Finally watched the movie after the second sitting. It is dark, brooding with subtle (maybe only for me) undertones which I am grappling to understand. Probably need some better background of American history and the way this country was made, to appreciate the movie more fully.
What stuck me was the resonance that the theme of the movie set in early 1900s has with the situation in America today? Religion's dependence on big money and the big money's discomfort with it. Atleast that seems to be what is happening even now. But I guess the situation is similar in other countries too.
Addendum: To make up for my dreadful attempt at review up there, I will link to Steve Sailer's long, informative and interesting review. And in case you do not have time, or you have read Sailer's review, then read this short and cute review at the ambler.
5 comments:
"Religion's dependence on big money and the big money's discomfort with it. Atleast that seems to be what is happening even now. But I guess the situation is similar in other countries too." That's an interesting line of thought, though I wonder how one would expand on that. How about posting on that...
Yeah, guess I should atleast clarify a little what I mean. I will post something on that though you will find many more informed views out there on the web. As an example, the support of the religious right in US elections for the Republicans. Equating big money and high politics here though.
The fervor of religion is strongest when an economy is in the doldrums. Just this last Sunday there was an interesting front page article (in fact the first in a series that is to be continued)on Egypt, and how religion was suddenly on the rise there, thanks to a dwindling economy. Time and again this has held true.
Though politics and religion are definitely hand in glove in almost all instances. Religion can change the outcome of an election if the electorate is needy and the political leaders shrewd.
I'm sorry I forgot to mention the name of the newspaper; it's the NYT.
Well, many people believe that while religion might emerge out of mysticism and faith, when it intrudes into public life it has to become political. It is used as a political instrument either by the religious leaders or the politicians themselves.
That religious fervor increases with hard times is probably true for most of us. Because in times of crisis, people need some thing to get through and religion offers that consolation. However, shrewd politicans and other leaders can misuse this positive tendency with terrible effect.
But I would not say that it has to be the case always. Modern western approach (atleast in theory) is to clearly seperate politics from religion and they have seem to benefited from it. But that might not be the only solution especially for societies in which religion already has such a dominant place that even an attempt at separation seems like an affront to the religion/s.
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