'S' for Social-Apathy
Tonight we went to see "V For Vendetta" at the local multi-megaplex-ridiculously-oversized-super-cinema. The fact that I think Hugo Weaving is one of the most brilliant actors in Australia, and probably the world, that Natalie Portman is absolutely gorgeous and not far from where I place Hugo aside, I absolutely loved it. Okay, so apparently it's not as good as the original comic. Hey, it's a film.. What's new?
After the crazy usual Wachoski (spelling anyone?) script and blistering effects all died down, it left me mulling over something I seem to be coming back to reasonably often at the moment.
It seems that in the last two or three years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of, for want of better words "leftie" films being produced and finding their way to the big screen. Possibly it is only my perception that has changed, and they have been there all along, but I get the feeling that this is not the case. Fahrenheit 9/11, Team America, Good Night and Good Luck, and now V for Vendetta are a few of the titles which come to mind.
I love the fact that these films are being made, that at the last US Federal election more people than ever voted, many for the first time, many citing F911 as a significant factor in the influencing of many votes. I loved the fact that such a bitingly satiric film was released worldwide to great success (okay, so almost anything from Trey Parker and Matt Stone is likely to do at least reasonably). I loved the fact that George Clooney went and made a film about the McCarthy trials of the fifties, and in doing made a huge statement about the current situation of the "anti-terror" phenomenon. While a lot of "V For Vendetta" is highly improbable (i.e. a 'Church' state re-arising in England, Islam becoming outlawed), much of it seems just around the corner, or, in many cases, already here (almost complete lack of truth in the media, total erosion of basic liberties in the name of protection).
My mind often falls into wondering if these films will actually make a difference, while the lust of power and money grows ever stronger, and keeps things heading in the way they are. Will any amount of public anger ever change these things? Will there be public anger? Or when people are told enough times that they are powerless, they will accept it lying down, in the place they have been slowly beaten down to.
I was required to write a response to an article on the degradation of society through plastic surgery, deforestation, corporate greed and mass media (amongst other evils), for one of my classes recently. In my response I asked questions along the lines "what can an individual do? Can an individual do anything against forces powered by such colossal amounts of money and power?”
Part of me says that we are powerless to the governments and corporations of the world, who will tell us what we want, what we should spend our time and money, what we should think and how we should act. Anyone acting contrary to these powers will simply be ignored, and alienated from the society that has been created. Forests will still be logged, uranium mined, warheads (that will probably never be used, except for tests which will turn national parks in to wastelands) built, people exploited, worker rights deteriorated, eco-friendly energy sources ignored, etc etc, until this earth can no longer sustain it, and finally gives in.
The comment in green pen at the bottom of my essay said something like "try to make as much difference to your immediate surroundings?".
When I consider this thought, the same part of me that thinks about all the bleak looking prospects above, says that this is the same thinking that creates the revolutions that exists mostly only in films, and not in real life. It's the same thing that creates inspirational programs about little boys with only one leg that run marathons while carrying their pet ant colonies strapped to their backs. It's the same thing that prints bumper stickers and records annoying songs with inspirational lyrics that Mum's and dance teachers go out and buy the singles of, and sports event organizers play to death.
Yet, besides that, all those stories I’ve been told over the years leap up and remind me that everyone needs to start somewhere, and that if we look after the little things, the big things take care of themselves, and that if you influence one person, and they another, and they another, and they another, you never know where it will end, and that every little bit counts, and if you write really, really long sentences, then you can bore people into submission.
Hmmm.
I think I'll be nice to people tomorrow. That's a start.
I'll try to buy a Guy Fawkes mask on Thursday maybe. Kidding.
After the crazy usual Wachoski (spelling anyone?) script and blistering effects all died down, it left me mulling over something I seem to be coming back to reasonably often at the moment.
It seems that in the last two or three years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of, for want of better words "leftie" films being produced and finding their way to the big screen. Possibly it is only my perception that has changed, and they have been there all along, but I get the feeling that this is not the case. Fahrenheit 9/11, Team America, Good Night and Good Luck, and now V for Vendetta are a few of the titles which come to mind.
I love the fact that these films are being made, that at the last US Federal election more people than ever voted, many for the first time, many citing F911 as a significant factor in the influencing of many votes. I loved the fact that such a bitingly satiric film was released worldwide to great success (okay, so almost anything from Trey Parker and Matt Stone is likely to do at least reasonably). I loved the fact that George Clooney went and made a film about the McCarthy trials of the fifties, and in doing made a huge statement about the current situation of the "anti-terror" phenomenon. While a lot of "V For Vendetta" is highly improbable (i.e. a 'Church' state re-arising in England, Islam becoming outlawed), much of it seems just around the corner, or, in many cases, already here (almost complete lack of truth in the media, total erosion of basic liberties in the name of protection).
My mind often falls into wondering if these films will actually make a difference, while the lust of power and money grows ever stronger, and keeps things heading in the way they are. Will any amount of public anger ever change these things? Will there be public anger? Or when people are told enough times that they are powerless, they will accept it lying down, in the place they have been slowly beaten down to.
I was required to write a response to an article on the degradation of society through plastic surgery, deforestation, corporate greed and mass media (amongst other evils), for one of my classes recently. In my response I asked questions along the lines "what can an individual do? Can an individual do anything against forces powered by such colossal amounts of money and power?”
Part of me says that we are powerless to the governments and corporations of the world, who will tell us what we want, what we should spend our time and money, what we should think and how we should act. Anyone acting contrary to these powers will simply be ignored, and alienated from the society that has been created. Forests will still be logged, uranium mined, warheads (that will probably never be used, except for tests which will turn national parks in to wastelands) built, people exploited, worker rights deteriorated, eco-friendly energy sources ignored, etc etc, until this earth can no longer sustain it, and finally gives in.
The comment in green pen at the bottom of my essay said something like "try to make as much difference to your immediate surroundings?".
When I consider this thought, the same part of me that thinks about all the bleak looking prospects above, says that this is the same thinking that creates the revolutions that exists mostly only in films, and not in real life. It's the same thing that creates inspirational programs about little boys with only one leg that run marathons while carrying their pet ant colonies strapped to their backs. It's the same thing that prints bumper stickers and records annoying songs with inspirational lyrics that Mum's and dance teachers go out and buy the singles of, and sports event organizers play to death.
Yet, besides that, all those stories I’ve been told over the years leap up and remind me that everyone needs to start somewhere, and that if we look after the little things, the big things take care of themselves, and that if you influence one person, and they another, and they another, and they another, you never know where it will end, and that every little bit counts, and if you write really, really long sentences, then you can bore people into submission.
Hmmm.
I think I'll be nice to people tomorrow. That's a start.
I'll try to buy a Guy Fawkes mask on Thursday maybe. Kidding.