In the past couple of weeks, I had two film-going experiences that are worth noting. I distinguish them from all other film-going experiences because of their out of the ordinary natures. One was out of the ordinary in a bad way. The other was out of the ordinary in a great way. I will begin with the bad one.
I saw “Team America: World Police,” on opening night. I was expecting a good laugh and was hoping to see the war on terror revealed as the farce it is. But… to my surprise, I got something very different. “Team America,” though a satire, is ultimately a very racist movie. It’s up there with the American propaganda films of World War II. Not good news for Asian stereotypes. In the past, I would have said, you know, that’s what the “South Park” guys do: really un-PC humor. And I’m fine with that. It turns out, though that Trey Parker and Matt Stone are Bush supporters. So the un-PC humor borders on bigotry, but, you know “it’s all for a good laugh.”
And so they make a satire about the state of the world and they don’t mention Bush once. I mean, c’mon. Talk about a white elephant. They never mention anything about him or any members of the Bush White House. No one even says “The President.” Nobody mentions the war in Iraq. But there’s plenty of room to make fun of the French, Middle-Easterners, liberals and Asians. But it’s not really the “fun” type of “making fun.” It’s like, I can imagine an audience of teenagers in middle America going crazy, laughing at this stuff, but it’s sending them negative messages. “If the South Park guys can make fun of Asians, and people from the Middle-East, then I can too.”
And sure enough, the kids in the row in front of me were repeating all the lines they found funny, and most of them were spoken by Kim Jong Il, the villain. I’m sure these kids will be repeating these lines all weekend. But what happens when they repeat them to the Asian kids at their school? These kids looked about 15, so they shouldn’t have been in the theater anyway, but that’s another issue. So the bad guys are Kim Jong Il (portrayed with this insulting accent) and all the liberal activist actors. If the movie had been funnier maybe I would forgive them, but it wasn’t funny enough. One great comedic scene involved vomiting, another involved two puppets having sex, but that’s it. All the other laughs were based on characters randomly inserting epithets such as “cock” and “tittyfuck” into their conversations. That and the Asian accent thing.
It bothered me. I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE THEATER. Their attempts at humor were regressive and irresponsible. There’s a reason that Republicans aren’t up in arms over this movie; because, while satirizing the war on terror, in the end, WE ARE VICTORIOUS, and the war on terror is celebrated by all. It is a “good war” film. And what of the makeup of Team America? Are they the “ethnic platoon” of yore? No. Five whites. Two of them are women. A blonde and a brunette. That’s the diverse makeup of the platoon.
Now it seems that the fact that Team America is all white is a deliberate choice. I would be giving them the benefit of the doubt if I were to say that this choice works as satire. I’m not sure it does, because there is never an explicit reference to the fact that they’re all white. So, all the “brown people” and pinko activist liberal actors are brutally (and hilariously!) killed, etc. etc. It’s just like Parker and Stone’s T.V. show, “That’s My Bush.” In the beginning you think that the whole thing is going to show people how bad the guy is, but they poke fun at him to show you how loveable he is. Well here they satirize the war on terror to show you how loveable it is. There’s some funny stuff with the puppets puking, but that’s about it.
And now… THE GOOD EXPERIENCE IN A MOVIE THEATER! Where was it? In the CFA Cinema! What was it? “Stop Making Sense.” If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. If not…you missed out. Transform the Cinema! That was quite an experience. Bless you all. Only at Wesleyan. Only here.
So what do we have to look forward to in this here Film Series?
Friday and Saturday in the CFA Cinema, at 7:30 and 10 p.m. ($4), Jim Sheridan’s “In America,” starring the luminous Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine (“24 Hour Party People”), and the debut of The Bolger Sisters, two Irish girls who are too damn cute and good. I truly enjoyed this film. Honestly, the premise sounds kind of unappetizing and saccharine, but when I saw it, I found it hugely engaging and enjoyable. I ended up bawling by the end of the film, which is a pretty rare occurrence. Sheridan directed “My Left Foot,” “The Boxer,” and “In The Name of the Father,” and this film is the autobiographical tale of his family’s attempts to find a new life in New York after leaving Ireland. The film is co-written by Sheridan and his two daughters. It’s always interesting to see how foreign directors see and capture America (Leone’s “Once Upon A Time In America” comes to mind). “In America,” is ultimately, a love letter to New York. Even though it is kind of lame to describe a film this way, “In America” truly is magical. So don’t be a cynic. See it, and let it affect you. Emotions are a good thing.
For free and simultaneously in the Science Center:
Friday: Oh man! Sidney Lumet’s “Network” is so brilliant. SO BRILLIANT! Paddy Chayefsky’s screenplay is caustic! Peter Finch’s performance is superhuman! Enough superlatives. If you don’t know this movie, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Seriously. This is satire the way it is meant to be done. Hear that “South Park” guys?
Saturday: It’s Billy Wilder’s classic comedy “Some Like It Hot.” Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Marilyn Monroe. Need I say more? “Nobody’s Perfect.” But this movie is (movie review-speak is unforgivable, I know. Gimme time…).
Next Week:
Wednesday in the CFA Cinema at 8: “Whale Rider.” You wanted it, Wes. Here it is.
AND, in the CENTER FOR FILM STUDIES, “HBO Sundays,”: Thursday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m., A screening of “Perfect Circles,” the first episode of the third season of SIX FEET UNDER, followed by a lecture on a lecture on the series and HBO by Jane Feuer, Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh.
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