Wednesday, 19 November 2014

RoGoPaG

Also Known As:
Let’s Have a Brainwash
Year:
1962
Countries:
France… Italy…
Predominant Genre:
Comedy
Directors:
Jean-Luc Godard; Ugo Gregoretti; Pier Paolo Pasolini; Roberto Rossellini
Outstanding Performances:
Rosanna Schiaffino; Alexandra Stewart; Orson Welles; Ugo Tognazzi
Premiss:
Four short films by different directors.
Themes:
Christianity
Communism
Emotional repression
Mankind
Materialism
Narcissism
Pornography
Sexism
Sexual Repression
Snobbery
Solipsism
Stereotyping
White culture
White guilt
White supremacy
Similar (in Plot, Theme or Style) to:
Unknown
Review Format:
DVD

[Let’s Have a Brainwash]

As usual with portmanteau films, this is something of a mixed blessing.

Essentially preoccupied with praising Communism and attacking sexism, mediocrity & the Catholic Church, this movie makes its points well – especially in the final segment – but descends into rhetorical ideology and formalistic denunciations of both materialism and Christianity.

These attacks leave no room for characterization and basic human warmth from the performers - who are merely required to mouthe the lines rather than make them come alive. Even worse given the quality on offer, particularly Rosanna Schiaffino, Alexandra Stewart, Orson Welles & Ugo Tognazzi.

Man is the subject of this film, not any particular man, hence the sacrilegious section on the Passion that so upset an overly sensitive Vatican - it shows Christ as more human than divine.

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Science:



No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.



Jacob Bronowski… (1908 - 74), British scientist, author. Encounter (London, July 1971).


Sleep of Reason:



The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason, imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty.



Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes… (1746-1828), Spanish painter. Caption to Caprichos, number 43, a series of eighty etchings completed in 1798, satirical and grotesque in form.


Humans & Aliens:



I am human and let nothing human be alien to me.



Terence… (circa 190-159 BC), Roman dramatist. Chremes, in The Self-Tormentor [Heauton Timorumenos], act 1, scene 1.


Führerprinzip:



One leader, one people, signifies one master and millions of slaves… There is no organ of conciliation or mediation interposed between the leader and the people, nothing in fact but the apparatus - in other words, the party - which is the emanation of the leader and the tool of his will to oppress. In this way the first and sole principle of this degraded form of mysticism is born, the Führerprinzip, which restores idolatry and a debased deity to the world of nihilism.