...Blum is correct in saying that it is, at its heart, a genre picture. The Purge (made by Michael Bay's horror-movie-centric production house Platinum Dunes, and written and directed by James DeMonaco) is really about Ethan Hawke's family getting attacked in the middle of the night by a mob of ridiculous, bloodlusty college kids. But the film is also unavoidably, overtly, and intentionally political. On talk radio playing in the background, a couple commentators ponder whether The Purge might be nothing more
than a means to exterminate all "non-contributing" members of society. They discuss how the "real victims" of the annual bloodbaths are the poor who "can't afford to protect themselves." And the leader of the homicidal, plutocratic teens (a Joker-knockoff played by Rhys Wakefield) refers to his wealthy cohorts as "the haves," and the humane and homeless war veteran as a "pig" and social parasite. Basically, large chunks of the film scream the words, "INCOME INEQUALITY PLAGUING THE UNITED STATES" right into the audience's faces. (And, as the New York Times' Manohla Dargis points out, the emblem for the New Founders of America, or NFA, resembles an NRA logo.)...
Saturday, June 08, 2013
Political Horror Film?
"The Purge": A Horror Flick About…Income Inequality!? | Mother Jones:
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2 comments:
Another attempt by the film industry to support a political agenda. The movie "Butter" released in 2011, attempted to portray Mid-Westerners as bigoted hicks, much as Obama described them back in 2008.
I guess it's ok for Hollywood to try to educate and influence the public through movies. After all, movie people seem to really have their heads screwed on straight. They are known to control their behavior and impulses; never abuse drugs or other intoxicants; and heaven knows their financial, personal, and family lives are wonderful models for the rest of the country. Why would we not want to pay to be influenced by this community of brilliant, successful, highly educated people?!
I hope it's obvious that the above is an attempt at sarcasm. There's a saying where I come from. "I'm not taking advice from someone who has less sense than I do".
I'll have to take a look at "Butter." Probably won't watch "The Purge" because I hate home invasion stuff (and child kidnapping) as plot devices.
The movie "Nell" was filmed close by me and I still remember how angry the locals got when the movie people made them misspell "tomato" on a sign in the movie. Even with clear proof we were not all morons, they went ahead and played us that way.
Yeah, good judgment and good taste are their hallmarks.
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