People with guilty conscious, benefiting from the theft of others' labor will be offended by this film. Beware.
Yet, those who want an intellectual challenge, and an honest search for what lies behind our identity, and our relationship to the world through commodities provided by the market that are supposed to give us happiness are in for a wonderful treat.
Capitalism preaches happiness through material purchases. Commodities such as fancy clothes that accentuate one's shallow character, edible underwear, vaginal deodorants, ballet performances, superficial theater performances that exaggerate the life styles of the rich and the wannabe rich flock the markets for those who are made to think their salvation lies in buying more and more. But how many stop to think the background of the "Gods", the commodities? A simple inquiry into what materials mean to us, what ties us to the rest of humanity, the relationships created by the market system will also reveal what kind of people we are made to be.
This is a dangerous trip though. You may not like what you will find. Why can one afford a sailing yacht while millions can not afford a pair of shoes? What makes people "terrorist?" Is our system just or is it a legalized theft system? What is our position and place in such a system? Who am I? Do I care if I am a thief or an honest person? Pursuing honesty is a tough choice. Redgrave questions herself in the society she lives in. She examines the relationships that we were instructed to ignore. Instead of rushing to the market to buy yet another purse or a new golf club to get her daily fix of superficial consumerist lust in a capitalist society, she investigates the forbidden ties which reveal the social truth behind the material goods. There she finds herself and lays her personality on the table to dissect.
She is torn between becoming a true honest, respectable human being or accepting the capitalist animal side that will benefit from the grand theft rampant in a market system. All she has to do is either submit to her system created personality, close her eyes to the truth and eat, drink be happy in the face of global looting and rape the easy choice-, or face torture, misery and even death, just like millions of others are going through every day who have the courage to stand up and resist to the unjust, criminal and illegitimate capitalist system. This dilemma of relationships between two sides of her personality, the truth and the lies of our market driven system is portrayed perfectly in this film.
The film portrays an intellectual, liberal, middle class women who wants to do good. But the real thieves, the capitalist class is nowhere to be found in the film. The film does not lecture on what is good and bad, it does not preach to us the obvious criminality of the capitalist system or who is really behind the theft. Through her inquiring middle class mind, we are treated to her internal quest, trying to do the right thing, understanding the roots of her privilege in an unjust society and the connections she (we) can not deny or ignore: It is a zero sum game. In the market, one wins because others have lost.
But after realizing these facts, what to do about it? Ignore all and be happy, or face the brutal attacks capitalism can and do wage against anyone who has the courage to question these ills? The film, done with superb acting, fulfilling as a stage play and very powerful monologues leaves a bitter sweet taste as one desires simple quick answers to be given on the screen. But life does not provide quick McAnswers as we are promised in a superficial market driven system.
Yet, those who want an intellectual challenge, and an honest search for what lies behind our identity, and our relationship to the world through commodities provided by the market that are supposed to give us happiness are in for a wonderful treat.
Capitalism preaches happiness through material purchases. Commodities such as fancy clothes that accentuate one's shallow character, edible underwear, vaginal deodorants, ballet performances, superficial theater performances that exaggerate the life styles of the rich and the wannabe rich flock the markets for those who are made to think their salvation lies in buying more and more. But how many stop to think the background of the "Gods", the commodities? A simple inquiry into what materials mean to us, what ties us to the rest of humanity, the relationships created by the market system will also reveal what kind of people we are made to be.
This is a dangerous trip though. You may not like what you will find. Why can one afford a sailing yacht while millions can not afford a pair of shoes? What makes people "terrorist?" Is our system just or is it a legalized theft system? What is our position and place in such a system? Who am I? Do I care if I am a thief or an honest person? Pursuing honesty is a tough choice. Redgrave questions herself in the society she lives in. She examines the relationships that we were instructed to ignore. Instead of rushing to the market to buy yet another purse or a new golf club to get her daily fix of superficial consumerist lust in a capitalist society, she investigates the forbidden ties which reveal the social truth behind the material goods. There she finds herself and lays her personality on the table to dissect.
She is torn between becoming a true honest, respectable human being or accepting the capitalist animal side that will benefit from the grand theft rampant in a market system. All she has to do is either submit to her system created personality, close her eyes to the truth and eat, drink be happy in the face of global looting and rape the easy choice-, or face torture, misery and even death, just like millions of others are going through every day who have the courage to stand up and resist to the unjust, criminal and illegitimate capitalist system. This dilemma of relationships between two sides of her personality, the truth and the lies of our market driven system is portrayed perfectly in this film.
The film portrays an intellectual, liberal, middle class women who wants to do good. But the real thieves, the capitalist class is nowhere to be found in the film. The film does not lecture on what is good and bad, it does not preach to us the obvious criminality of the capitalist system or who is really behind the theft. Through her inquiring middle class mind, we are treated to her internal quest, trying to do the right thing, understanding the roots of her privilege in an unjust society and the connections she (we) can not deny or ignore: It is a zero sum game. In the market, one wins because others have lost.
But after realizing these facts, what to do about it? Ignore all and be happy, or face the brutal attacks capitalism can and do wage against anyone who has the courage to question these ills? The film, done with superb acting, fulfilling as a stage play and very powerful monologues leaves a bitter sweet taste as one desires simple quick answers to be given on the screen. But life does not provide quick McAnswers as we are promised in a superficial market driven system.