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Recently I purchased DVD of Mike Nichol's "Catch 22". I knew
that movie. I saw it in cinema, more than 20 years ago, and
once or twice on TV also very long time ago. I remember liking
it very much for its surrealistic and absurd approach to war.
Expression "catch 22" (in its original form) was (and is)
part of my generation's vocabulary.
Watching it after so many years I was amazed how fresh,
contemporary and relevant that movie is today.
But I am not going to discuss movie it's
simple brilliant and I highly recommend it to everybody. The
fact that 33 years ago major Hollywood studio (Paramount)
put the money (and lot of it)* in such a
movie, speaks about America of that period more than anything
else.
M.A.S.H. was released in the same year. Watergate happened
two years later. Hollywood reacted with "All president's men".
It looked like America is mature and ready to look itself
in a mirror and to admit that reflection was not perfect.
It was America ready to chase away crook president.
I admit it was a very appealing America. It looked as it holds
to its proclaimed values. And proclaimed values were not bad
at all.
Today's America can't resist a charm of liar who in front
of the World says that blowjob is nothing sexual.
Today's America has a dyslexic Christian fanatic acting
as president, brought in White House by election fraud and
connections of his daddy.
Today's America looks ridiculous speaking about its (or any)
values -- all what the rest of the world can see is hypocrisy.
Today's Hollywood is putting money in movies based on "true"
stories created by mass media even before they actually happen.
What went wrong? Why every trace of self-criticism disappeared?
How that false, "always right", "always moral", "always fair",
practically perfect image of America replaced mirror reflection?
My humble guess it's the ecstasy of a victor.
When I was watching live broadcast of Pink Floyd on celebration
of falling of Berlin Wall I didn't assumed that "winner takes
it all" will be the only principle to govern the next period
of human history. Not to speak about "your're either with
us or against us". I was cheated with proclaimed "American
values", I believed America can be humble in victory. I guess
I was not the only one.
Back to Catch 22, watch it! It is very educative.
* 6 months
long shooting took place in Mexico. Location was entirely
built including airstrip from real materials just to be destroyed
in scene of bombing.
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