Dear Avid Reader,
Or should I just write, "What's up Jordan?"
It is so easy to get behind on this, but I'm fighting back.
Shaving Points Off Of A Football Game, Man That's Un-American
In an another movie, "The Devil's Advocate", the Devil says that his favorite sin is vanity. Vanity/pride is very tricky because it can be kinda sneaky. It can be the ninja of attributes. Because sometimes, just sometimes, what is clearly pride is named virtue. Oh yeah, that is some straight up assassin shit right there.
Paul "Ridiculous Nickname" Crewe is the embodiment of this. See Paul is a bad-ass. This makes him very likable. The way he just doesn't care. It's really attractive. Paul just casts off the beautiful woman that presumably keeps him as a man of pleasure. And rather than find contentment in the arms of carnal pleasure and the wealth that has come so easy to him, he pushes it all aside to become his own man. Whatever that means. He's a total jerk. He's a real asshole. In other words, he's the dream of men everywhere.
You've Only Got Two Things Left They Can't Sweat Out Of You Or Beat Out Of You
After his arrest and sentencing the movie is one clash of macho pride after the other. The Captain that won't relinquish control of the semi-pro guard team. The warden that needs a win in order to validate himself. The prisoners that want to hit the guards out of frustration over being jailed. The black prisoners who eventually join the team after Granny is humiliated in the prison library. The answer to every problem is giving into your pride, never backing down. This is why there is still war in the world.
And the biggest moment, the lesson of the movie, is when Pop reveals that punching the warden was worth a life sentence in jail. This of course is ridiculous. This means that you can do whatever you want so long as you accept the consequences. But that is a really awful philosophy in practice. What about when schoolyard fights escalate into gun violence? What about when getting cut-off results in road rage? What if Pop killed the warden? Would he still be thought of as endearing?
But Burt Reynolds is still a bad ass. This movie is still awesome because the underdogs overcome the bully guards. But I'm left conflicted. I mean some of these people are in jail because they are bullies themselves. These are criminals after all. Maybe they need some humility. Maybe the best thing for them would have been to lose that game.
For Nate, For Granny... For Caretaker
What is the point of this analysis? I'm not sure anymore. I started out with this really great idea, but it has gotten away from me. I guess lately I haven't been as funny in the posts as I have been in the past. That kinda sucks. Maybe I'm just in a low place personally.
Maybe it's because I hate bullies so much and this movie lightly hints at that issue for me. I want to expose that being an ultra macho, never back down guy is really dumb. It leads to pointless fighting. Rather than attack, all of these characters have a moment when they should have asked themselves, "Is this really worth it."
It's not. For me Pops, it's not worth it.
Until Next i Blog,
James
5 comments:
Ahahahahahahahaha! I love it.
But wait...was that really a good review? Does that really make it an awesome movie?
The sad part is that to take down the beast, you have to become one yourself.
Blog on, my friend, blog on.
I really like the movie, but the only angle i could come up with was this bully angle. And that just ended up pissing me off.
Maybe it's all the hard core movies in a row or maybe I'm just feeling a little punchy.
Whatever, I write what comes out.
You know, maybe the pissed-offedness just means that you're a bully in hiding. Perhaps all of us bullies just need to come out an embrace what we are and have a brutal game of tackle football.
Oh. I like your Kung-Fu. Way to turn it around on me.
Well played.
You deceitful villian.
By the way, that's the best compliment I've gotten in a while. Thanks!
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