When I saw Avatar the first time (mea culpa, I've become an addict and have seen it four times. The visuals, the story, the 3-D Imax technology, the music, the character development all added up to do it,) at the end of the movie, I stood up, before most of the people left the movie and shouted out, "This is what the US is doing in Afghanistan!" One clueless right winger shouted back, "And We're winning."
Now, as the most successful movie ever, Avatar has delivered it's anti-war, anti-corporatism, pro-environment message to tens of millions and eventually, it will probably reach over a billion people, in spite of right wing efforts to hurt it with negative reviews.
The Hurt Locker was a different kind of war movie. It did not glorify war, though I imagine some right wingers might think it does, by portraying a crazy, adrenalin seeking bomb disposal expert. Some might characterize his order-violating behavior that put the rest of his team at un-necessary risk as heroic. I didn't. In that regard, Hurt Locker may even be seen by some as pro-war, unlike the take Michael Moore has. Of course, the people with that take will be white males who, will miss the nuance which Kathryn Bigelow has woven into the movie.
It's true that this year, there were not outbursts or outright anti-right wing statements. But another glass ceiling was broken, with the first woman being awarded an Oscar for best director. The best actress award went to an actress who portrayed the antithesis of racism. The two top award winning movies delivered anti-war messages that at least some right wing reviewers could actually discern.
Overall, the Academy did a good job, rewarding movies with messages and a female director who made a very smart, moving film with a message. That's even better than a shout out against Sarah Palin.
Gerard Baker closed his article celebrating the absence of criticism of the right in the ceremonies, saying, "Then again, perhaps they're just willing to let the movies speak for themselves."
Indeed they did. Indeed they did.
Now, as the most successful movie ever, Avatar has delivered it's anti-war, anti-corporatism, pro-environment message to tens of millions and eventually, it will probably reach over a billion people, in spite of right wing efforts to hurt it with negative reviews.
The Hurt Locker was a different kind of war movie. It did not glorify war, though I imagine some right wingers might think it does, by portraying a crazy, adrenalin seeking bomb disposal expert. Some might characterize his order-violating behavior that put the rest of his team at un-necessary risk as heroic. I didn't. In that regard, Hurt Locker may even be seen by some as pro-war, unlike the take Michael Moore has. Of course, the people with that take will be white males who, will miss the nuance which Kathryn Bigelow has woven into the movie.
It's true that this year, there were not outbursts or outright anti-right wing statements. But another glass ceiling was broken, with the first woman being awarded an Oscar for best director. The best actress award went to an actress who portrayed the antithesis of racism. The two top award winning movies delivered anti-war messages that at least some right wing reviewers could actually discern.
Gerard Baker closed his article celebrating the absence of criticism of the right in the ceremonies, saying, "Then again, perhaps they're just willing to let the movies speak for themselves."
Indeed they did. Indeed they did.
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