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Kokakevano on "A murderous muse: Idi Amin and the Last King of Scotland"

Kokakevano — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:18:10 +0000

I watched this film last night and I feel let down that it did not stick to true fact. There was more truth's waiting to be told that the film could have carried as fact. Kevan

Nepali Forum on "Propaganda or just good business?"

Nepali Forum — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:23:50 +0000

We should always focus and represent the traditional culture in films and its done in the movie. I am much happy to see this.
regards

Homeabroad on "Antichrist: the visual theology of Lars Von Trier"

Homeabroad — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:59:04 +0000

Excellent review, I just wanted to add this: after seeing the film, what came into my mind was a line from a book on Gestalt therapy - the idea that men are not 'allowed' by society to cry; they can only express this impulse in the form of violence. And women, vice-versa (this thought was prompted when the woman in the film says "A crying woman is a scheming woman").
I was wondering if the woman in the film, unstable and confused as she was, had made some sort of connection between the repressed violence that she felt within her (and which expressed itself in the form of minor torture - putting her son's shoes on the wrong way round) and the evil of women that she was reading about. And that madness and 'evil' is finally unleashed when the husband shows her the photo of her son with his shoes on wrong.
That's the beauty of this film, it works on so many levels.

Not logged in on "Antichrist: the visual theology of Lars Von Trier"

Not logged in — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:51:19 +0000

Brilliant review. I made mine before reading this one and you hit every point I thought was central to understand Von Trier’s ideas. The whole movie is totally anty-misoginist, without being feminist. Antichrist is a philosophical master peace and an open door to think about , nature, culture and males domination over females. If you liked this movie please read Françoise Héritier's book " Masculin, Féminin. La pensée de la différence".

jaredsacks on "Hybridity, not District 10"

jaredsacks — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:43:58 +0000

The following article speaks to the movie and how it mirrors the South Africa of today (rather than just Apartheid South Africa):

http://www.theroot.com/views/south-africas-reality-bites

But also, for those of us who live in SA, it is clear that District 9 presents a sort of neoliberal world-view a la Helen Zille. It clearly presents itself as promoting a philosophy of non-racialism while in fact being a somewhat racist movie. Throughout the entire movie, only Christopher is considered a 'civilised' alien. All the rest eat cat-food and are presented as somewhat sub-human (un-civilised). This is pure South African political liberalism. Non-whites here in SA must become middle class (have money and be educated in a private school) before they can be considered good enough...

Frederic Christie on "Rocky’s American dreams"

Frederic Christie — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 06:09:04 +0000

If the first movie represents a white racial America's "true" values, then the third and fourth movies' friendship between Apollo and Rocky represents the bridging of the gap between the counter-culture/black America and normative white America.

If we further recognize that the third movie makes LA into a place that burns weakness and brings strength back to Rocky, then we see a proletarian alliance between black and white poor America. Consider that it is Apollo who brings back Rocky's "eye of the tiger': A black man teaching a white man how to REALLY be tough.

Rocky IV can also be viewed simplistically as a demonization of the Soviets and pure Americanism, but the appeal that Rocky makes at the end for peace and the identification of the oppressed between Rocky and the ordinary Russian people is far more complex.

Rocky Balboa, if anything, flips the script you identify. The fact that Rocky LOSES and gives Mason Dixon, or symbolically a new America and/or black America, a crash course in willpower and courage indicates that there is a torch passing: 30s/50s courage and survival to the new era. Black America has had plenty of the same.

russwilliams_uk on "Antichrist: the visual theology of Lars Von Trier"

russwilliams_uk — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:11:54 +0000

...my review is here:
http://www.urbanlandfill.co.uk/2009/08/film-antichrist-dir-lars-von-trier.html

Lawrence Efana on "Antichrist: the visual theology of Lars Von Trier"

Lawrence Efana — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:21:54 +0000

oD is an important facilitator: a website like others, growing to take its place as one of the major frames within which it could be possible to "congregate" meanings, debates, themes and styles needed for indepth analyses able to reveal more about what are of interests to the public at large, hence do much to enrich both the past, current and possibly future 'constructions' and 'deconstructions' of the world soon eluding us, institutions and values: processes working to intensify calls for dynamic discurses. What thus is inviting, than to leave all doors open?

For all fans - hopefully increasing with every improvement and access to the internet, we are getting concretely introduced to a world of "life-long learning". That is definitely good alongside challenges posed to make our world literate enough for the benefits to effectively filter through, and people reap from them.

Think not my introduction irrelevant if the 'turning age' search for useful knowledge needs to be well understood and managed with by all. Parallel to the benefits of oD knowledge and news spread come across on (i) political papers/comments of various colours on its site, (ii) economic and financial meltdown ones, (iii) burning environmental/climatic ones, (iv) conflicts capped by diplomatic challenges; etc., papers on ARTS, for example, that we are used to see from this magnificent writer: Beattie - all lead to ask what more to lift-up that isn't or aren't lifted as of this time!

The latter - Tina Beattie: her latest paper is a significant "show" on a theme 'manysided' and contemporary. I wonder if anyone would say, the paper doen't transcend the Catholic/Protestant fake dichotomy into the Islamic - even if nothing of the latter is mentioned? Religion is generally the major but behind and in front is also the struggle to find - lame though] a suitable meaning for aspects of ongoing women liberation struggles. At times narratives: the fictive] - otherwise seeking to capture the multiple realities constructed from "histories/observables" tend to give some senses of concrete pictures, but much blotted!

Religious arms definitely tell beyond the niceties of arts, theater and film worlds. Couldn't be less calling for many, without any professing a super natural wisdon in the 'mythical' interrelated issues. Realms of the wisdom will remain ever sacred and secret - making constructions the only way out in trying to capture imaginable essence. That makes fictive power and interpretative eloquence resources to fix and bring to earth things to imagine. For many of those who saw Mel Gibsons - well put "tawdry and emotive The Passion of the Christ, his lurid fantasies about crucifixion could be seen by many comparatively along the of several preceeding films on the same. Searching for meanings in these is a myth for "man". Note the word "woman" is a part of this as I suppose in several daily usage of the word.

Because of many ways Tina Beattie frames her fine paper, many will concentrate on things important to them and their perspectives, especially of religion] - neutral and artistic though the paper is: an academic product! Its introductory arguments or analysis seems abstractly to focus attention of readers on: (a) key questions preoccupying many, especially Christians with their concerns about (i) 'sins', and (ii) 'forgiveness'. Eve is a victim of (i) by interpretations made in (a). Following the greates book of the narratives we know directly connected hereof, Tina Beattie may be silently read too to warn - though with a sense of ambiguity, not to forget the power of (ii) as well in (a). Beyond interpretations of theater arts, something intrinsic can be appeasing if not outright reconciliatory, thinking about: if you like, call it dichotomy evident in context of (b): (iii) "The Old Testament", and (iv) The New Testament. Is it possible for anyone to construct a 'truth table' for: (i) - sins, (ii) forgiveness, (iii) Old Testament, and (iv) New Testament, as variable values without seriously running into paradoxes, more-so because they are qualitative - not quantifiable] and soaked in myths. Beattie's may be battling with composites possibly with no mathematical solution, thus granting fictiveness its leeway.

Most probably in women 'liberation debates', intensive as they are in the era we live in compared to our medieval world on various weights of judgement of sins, are ameliorated should 'DEMOCRACY' be brought into spheres of religious faiths and practices. In what increasingly seems "anti-Christ" world or environment in these days the risk of loosing balance frightens. Why should this be a pertinent dimension in the mess we are all in? The answer goes back to a democracy: that in which humans - men and women alike], are disciplined to the extent that they appreciate the story of the child of a woman that said on sin: "if any of you hasn't sinned before let, "him" cast the first stone?" Remember also that in the generous way love has been dealt with exceptionally thus to save life and face, the same son of a woman said "Woman do you see any of those who wanted to stone you to death here anymore"? The woman herself answered the son, "No"; and the great narrative says that the son said "Go and sin no more". What lessons of the son in the man he is!

Forgiveness (ii) is at play here, capped by The New Testament (iv) - the son: of woman came not to destroy the Law of Moses... Narratives have methods - works of Arts, but in optimizing fictive materials - incredients], film cultures and world of theatrical excitement eat up a great deal to much detriment for hidden substance. Regrettably a part of which is myth to our world and senses is lost in the search to better comprehend. Note, for example, that science in our world is one of the resources man has also recieived - that should help unveil elements of the myth, but man in pride turns to play 'that' myth than do the real thing! If earlier narrative about the "BABEL" ever has anything to help us discover necessary secrets of living and managing sins, we are still not too late, which opens the way to nurture change arguments now one of the central challenges in our world. Whatever the inspiration sources of the film director - Lars von Trier, provocation was needed: will help many trace back the route more seriously!

That 'tracing back' might stem conflicting psychological excitements, tied among the others to the chosen excerpt from Tina Beattie's text below: "Von Trier's woman is Madonna and whore, a
tender and grieving pietà and a
voracious and deadly seductress. In flashbacks we see how, the summer before
her child's death, she had taken him to a cabin in a remote forest known as
"Eden" to work on her doctoral thesis. Her topic was gynocide - a term coined
by feminists to refer to the persecution and killing of women, particularly in
the Christian tradition. As she studied she became convinced that the knowledge
she sought was a lie, and that women really are guilty of the evil of which
they have been accused. And so this young mother becomes von Trier's Eve,
seeker of forbidden knowledge, bringer of death, bearer of the guilt of the
human race, cause of the death of the Son of Man"

Lawrence Efana on "Babel: worlds within worlds"

Lawrence Efana — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:14:24 +0000

Too late to come into this now! But believe me, I can't help it, for it is just a scene adaptable [though] to values, and but appealing at the same time to "moral thoughts" in various senses - should anyone think that worthwhile.

The 'play-out' imprints itself on senses: not irrelevant for our world development co-operation problems - if not fully, partly: with just a simple message - "ignore nothing, be on watch-out to remedy that which can be remedied, more-so much more timely"!

Experiences of not having been fully awake to its patterns in conscious human behaviour are costing its species more than they like or would wish. Or are they not seeing the picture? Even the arts and films have their ways - though 'human' by the scale of imaginations behind - have their unique ways to turn corners and detect or speak clearly for benefits of timely moral responses amidst stages of thrills and late human sensual learning capacity. Reducing the narrative: tale] in a human sense, with "Iraq" indeductively a consequence by analogy, is a "failure" indictment: one that shows that the thrills and sensual learning acummulated over the years in the course of human evolution - with the results seen, don't seem to matter hence minimal impact on moral as criterion. Let's see if accentuation of a new spirit of change will make the 'much' needed difference.

DKML on "Jungle dumb: Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto"

DKML — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:28:16 +0000

Regardless of the symbolism of the film, which incidentially I thought was quite good, I don't get how any one in their right mind can infer anything about European imperialism in this film since the version I saw did not have any interaction with Europeans in it other than the Spanish rowing their boat towards the natives. Also, I don't think the portrayal of the Maya was some how demeaning. Yes, artistic license was taken with the facts but by and large Gibson portrayed them as real people with real dilemmas. I am very educated liberal and frankly I think that this sentimental emmotionally motivated analysis has no or little place in the public dialouge. If Kanishk Tharoor wants to bitch about real problems there are plenty to go around.

Not logged in on "A murderous muse: Idi Amin and the Last King of Scotland"

Not logged in — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:17:29 +0000

As a kid i read a book on idi amin and it in fact stated how one of his wives had her arms stitched where her legs were and her legs stitched where her arms used to be....

I must say i was shocked they showed this in the film O__O

notmial on "A murderous muse: Idi Amin and the Last King of Scotland"

notmial — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:57:09 +0000

Kay Amin was not murdered that's one thing that was fairly well documented. She died due to bleeding from a botched abortion. You should probably fact check a little better. I agree the doctor character was a little weak but they were making a movie that needed a love story. I thought it was pretty good.

Thom on "The dark (k)night of a postmodern world"

Thom — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:17:52 +0000

Steve, thanks for your comments.

Re: "the "corrupt Middle Eastern regimes" opposed by al Qaeda are those that have brought peace and prosperity to their people by joining the modern world rather than lashing out at it."

I assume that you, like me, live in a capitalist democracy where, for the most part, we can say what we want. I think many people in Egypt for instance where Hosni Mubarak has ruled uncontested for almost 27 years may feel a bit differently. How long can "emergency rule" last? Torture, one party elections and arbitrary arrests are commonplace. Ditto Saudi Arabia, Syria, Algeria and the list goes on. People are naturally pissed off so they'll get behind the only groups that stand up for them: the Islamists.

Not that Al-Qaida would be any different if they were in charge, necessarily, but they are feeding off this desire for some kind of justice. So for an Arab there might just be "some form of dire and unacceptable provocation" since the "modern world" imposed these states on them.

The fact that the West props up men like Mubarak (and calls them democrats!) benefits states in North America and Europe exclusively apart from the local elite. People in the Middle East are not stupid and can see hypocrisy for what it is. Colonialism and injustice live on and therefore so do groups like Al-Qaida (even though I share your skepticism of their commitment to a truly just society).

Not everyone benefits from the modern world or to use another word civilization. Many people, myself included, recognize that civilization is on a destructive course because humans are now altering the face of the earth and changing the climate with our industrial emissions.

The mighty towers of industrial civilization are not worth it if we ruin our ecological foundation by building them. But alas that's another issue but the problem of civilization is the real issue that we should all be wrestling with, not terrorism.

Steven Rogers on "The dark (k)night of a postmodern world"

Steven Rogers — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:47:09 +0000

Thom, re this:

I encourage you to study the communiques of Al-Qaida (I have little
familiarity with other Islamist groups). An interesting book is
Messages to the World: The Speeches of Osama bin Laden. Islamists like
bin Laden are not irrational and use violence merely for its own sake;
this is George W. Bush's analysis and has no place here. Islamists have
clear political goals such as liberating Palestine and removing foreign
forces from Saudi Arabia and overthrowing corrupt Middle Eastern
regimes. Violence is a tool to achieve these goals.

If you've studied the communiques of al Qaeda, you surely know that until very recently the liberation of Palestine has been notably absent from that organization's list of priorities, and it's generally accepted that this issue has never been a major factor in al Qaeda's development.

You may also be aware that the foreign forces in question were removed from Saudi Arabia years ago, and that the "corrupt Middle Eastern regimes" opposed by al Qaeda are those that have brought peace and prosperity to their people by joining the modern world rather than lashing out at it.

The notion that terrorists ""want to watch the world burn" may be simplistic and flawed, but the notion that they are responding to some form of dire and unacceptable provocation is completely insupportable.

jpcruz on "The dark (k)night of a postmodern world"

jpcruz — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:03:52 +0000

«The Dark Knight unmasks the crisis of values in which America, and the west more widely, finds itself at the beginning of the 21st century. Cultural theorists portrayed the late 20th century in terms of "the postmodern condition": an era in which traditional values, identities and social institutions were disintegrating and being replaced by proliferating narratives, conflicting truth claims and multiple identities»

I keep reading this bizarre concept (the western "crisis of values") over and over again, on the web, on books, on media, and i still don't get it. I suppose I live in a different planet... As mr. Steven rogers puts it, I also «can't personally imagine a philosophical strain more thoroughly removed from the day to day experience of the average individual...»

Traditional values? What traditional values? Are we talking religious morality here? Judaic-Christian values, as opposed to a more secular frame of values? Is that it?

Sure, the western world faces a whole lot of challenges, problems and crisis, some of them from within, that's true and we need to solve them, as we are, democracy is a work in progress and, as I see it in my live experience and in our colective historical experience, it's actually getting better. Not as fast as we might wish, but for someone who studies History, it's plain obvious that It's not getting worse...

This narrative of doom and decadence is, in my opinion, rooted in a distorted analysis of reality. As to violence, I could point out to a interesting conference from mr. Stephen Pinker on Ted Talks, for instance. It might shed some light in some gloomy heads.

Sure, technology development gave us the potencial for total destruction, and the world is still full of dictatorships, real corruption and bad governance (from Africa to Russia, passing through China, Venezuela or Iran) but the fact is that humanity, mostly in the western world, never experienced such levels of cooperation, solidarity, health, confort and prosperity. The peace we experience in Europe for over 50 years, due in my opinion mainly to the retrieval of religion and ideologies from the front stage of public live, is an unprecendent and extraordinary event in our thousands year history!

In our western streets, for example, crime isn't a rule, it's an exception, overly dramatized by the media or the film industry, just so eager to satisfy the people's morbid atraction for things such as violence, maniqueist narratives, the bizarre, jokers, darknights...

Maybe I'm beeing over simplistic, but I simply don't buy that "crisis of values" theory...