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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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