eipc is not in fact a defense of the institution we foam "in" the mouth to protect. Can you blame us?

But if sacrifice for the greater good is communist ideology, isn't it evil

Look, I have to come clean here. I really have no sarcastic quip for this one. And why not? I just plain don't understand a single word of that sentence. Once again, punctuation and grammar are our friends.

Hero is not completely historically accurate, but which Hollywood flick is Hero is simply a story well told, and told with astounding visual beauty.

You know what's so absolutely hysterical about this guy calling 80% of Americans unifmormed and essentially saying we're all idiots? This sentence. Here's a general word of advice - if you're going to call other people stupid and bask in the glow of your own mental superiority, it might help to, oh, I don't know, have some grasp of the English language. I can understand the difficulties with mastering a foreign language, but if I were to attempt to write something in French, I'd have a general idea about where to put the periods.

It's great entertainment, and in that respect it's nearly perfect.

Well, at least he got something right.

Well, now that my imagery of Braveheart has been shattered forever I think it's time to watch Gladiator again. I just need to watch a movie right now that celebrates freedom - the freedom to own an SUV. That's what the movie's about, right?