Sunday, March 19, 2006

Yikes, The T-WORD! (aka terrorism)


I have yet to see V for Vendetta , and to be honest, it's not my type of movie...but I am interested in the issues that this film brings up. As I understand it, the hero-terrorist is seeking justice but using violent methods to achieve the objectives.

Harvard graduate Natalie Portman, a very well-spoken actress (not Keanue Reeves or Renee Zellwegger), has a good interview in Robert Siegel's review on NPR. And she talks about the positive nature of bringing out discussion about these issues of whether violence is an appropritate means to bring about what one views as a positive change.

It made me think of the three activist (Ryan Lewis, 22, Eva Holland, 26, and Lili Holland, 21) who were sentenced to 6 yrs. of jail for the arson they did with the Earth Liberation Front . They were sentenced this past week.Jeremiah Colcleasure, 24, will be sentenced May 19 (More here).

Or it made me think of the documentary The Weather Underground (2002) which deals with the activist faction Weather Underground of the 1960s & 1970s who used violence to fight social causes as a result of feeling that non-violent efforts were ineffective.

After watching The Weather Underground I had the sense that even though these people were criminals, at times, they were also effective. And yet, is that right? If you say yes then you get into horrible ball parks of moral relativism, obviously offensive to the conservative-right...but at the same time the liberal-left would say that this is the same philosophy that right-wingers are using in some of their policies in Iraq.

And then it reminds me of all the similar arguments and offenses felt by people with the documentary Paradise Now . (post here)

Hum? The Wachowski brothers brought us the Matrix, certaily know how to get people talking.

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7 comments:

yugunter said...

no, no - this is way past discussion stimulation - see, for the last few years Hollywood liberals are trying to push through Judeo-Bolshevik agenda by disguising it as "art" - i.e. director of "Crash" leading anti-war march in Hollywood - this is ALL about politics now - it's too bad artists go into politics - they should really shut up and entertain

Anonymous said...

Well I saw issues about how secretive the government is and how they turn everything around in the news to the public to make things look a certain way.

in the movie it talks about the government being part of a virus that leaked out and killed their own people and this reminded me of the thoery that the american government was behind the attacks on 9/11.

there are a lot more hidden meanings. the movie is outstanding. it makes you think a lot and it takes about hitting rock bottom to become free and fearless.

Dad said...

yugunter, some would say the same thing about politicians.

if artists stay out of politics won't art become pretty boring?

Darius said...

thnks for dropping by and for the link.

come back again ok

Sher said...

I really want to see this movie. Maybe I'll have something to discuss after I go see it.

Jeff said...

So Yugunter, do you decide whether or not someone's qualified to share an opinion publicly, or participate in political activism based on their occupation? I think I've heard some people say that University students shouldn't be allowed to speak out about politics, and I think that's a great idea. I have to ask what you think about the celebrities who are Pro-George Bush, right wing - Like Britney Spears who says we should just trust the president. Should she keep her mouth shut too?
Or, here's another idea. How about you attack someone's argument, rather than the person themselves. Don't decide how valid their statements are based on what they do for a living.

JW said...

Some of the people who make political movies are responsible for giving ordinary people a reason to actually think about the issues rather than gestate the story of the minute on the cable news networks on a continuous basis. Would you rather see a endless stream of mindless drivel like "Big Momma's House 2" ? Movies that make a statement (political), or movies that say something about the human condition (maybe not political) are what the art form is really all about. Otherwise you might as well be watching sitcoms.