Nave 'Torment'
Vigilante Detective
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I am not sure if this is the right forum, but it felt right any way. Alright, it's been scoffed by the so-called professional (Hollywood) critiques, ignored by most of the moviegoers, and discussed by political analysts in the silent meditation of their lunch-breaks (or I think): Comic Book Films, like all art form, can and does wield political issues. Be it through thematic elements, plot, characterisation, you name it; it's there. Even a small image like a smiley face can be seen as a contextual reference to a particular, real-life, political reality. So let's start discussin people!
I would like to point out that we keep to the less-obvious examples, The Dark Knight, for example, has political undertones that are obvious to anyone who's watching so we can keep that one in the shelf for this time. Similarly, while V For Vendetta the graphic novel was a striking reprimand of Thatcher-era politics, when the movie came out more than 10 years later, most people saw it as a reprimand of the Bush Administration. I want to discuss the more subtle instances, such as the nationalism inherent in 300, or the fact that Ironman dealt with the military-industrial complex with a superhero twist. Let's focus on those.
New Criticism states that any work of art or fiction should be read and be allowed to stand on its own - beyond the confines of the author and the political, economic and cultural context with which it was made. But if we follow a Post-Modernist interpretation we see that most texts, art etc. are defined by the readers/audience rather than the author. In that sense, let's hear what you saw and we didn't. Lets be active viewers and not passive ones, and let's discuss that active viewing.
Here are a few examples right off my head:
* The Incredible Hulk and AWOL Soldiers
* Feminist's view of the City Without Pity (Sin City - duh)
* The Fantastic Four and Right-Wing, Conservative Family Values?
* Iron Man 2 - The Positive Side of Capitalism, or A Man Consumed?
* The Spirit - is it really that bad? Was Octopus really a Fascist?
* Batman Begins - Is Bruce against the Military-Industrial Complex because he needs to keep his suit? Or is Chris Nolan showing us that the Complex does not exist?
I dunno, those are just a few things we can talk about. I know this thread is probably too ambitious but you can't blame me for at least trying. Since we're discussing politics, might as well do so in the context of a comic book.
I would like to point out that we keep to the less-obvious examples, The Dark Knight, for example, has political undertones that are obvious to anyone who's watching so we can keep that one in the shelf for this time. Similarly, while V For Vendetta the graphic novel was a striking reprimand of Thatcher-era politics, when the movie came out more than 10 years later, most people saw it as a reprimand of the Bush Administration. I want to discuss the more subtle instances, such as the nationalism inherent in 300, or the fact that Ironman dealt with the military-industrial complex with a superhero twist. Let's focus on those.
New Criticism states that any work of art or fiction should be read and be allowed to stand on its own - beyond the confines of the author and the political, economic and cultural context with which it was made. But if we follow a Post-Modernist interpretation we see that most texts, art etc. are defined by the readers/audience rather than the author. In that sense, let's hear what you saw and we didn't. Lets be active viewers and not passive ones, and let's discuss that active viewing.
Here are a few examples right off my head:
* The Incredible Hulk and AWOL Soldiers
* Feminist's view of the City Without Pity (Sin City - duh)
* The Fantastic Four and Right-Wing, Conservative Family Values?
* Iron Man 2 - The Positive Side of Capitalism, or A Man Consumed?
* The Spirit - is it really that bad? Was Octopus really a Fascist?
* Batman Begins - Is Bruce against the Military-Industrial Complex because he needs to keep his suit? Or is Chris Nolan showing us that the Complex does not exist?
I dunno, those are just a few things we can talk about. I know this thread is probably too ambitious but you can't blame me for at least trying. Since we're discussing politics, might as well do so in the context of a comic book.
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