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Tsotsi (2005)
The Hate U Give Little Infants Forsakes Everyone
In Blood Diamond, Leo Dicaprio's character has a good phrase (or acronym really) to sum up life in Africa: T.I.A (this is Africa). Tsotsi as a film may very well fit this phrase. However, I've always believed that one can't really judge a place unless they've been there. Given that, I would nonetheless say that Tsotsi seems to give a very realistic portrayal of Africa's dangerous, violent, and hostile nature. One thing to consider in this regard is that Tsotsi takes place in the slums of Soweto, an old township near Johannesburg, South Africa. While South Africa is arguably Africa's most developed nation, Tsotsi aptly illustrates how Soweto slum life isn't far removed from third world living standards. When faced with abject poverty, it is no surprise that many turn to crime as a means to survive. What makes Tsotsi so interesting in this regard is the film's apt illustration of the sheer inequality that exists between Tsotsi's slum and the nearby town where Tsotsi hijacks the luxury vehicle with the infant child still inside.
Just as Tsotsi can make what seems to be decent money pulling jobs, stealing cars, and mugging townspeople, those with the right capital, contacts, education, appetite for risk, and a willingness to forgo western living standards can make very lucrative money in Africa. Without a doubt, Africa is the "Wild Wild West," where much money is to be made in the emerging African market. However, such conditions and inequality breed a callousness between the haves and have nots, as aptly depicted in Tsotsi. Many luxury vehicles in Africa (much like the one Tsotsi steals) are equipped with fuel-injected flamethrowers that can thwart an attempting car thief. Just as the young thugs in Tsotsi take lives and pull triggers without much thought, wealthy Africans and ex-pats don't hesitate to scald, burn, blind, and even kill attempting carjackers with the press of a button. However, it seems that David or "Tsotsi" bridges this callous gap in the film. While done so at the cost of his future and certain jail time, he indeed showed some decency at the end.
A central theme in this film, "decency" in Africa borders a very fine line with survival. If a young westerner is considering going to Africa to "strike it rich," I would ask them if they would hesitate to shoot, maybe kill small children the same age as those living in Tsotsi's old "home." Indeed, even children that young can exhibit the same ruthlessness as Tsotsi and his older gang members do. This is why the infant in Tsotsi plays such a pivotal role. It really boils down to ensuring the best life for little infants so crime, callousness, and violence don't have to be a central part of their futures.
The hatred this world exposes to infants really does ruin humanity for everyone.
The Whole Shootin' Match (1978)
Get rich or contemplate suicide trying
First, if you're interested in independent films and want to buff up on knowledge regarding the USA Film Festival, I highly recommend seeing this movie (which was awarded a second prize at the 1978 USA film festival). Furthermore, If you're interested in the development of regional cinema, I highly recommend seeing this movie. Lastly, if you're interested in everything Texas then I really, really recommend seeing this movie.
However, if you are interested in entrepreneurship and are an entrepreneur at heart, I must provide you with the following cautionary notice. First, this film will tear aspiring entrepreneurs to pieces with the very realistic portrayal of failed business ventures and the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship. Every entrepreneur has their own reasons for embarking upon a business venture. In "The Social Network", Mark Zuckerberg is presented as an entrepreneur who invents Facebook to impress a girl that dumps him. Additionally, the Facebook film portrays the entrepreneur behind Napster as a man driven to impress an unrequited love that gave him no attention in high school. However, when you view "The Whole Shootin' Match" you will not really know the true motivations behind Loyd and Frank's entrepreneurial activity.
Maybe viewers will see Loyd and Frank's entrepreneurial activity as a way to avoid holding down a job. Maybe they'll see their efforts as a means to provide income for women chasing and alcohol benders. I think such judgments would be rash, however. I believe Loyd and Frank are two men engaged in the worthy pursuit of self-sufficiency and personal stability. Indeed, sometimes a successful entrepreneurial idea can serve as the "magic bullet" to provide an individual with sustained income and financial security. Unfortunately, Frank and Loyd's "magic bullet" was taken from them. They say that entrepreneurship is like throwing spaghetti to the wall and going with "whatever sticks." Unfortunately, the noodle that stuck for Frank and Loyd was taken from them. This happens to a great deal of entrepreneurs who "get their lunch eaten" by a bad deal or a competitor who abruptly innovates and "one-ups" their product. Go watch "The Whole Shootin' Match" to see how painful this common occurrence is.
Gabbeh (1996)
Gabbeh: You make a nomad cry
Chaste and chased, the young woman protagonist in Gabbeh shows just how hard it is to live life as a nomad and how hard it is to be with the one you love. When you’re a nomad, and especially a nomad in Iran, you must follow the lead and orders of the patriarchal leader. This fact of life becomes tough stuff for the young female protagonist and the man seeking to marry her. Indeed, the protagonist’s father did not want to let her go. Why this is the case I don’t know. Perhaps women are like assets for nomadic clans. When the father allows his daughters to marry, does the family of the potential husband give plenty of gifts, goods, and animals in exchange? Perhaps this is the case in Iran. I don't know. One thing I do know is that Gabbeh illustrates how the best kind of love is the love you fight for and take risks on.
I don’t know the courtship rituals amongst nomadic tribes but I do know that the protagonist’s husband showed immense fortitude and persistence. In western society, if you follow a woman that length of time for such small gestures of affection and recognition you better be sure you have a chance with her because if you don’t you’ll have a 500ft restraining order placed on you within a matter of days. However, for the protagonist’s husband, the juice was indeed worth the squeeze. The rich, illustrious, and sensual colors associated with the protagonist indeed reflect her beauty and appearance. The wolf call in the film was also illustrative of the protagonist’s beauty. In western society, male wolf howls, cat calls, and whistles may seem demeaning to women adorned in short skirts, high-heels, and glittered bosoms. This is not the case for Gabbeh’s protagonist, however. Adorned in the traditional nomadic garb, the wolf call was a symbol of her pursuing lover’s “lone wolf” solitude and his reverence for her bold but distant beauty. Go watch this movie if you want to know what it sounds like when doves cry.
Days of Heaven (1978)
Locust in the field, flowers in the attic
A very interesting film, Days of Heaven will make you realize how hard life was back then. But more importantly: What do we make of Richard Gere in this film? Is he an impulsive schemer that threatens loved ones with outbursts of passion? Is he a pragmatic man that simply uses whatever means he has to secure prosperity for his sister and pretend sister? No doubt, Gere is mysterious. However, it must be noted that for a large part of the film I was unsure whether or not Gere and his lover were actually brother and sister. Even after the scene where Gere’s volcanic passion erupts into fisticuffs with a fellow farm laborer who asked him “if his sister kept him warm at night,” I was still unsure whether or not the two were actually brother and sister. Even after the scene where the two kiss in the gazebo and have a romp in the creekbed, I was still unsure whether or not the two were actually brother and sister. Nonetheless, it is hard for me to judge Gere in this film. What is more troubling is Gere's association with constant violence.
A shovel to the head, a fist to the face, a jump on the gun and a subsequent screwdriver to the chest all mark Gere as a man with constant brushes with violence and death. These crimes of passion indeed make Gere a passionate man in this film. That’s why he’s got Brooke Adams in check the whole time. Should we feel sorry for Adams though? I think so. She could have had a happy, guilt free life. Should we feel sorry for the landowner? I think so. He just wanted love, not a love triangle with incestuous overtones. This film indeed shows the fickle nature of love, where everyday is like survival and everyone wants a lover, not a rival. Go watch this film, but don’t watch it with your lover or your sibling.
Simón del desierto (1965)
Simon of the Desert: Column Crazy
If you hold firm religious convictions and spiritual sentiments you may find this movie offensive and sacrilegious. But if you're open to analyze and interpret a film that is unique, entertaining, surreal, and often times bizarre then watch Luis Buñuel's Simon of the Desert. Indeed, one of the most striking influences in this film is the satanic influence from beginning to end. I don't mean this in the "there are hidden satanic messages embedded in this film that will make you take blood oaths, sacrifice goats, and commit to the life of a fallen angel" but consider that after 6 months, 6 weeks, and 6 days (number of the "satanic beast") Simon leaves his old column and accepts a newer, larger, taller, and more ostentatious column bequeathed by a wealthy townsman who was "inspired" by Simon's spiritual feat. Really think about this moment and the mistake Simon made in accepting the new column.
Simon, as an ascetic, continually rejects "earthly pleasures" and material objects like adequate food, water, and rations throughout the film. Additionally, Simon seems to reject Satan's advances and temptations (played by a very attractive she-devil). While this may seem like a portrayal of Simon's spiritual strength throughout the film, know that Simon was ultimately doomed from the start by accepting the larger, newer column. It was 6 months, 6 weeks, and 6 days into his spiritual quest that Simon failed and gave into Satan's temptations by accepting the new column.
By accepting the column Simon essentially accepted Satan, which is why he has no say in taking the journey to Hell at the end. Maybe Simon would have been saved if he recognized his folly and repented. However, he didn't, which is why Simon is doomed to Hell (the nightclub) at the end of the film. When Simon tells Satan he wants to go home, she tells him he can't. If you wanna know why, just go back to the beginning of the film when Simon gave into Satan's temptation by accepting the new column. So all in all, Simon should have taken advice from rapper Immortal Technique who suggests that "when the devil wants to dance with you, you better say never because the dance with the devil might last you forever."
Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962)
Very superstitious, Cleo's bout to fall
Get ready to watch a film that will make you ponder deep, deep thoughts on the meaning of life, death, and fate. Far too often people tend to think that their life events equate to some great Greek tragedy. Far too frequently reality suggests otherwise, as all people undergo similar triumphs, troubles, and matters of doubt and uncertainty. Because Cleo in this film is dealing with the issue of cancer and death, we must be sympathetic. Nonetheless, the film plays out in this manner and I truly believe you will get the idea that Cleo is viewing her circumstances as some giant Greek tragedy (in the beginning at least).
In essence, Cleo as a film aptly reflects how subjective thinking pervades both thought and action (which arguably are one in the same). When faced with death or any life trouble, events with no great significance often seem "too close to home" or far too stimulating considering one's individual circumstances. Maybe someone with financial troubles may cringe at a TV commercial for a large commercial bank just like Cleo might have cringed deep inside at the grim mortality tolls reported on the Taxi radio. When viewing Cleo I frequently wondered if Cleo felt this or that given the situation she was put in at any given moment. Did she view old people with bitter jealous resentment, knowing she probably won't reach old age? What about the opposite? Did she feel pity for them considering she valued her youth and beauty so much and knew they will wither away in a less attractive form from their youth days while she can die in a state of preserved youth and beauty? Furthermore, I found Cleo's encounter with the young soldier bound for Algeria rather profound. While some might have viewed this ending episode in a romantic manner, I viewed it on a different level. Sometimes when someone is troubled they may identify with and find consolation in others who have similar life circumstances. I don't mean this in the "misery loves company" way, but just ponder whether or not Cleo found consolation in the young solider simply for the fact that they both may encounter a similar fate. Just as Cleo might die from cancer, the young solider might die from any wartime hazard. Lastly, when considering the pervasive issue of superstition in the film one can only reflect on how little mere mortals know and how desperate we become when searching for answers and a sense of certainty. Go watch this movie and get on the level of Socrates.
It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
An ad exec, a burger flipper, and a sports hustler walk into a bar..
It's Always Fair Weather is a future predicting film masterpiece. Not only does this film aptly foresee the emergence of Stomp and pop icons like Lady Gaga, It's Always Fair Weather shows that the actors of yesteryear were much more like talented generalists instead of contemporary Hollywood actors who mostly..well...act.
First and foremost, once the three G.I.s return from war they embark upon a drunken escapade to console and forget one of their fellow G.I.'s lost loves who moved on and became engaged during the course of the war. In this escapade, the three G.I.s (who are actually civilians at this point, which the bartender aptly notes)engage in intense choreographed dancing and street acrobatics. At the climax of this escapade, the small band of brothers begin a spectacular percussion dance with trashcans attached to their feet. Thus, this movie predicted the emergence of Stomp. This isn't the only impressive "talented generalist" feat accomplished in the film.
After eluding some foes by hiding and disguising himself in a skating rink, Gene Kelly embarks upon a singing and tap-dancing escapade throughout the streets....on roller-skates. Impressive, no doubt, but one can only wonder if this could be accomplished by the likes of say James Franco, Dwyane Johnson, or Macaulay Culkin.
Last but not least, this film foresaw the emergence of histrionic, eccentric, and mysteriously appealing pop-icons like Lady Gaga. Indeed, Dolores Gray's role and especially her performance of "Thanks but No Thanks" towards the end of the film conjured images of the lady in red, femme fatale performance of Lady Gaga in her "Bad Romance" music video. Sync the lyrics of Gaga's "Paper Gangster" to Dolores' performance and you'll have something damningly akin to the overall theme of Dolores' performance where she eliminates the advances of wealthy gentlemen in a background setting symbolic of the gentleman's high class lifestyles(columns, arches, the checkered black and white floorboard, etc). Indeed, this film aptly foresees and parodies the direction of mainstream film-making and popular entertainment. Go watch this movie immediately and get on my level.
Gojira (1954)
Gojira: A Reptile Dysfunction
The original Japanese Gojira is a historical classic. While it may seem a little "hokey" when considering contemporary special effects capabilities, the film nonetheless seems to rectify the hokey destruction scenes with realistic, dramatic, and depressing "aftermath" scenes where orphaned children are crying, families are destroyed, and lives are lost as a result of Gojira's destructive wake. When analyzing Gojira's destructive capabilities it's important to remember that Gojira was produced at a time when the after-effects of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were still remnant in the Japanese psyche and Western society at large with the looming Cold War and the possibility of a nuclear holocaust. Gojira as a film seems to dissect these delicate matters in a cinematic format by emphasizing how the widespread destruction in the film was brought about by nuclear testing that awakened a dormant Gojira. Indeed, Gojira himself is a metaphor for the destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons.
In that same regard, what I found most interesting about the film is its humanistic elements in regards to both a destructive Gojira and the scientific discovery that led to Gojira's death. The archeologist's pressing belief that Gojira should be captured and studied rather than just destroyed entirely showed that even something as destructive, horrific, and grotesque as Gojira deserved a bit of humanity required for advancement of the human race.
Furthermore, the scientist in the film who develops the "anti-oxygen" chemical reaction to kill Gojira commits suicide alongside an asphyxiating Gojira by cutting the rope needed to get back aboard the ship. The scientist knew the destructive capabilities of his finding and did not want the world to apply it towards evil purposes. By committing suicide, the scientist forgoes the lucrative possibilities related to his finding for the betterment of man-kind. What is most interesting is that his suicide would be considered heroic and honorific in Japanese culture versus shameful in Western culture. Indeed, one will get a glimpse at the very different Japanese historical perspective by watching the original Gojira in its entirety.
Go watch it this weekend.
Paisà (1946)
All is fair in love and liberation
General Sherman himself said that "war is Hell" and while Paisan indeed reflects this wartime quote the film is not all doom and gloom. Paisan instead seems to give a wartime portrayal that focuses on the little details that represent a larger reality of what war is like for the many parties involved in the Italian liberation. Paisan will take the viewer through six non-connected episodes that each tell a distinct, meaningful, and illustrious story in themselves. Most notable for me were episodes one and two.
Episode one begins in Sicily and tells the story of a young Sicilian girl aiding American troops in their anxiety ridden arrival in Sicily. Like Paisan's ending episode, the first episode does not go well with blood shed on behalf of Nazi troops (with the film's "first blood" being shed by a sharpshooting Nazi sniper). While the Germans in the film seem to be portrayed in a negative light, episode one is interesting for its apt portrayal of German humor in ironically awful wartime circumstances.
Episode two tells the story of two separate interactions between an African American MP and a young Italian boy. Split in two parts from the perspective of the MP (off-duty/drunk and on-duty/sober) we witness a small series of events that seem to reflect a twisted "home is home, be it ever so humble" message for the MP. Indeed, I found this scene to be most powerful in delivering this subtle message as the MP in his drunk state repeatedly tells the boy he doesn't want to go back to America to his "shack of a home." Later, the MP witnesses a young boy stealing from a supply truck. Upon apprehending the boy the MP discovers that it was the same boy he met during his previous off-duty drunk adventure. After chastising and hassling the boy to teach him a lesson, the MP discovers that the boy is a wartime orphan who lives in abject poverty with no home at all. Upon realization, the MP abruptly runs away and ignores the boy's prior mischievous behavior. It is small, disconnected stories sans closure like this that make up Paisan. Watching Paisan in its entirety for the other episodes will indeed be well worth your time.
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)
Stranger you better take care if I find you've been creepin' round my back stair
Stranger on the Third Floor is a lighthearted, "feel good" thriller. While it's not a thriller in the Hitchcock sense, you will indeed feel a connection and a shared sense of anxiety with the protagonist Mike Ward as his fate becomes increasingly uncertain as the film progresses.
Ultimately, it is the characters in Stranger on the Third floor that make the film and every character in the film leaves their own unique contribution to the overall work. Ward is an easily relatable "go getter" journalist who receives a career "jumpstart" by giving a damming testimony against a young man on trial for murder. However, despite the young man's prior criminal behavior, his innocence is questioned with the development of the "stranger" played by Peter Lorre.
While the stranger definitely has a "creeper" demeanor (hiding in the shadows, creeping along the staircase) he elicits a deeper sense of intrigue and curiosity as his motivations, behavior, and reasoning suggest that he is a mentally ill (possibly schizophrenic) drifter out of touch with both society and reality. Furthermore, the stranger is neither demonized nor given a typical "bad guy psycho" portrayal, providing a more genuine touch to the film's plot.
Lastly, Ward's girlfriend and soon to be wife Jane (played by Margaret Tallichet) has an irresistible sense of sensual femininity and attractiveness that has become a rarity in contemporary Hollywood. Indeed, when seeing Tallichet on screen I was reminded of a thought-piece by Taki Mag contributor Scott Locklin, who states that the American actresses of yesteryear like Hedy Lamarr, Lillian Gish, and Tallichet were "beautiful, feminine, wholesome even, and dripping with estrogen." Locklin says that this is the kind of woman that appeals to "xenosexuals" or men who have lost attraction to modern American women and the definitely phenotypically different women of contemporary Hollywood and pop culture. The gorgeous Jane will indeed make the film for male viewers and might elicit a sense of nostalgia amongst older men for the beautifully feminine Hollywood actresses that, as Locklin argues, "used to be made in America, back when Americans actually made things." Tallichet and the actresses of yesteryear aside, you will not regret seeing this movie.
Metropolis (1927)
No need to ask, he's a smooth mediator
Metropolis is indeed one of the most abstract and socially charged films conceived during the era of its filming. Lang's characters in the film represent the social characteristics of the Weimar era and even social characteristics that still remain in the present day. The "father of metropolis," Joh Fredersen is the bureaucratic, rational, and calculating figure, representing the "managerial mindset" reflective of captains of industry and our largely bureaucratic society. Joh's son, Freder, is the naïve son who is "awakened" to the social realities of Metropolis, representing the "heart" or "mediator" of society that can both acknowledge social injustice and empathize with those who bear the brunt of society's ills. Maria represents the nurturing female whom provides both civilization and spiritual guidance to a disillusioned worker class. The "mad scientist" of the film, Rotwang, represents how knowledge and technology can be used as a tool to manipulate society and individuals whom one has past grievances with (concurrently represented by Robo-Maria).
In all, Metropolis is an exciting film that will keep the viewer entertained and also engaged in the story presented in the film. Intense imagery along with religious and symbolic references will also evoke a critical analysis in the viewer. For example, some interesting symbols you might notice in the film are the upright star on the front of Rotwang's door along with the inverted star (or inverted pentagram) in Rotwang's lab (displayed as he creates "Robo-Maria"). Perhaps this suggests the "duality of man" or the principle of "ying and yang" as people can have both positive and negative agendas. Additionally, references to the Tower of Babel and pagan god Moloch will illustrate how technological progress can degrade a society "backwards" to time of depravity and callousness depicted in biblical descriptions of ancient Babylon. Indeed, there are countless interpretations to take from this movie and one will only have to view it for themselves to analyze and interpret all that is depicted in Metropolis.
Bronenosets Potyomkin (1925)
ALL HANDS ON DECK - the borscht's gone bad
While Battleship Potemkin is considered Soviet propaganda, the modern, westernized film viewer is unlikely to be so motivated by this film that they would consider taking up arms against our contemporary capitalist structures. However, the viewer will definitely experience a sense of compassion for the crewmen and the village people massacred at the hands of the ruthless Cossacks. In this regard, the film is highly efficient propaganda despite its revisionist take on the first failed revolution and the arguably larger ideological failures of Communism.
Eisenstien in this film uses vivid imagery and creative editing in line with the "montage" style of film making prevalent during the time of the film's production. Eisenstein's method of film making indeed elicits an intellectually engaging film experience that calls the viewer to question, sympathize with, and appreciate the crew-members' and peoples' political consciousness. By making the "masses" as the film's protagonist, the viewer will gain considerable insight into the collective mentality so pivotal to Communist ideology. One instance of this was the part where a random man in the film seems to mock the crowd's reverence for the fallen revolutionary seamen and their inspiration to fight back. "Crush the Jews" the man says, only to be crushed himself by the motivated crowd hell-bent on finishing what their revered comrade started (and unwilling to give in to tangential and irrelevant anti-Semitism). Indeed, the idea of the "masses" and "revolution" in this film seems to take on a climatic "snowballing" effect starting with the crew-members' meat inspired mutiny, spreading to the common workers in the street, and culminating with the solidarity with the Admiral's fleet.
While the viewer will indeed see the collective nature of the film, they will also see the "us versus them" mentality elicited by the film's antagonists (be it the naval officers or the ruthless Cossacks). All in all, the film is a piece of history that should be viewed and respected at a distance. If one is seeking greater insight into the Communist ideology and the implementation of propaganda, then this film is highly recommended.
True Heart Susie (1919)
You can't turn a milliner into a homemaker
In line with The Supremes and Phil Collins, this film shows that indeed, one can't hurry love. In True Heart Susie you will witness an awkward love triangle filled with jealousy, confusion, foolishness, deceit, and a yearning for love that burns, burns, and burns Miss Susie's pure, one track heart. While the aforementioned description may seem like something along the lines of Fatal Attraction, True Heart Susie is not that kind of "romantic thriller." While other critics may chastise this reviewer's characterization of True Heart Susie as a "romantic thriller," it is indeed that.
Susie's love for William puts an entirely unique and personal touch to the idea of a romantic film so much so that Susie's emotionally intense close-ups may even elicit the viewer to recall their own personal moments of unrequited love, romantic frustration, and blossoming passion (thus making this movie a "romantic thriller" for its sometimes "too close to home" personal feel. Indeed, no other scene in the film is as powerful as when Susie witnesses that her beloved William has engaged her rival Bettina (a capricious, party loving, insincere, and unfaithful milliner from Chicago with the dress and appearance akin to a 1920s flapper indulgent in the decadence of the nightlife). Upon the realization that her love has chosen the wrong woman, poor Susie sulks in gut-wrenching despair so powerful that Susie hunches as her stomach recoils in emotional exhaustion. Any person who has witnessed an unrequited love in the embrace of another knows this feeling and Susie aptly displays the true emotions of a hopeless romantic frustrated with the cold reality that can be "love."
As awful as all this may sound, know that the story does end in a somewhat positive regard as William is enlightened to Susie's endearing support and Bettina's unfaithfulness. While you won't regard this movie as the "BEST ROMANTIC MOVIE OF ALL TIME" you will indeed respect the film for it's simplicity, personal feel, charm, and coy wit. It is indeed one of D.W. Griffith's finest films.
Hypocrites (1915)
Truth is a hard pill to swallow. Take 2 and call me in the morning
Bill Maher does not have a monopoly on films pertaining to religion and hypocrisy. Watch Lois Weber's Hypocrites and you will agree. Don't let the film's old age fool you, however, for this film is both deep and relevant to modern society and modern film-making. As the title suggests, hypocrisy is the subject of the film and the most poignant reflections of hypocritical behavior come from Gabriel, the Ascetic's projection of "Truth": a semi-transparent naked woman with seemingly omnipotent capabilities. In Hypocrites are examples of religious hypocrisy big and small. You'll see tomfoolery in the church choir, high society's rejection and denial of "Truth" in her bare form, a fiancée's philandering, and a vicious, almost Christ-like mob execution by the hands of congregation members.
While Lois Weber held firm religious convictions, you as a viewer will not feel as if you are being indoctrinated with some religious message. Instead, you will see the film's metaphorical representations of hypocrisy and Truth's revelations of hypocrisy as elements of life that continue to exist today. Indeed, when the film presents reality through the lens of Truth the viewer sees how life really isn't what it appears to be. This conception of "reality" as not how we ordinarily see it has lived on in films following Weber's Hypocrites. Indeed, the sci-fi buff will be amazed when Truth exposes what is really going on behind a family tending to a sick child. Once Truth enters the room with the family and the sick child, Truth enlightens the audience on why the child is sick. Truth shows prior events where the child is reading books titled "SEX" and "INDULGENCE." The sci-fi buff might recall John Carpenter's They Live, where the protagonist Nada discovers sunglasses that expose the truth behind the human existence and the extra terrestrial control grid established on planet Earth. This scene in Hypocrites almost mimics the experience of Nada in They Live when he is flipping through a magazine only to see messages like "OBEY" and "CONSUME" with the glasses on or when Nada is glancing at a Caribbean vacation billboard only to see the message "MARRY AND REPRODUCE" through the glasses. This is just one example of a modern movie that parallels elements seen in Weber's Hypocrites. I highly suggest you view Hypocrites yourself to find more.