Movie Commentaries
Mar. 14th, 2008 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mf_luder_xfStarship Troopers
Frankly, I don't understand why this movie seems to have such a bad rap. I'm sure not everyone feels this way, but every single comment I've ever seen has talked about how terrible the movie is. And sure, some of it is a bit cheesy. Like when Dis dies and she's like, "at least I had you" to John. *gags* And the blood and such is a little Monty Python Black Knight-ish.
But beyond that, I actually thought it was a darn good movie. The concept of citizen vs civilian, fleet vs infantry, world government. It's all very reflective of modern day and what we could become. One thing I've always enjoyed in SG verse (if found not so true to RL), is that the Marines and Air Force get along. When you watch more realistic or at least less optimistic military programming, it's not as kind, which I thought ST showed.
Some other things really stuck out to me. For one, I counted three black women and two black men. Carmen, Dis, their military strategist friend and John were from Buenos Ares and I don't think they could have been any whiter. Considering this was a '97 movie, I have to wonder if it was done unthinkingly, or if it was making a deliberate statement. (I don't know when the book was written, but even then, movies take liberties all the time when it comes to casting so unless the book purposely points out a white-led society, I put this on the movie makers.) While I'm sure many would see this as a terrible offense, I tend to view it as a statement--whether it was meant to be or not. The idea that most "citizens" are white? Talk about perpetrating the current status. It especially stands out when put next to the bugs, playing up a color contrast (everything about the bugs is a different color, brown, green, orange...).
And that brings me to the next point. Much as the movie is about the friendship of the three from school and becoming a "citizen" by fighting those mean, nasty bugs, I can't help but think of the parallels to Orson Scott Card's Ender 'verse and how centuries after the war was won, it went from being victory to genocide. In one scene, soon after Buenos Ares was hit, they have a camera man mention that some think the bugs were provoked, but then he's cut off by John who yells into the camera they should all die after killing his family in BA--and most in the audience would be inclined to agree with him on that point. I find that by passing over the idea that these bugs could have been provoked or might not be all bad, and most especially when they've captured the brain bug and determine he's afraid and they all cheer, that to me actually points out how there needed to be conversation on that subject.
And now normally, I'm not one to read too much into stuff. But I find, in connection to making the aliens bugs in the first place (who can't communicate), and then further dehumanizing them by cheering at their fright, I believe the very last propaganda vid we see where they're poking and prodding the brain bug is very similar to, and in fact an outright demonstration of rape. Rape of the mind, and a total disregard for the bug itself. And I'm not saying that the bugs are good, or that they shouldn't be killed, that they didn't do horrible things (like sucking out that poor, attractive fly boy's brains). But the bug was examining the brains of the enemy. How is that any worse than what the humans in turn did to the bug at the end?
Now, I'll admit. If I were to find a cockroach in my room? It would IMMEDIATELY be exterminated. But perhaps I've been spoiled by the Ender 'verse and fandom talk of SGA (Carson vs Michael) because I can't help but think these thoughts when watching the movie. And their absence to me, is either a declarative statement of collective, homogenous thought to match the propaganda vids, or it's done deliberate to prove a point. I found myself that by watching it and not seeing it, it only made me more aware.
So maybe to the people who think it's a bad movie, they're only viewing the special effects (which I can't say were any worse than SG1/SGA and certainly better than a lot of SciFi Channel movie effects), or they're not able/willing to look deeper. Maybe they need to read the book for that. To conclude, Casper Van Dien (John) is HOTT, the movie was better than I expected, and I really need to get my hands on the book now.
Interview With the Vampire
Interestingly enough, I've heard nothing but rave reviews on this movie but I found it to be the cheesiest, most predictable and homoerotic thing ever created. While I have no issue whatsoever with the homoerotic aspect, it was how it was done. And I don't know if it was just the vampire thing that made it campy or what, but it came across as fucking hilarious to me. Normally, the idea of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt practically making out would make my inner slashy fangirl squee because hey, two fairly attractive "superstars"...but I just sat there and laughed my ass off. The best part of it by far was baby!Dunst. She was the only one that, though still very classic and trashy vampire made her role bearable. I actually understood and felt her emotions and motives. The rest was just kind of like, ho-hum. And the special effects here, too were cheesy, and I'd just expected them to be better.
Frankly, I don't understand why this movie seems to have such a bad rap. I'm sure not everyone feels this way, but every single comment I've ever seen has talked about how terrible the movie is. And sure, some of it is a bit cheesy. Like when Dis dies and she's like, "at least I had you" to John. *gags* And the blood and such is a little Monty Python Black Knight-ish.
But beyond that, I actually thought it was a darn good movie. The concept of citizen vs civilian, fleet vs infantry, world government. It's all very reflective of modern day and what we could become. One thing I've always enjoyed in SG verse (if found not so true to RL), is that the Marines and Air Force get along. When you watch more realistic or at least less optimistic military programming, it's not as kind, which I thought ST showed.
Some other things really stuck out to me. For one, I counted three black women and two black men. Carmen, Dis, their military strategist friend and John were from Buenos Ares and I don't think they could have been any whiter. Considering this was a '97 movie, I have to wonder if it was done unthinkingly, or if it was making a deliberate statement. (I don't know when the book was written, but even then, movies take liberties all the time when it comes to casting so unless the book purposely points out a white-led society, I put this on the movie makers.) While I'm sure many would see this as a terrible offense, I tend to view it as a statement--whether it was meant to be or not. The idea that most "citizens" are white? Talk about perpetrating the current status. It especially stands out when put next to the bugs, playing up a color contrast (everything about the bugs is a different color, brown, green, orange...).
And that brings me to the next point. Much as the movie is about the friendship of the three from school and becoming a "citizen" by fighting those mean, nasty bugs, I can't help but think of the parallels to Orson Scott Card's Ender 'verse and how centuries after the war was won, it went from being victory to genocide. In one scene, soon after Buenos Ares was hit, they have a camera man mention that some think the bugs were provoked, but then he's cut off by John who yells into the camera they should all die after killing his family in BA--and most in the audience would be inclined to agree with him on that point. I find that by passing over the idea that these bugs could have been provoked or might not be all bad, and most especially when they've captured the brain bug and determine he's afraid and they all cheer, that to me actually points out how there needed to be conversation on that subject.
And now normally, I'm not one to read too much into stuff. But I find, in connection to making the aliens bugs in the first place (who can't communicate), and then further dehumanizing them by cheering at their fright, I believe the very last propaganda vid we see where they're poking and prodding the brain bug is very similar to, and in fact an outright demonstration of rape. Rape of the mind, and a total disregard for the bug itself. And I'm not saying that the bugs are good, or that they shouldn't be killed, that they didn't do horrible things (like sucking out that poor, attractive fly boy's brains). But the bug was examining the brains of the enemy. How is that any worse than what the humans in turn did to the bug at the end?
Now, I'll admit. If I were to find a cockroach in my room? It would IMMEDIATELY be exterminated. But perhaps I've been spoiled by the Ender 'verse and fandom talk of SGA (Carson vs Michael) because I can't help but think these thoughts when watching the movie. And their absence to me, is either a declarative statement of collective, homogenous thought to match the propaganda vids, or it's done deliberate to prove a point. I found myself that by watching it and not seeing it, it only made me more aware.
So maybe to the people who think it's a bad movie, they're only viewing the special effects (which I can't say were any worse than SG1/SGA and certainly better than a lot of SciFi Channel movie effects), or they're not able/willing to look deeper. Maybe they need to read the book for that. To conclude, Casper Van Dien (John) is HOTT, the movie was better than I expected, and I really need to get my hands on the book now.
Interview With the Vampire
Interestingly enough, I've heard nothing but rave reviews on this movie but I found it to be the cheesiest, most predictable and homoerotic thing ever created. While I have no issue whatsoever with the homoerotic aspect, it was how it was done. And I don't know if it was just the vampire thing that made it campy or what, but it came across as fucking hilarious to me. Normally, the idea of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt practically making out would make my inner slashy fangirl squee because hey, two fairly attractive "superstars"...but I just sat there and laughed my ass off. The best part of it by far was baby!Dunst. She was the only one that, though still very classic and trashy vampire made her role bearable. I actually understood and felt her emotions and motives. The rest was just kind of like, ho-hum. And the special effects here, too were cheesy, and I'd just expected them to be better.
