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Thoughts on empire
Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 05:27 pmI don't know if any of you have noticed the hoohaw surrounding Spielberg's new film, Munich. I saw a trailer for it a while ago, and it looked interesting. Certainly it's rare to see a film that even tries to talk about the subject with anything approaching an even-handed viewpoint. Munich doesn't have that, but at least it appears to have a conscience about some of the nastier aspects of things in the Middle East.
And of course, in the view of American pundits (and some reviewers), we can't have that. So the film's been getting what seems to me to be a wholly unfair lambasting before any of the public have had a chance to see it. It's like they're trying to kill it dead before it has a chance to even walk.
Not surprisingly, that don't work with me. And today, I came across an interesting article over on Salon.com about the kerfuffle, which you can read here. (Registration not required, just view an ad to get a pass in.) It made me amused some, and annoyed some, and think some. The reactions of these "opinion-makers" brought to mind stuff I've been noting and musing over ever since 9/11 (before that, honestly, but it's been in much sharper focus since then), and I wrote a letter in to Salon. Here it is:
Empires fall
That's a fact. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Every empire in the history of the world has fallen, for various reasons, but usually having to do with bloat and overweening pride in their own might=right equations. They get bigger and bigger and bigger, take over more and more of the world (and there's more than one way to do that, you know), decide that at their moment of power, they are the ones responsible for the running of the world and everybody better do what they say. That's when the rot starts, and the inevitable fall begins. It's as sure as death and taxes; in fact, you could see it as a form of both of those.
What's all this got to do with Munich? Well, reading the articles and "reviews" I've been seeing the last couple of weeks on this unreleased film, I've been smelling a rat from the git-go. The critics do protest too much, methinks. It's been obvious every time, that they've been speaking more about their own political views than about the actual film. Very telling, that.
And the question of empire fits in here: One day, the American star will fall. We're not going to be in charge of things forever, you can bank on that. And I often wonder what will happen when the day comes that American culture and ideas and morality and religion are no longer what the world is interested in, and when some other culture will take our place. Hm?
It will be a wondrous irony (just as I'm sure it has been every other time) when an "alien" power takes over our country and starts imposing its worldview, culture, morality, religion (or lack of), language, etc. on Americans. With our gun-happy culture, what do you think are the chances that we'll just sit back and let it happen? That we won't try to strike back in whatever way we can, whether big or small? In other words, what will we look like to them? Do you suppose, if we decide never to go down without a fight, no matter how nasty (because of course our "way of life" is worth defending at ANY cost, damnit!), that they'll be calling us "terrorists"? How will that sit with those who refuse to even consider the humanity of people driven by desperation to insane acts? And how will the rest of the world respond, do you think? With dismay, sadness, outrage? At them or at us? Or will some of them think "How's it feel now, bucko?"
Kinda wish I could be around to see how that works out.
P.S. Yeah, I know Munich isn't about empire, but the derisive and dismissive comments about the film come from minds set in the privileged viewpoint of an imperial reality. Tangential, I know, but still worth thinking on.
Oh, and as to the movie: One lesson these idiot pundits have apparently not learned from every other film kerfuffle is that this kind of protestation never works. Whereas before I was kinda interested in the next Spielberg flick, now I'm dying to go see it. I'll be in line opening day, you bet!
And of course, in the view of American pundits (and some reviewers), we can't have that. So the film's been getting what seems to me to be a wholly unfair lambasting before any of the public have had a chance to see it. It's like they're trying to kill it dead before it has a chance to even walk.
Not surprisingly, that don't work with me. And today, I came across an interesting article over on Salon.com about the kerfuffle, which you can read here. (Registration not required, just view an ad to get a pass in.) It made me amused some, and annoyed some, and think some. The reactions of these "opinion-makers" brought to mind stuff I've been noting and musing over ever since 9/11 (before that, honestly, but it's been in much sharper focus since then), and I wrote a letter in to Salon. Here it is:
Empires fall
That's a fact. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Every empire in the history of the world has fallen, for various reasons, but usually having to do with bloat and overweening pride in their own might=right equations. They get bigger and bigger and bigger, take over more and more of the world (and there's more than one way to do that, you know), decide that at their moment of power, they are the ones responsible for the running of the world and everybody better do what they say. That's when the rot starts, and the inevitable fall begins. It's as sure as death and taxes; in fact, you could see it as a form of both of those.
What's all this got to do with Munich? Well, reading the articles and "reviews" I've been seeing the last couple of weeks on this unreleased film, I've been smelling a rat from the git-go. The critics do protest too much, methinks. It's been obvious every time, that they've been speaking more about their own political views than about the actual film. Very telling, that.
And the question of empire fits in here: One day, the American star will fall. We're not going to be in charge of things forever, you can bank on that. And I often wonder what will happen when the day comes that American culture and ideas and morality and religion are no longer what the world is interested in, and when some other culture will take our place. Hm?
It will be a wondrous irony (just as I'm sure it has been every other time) when an "alien" power takes over our country and starts imposing its worldview, culture, morality, religion (or lack of), language, etc. on Americans. With our gun-happy culture, what do you think are the chances that we'll just sit back and let it happen? That we won't try to strike back in whatever way we can, whether big or small? In other words, what will we look like to them? Do you suppose, if we decide never to go down without a fight, no matter how nasty (because of course our "way of life" is worth defending at ANY cost, damnit!), that they'll be calling us "terrorists"? How will that sit with those who refuse to even consider the humanity of people driven by desperation to insane acts? And how will the rest of the world respond, do you think? With dismay, sadness, outrage? At them or at us? Or will some of them think "How's it feel now, bucko?"
Kinda wish I could be around to see how that works out.
P.S. Yeah, I know Munich isn't about empire, but the derisive and dismissive comments about the film come from minds set in the privileged viewpoint of an imperial reality. Tangential, I know, but still worth thinking on.
Oh, and as to the movie: One lesson these idiot pundits have apparently not learned from every other film kerfuffle is that this kind of protestation never works. Whereas before I was kinda interested in the next Spielberg flick, now I'm dying to go see it. I'll be in line opening day, you bet!
