Sunday~Totalitarianism-What Else?

Along With a Healthy Dose of Cynicism-via a Film

After a lengthy break, and a new Roku that added many films and modern apps, and some daily binging, I’ll put forth a film—after watching some every day for about a week—that explains, in the starkest, darkest, blackest humor, sort of way, what totalitarianism looks like from a single family’s perspective. The film: “Dogtooth”, 2009, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Greek with subs, free on Tubi. It is a difficult film to watch though not nearly as difficult as Gaspar Noe’s, 2002, “Irreversible”, also on Tubi. There are many dark areas explored, absolute control of a warped world view, from the children’s POV, where the children are kept in a small circle of land, surrounded by high fences, trees, and a double locked gating system. Yes, and it gets far darker.

The three children, now approaching adulthood, never get to see the real world, ever. They are taught wrong words for many items that seem completely absurd for the viewer. As the film opens a cassette tape is playing with words, definitions, and usage in context, are just…wrong. In fact I thought the subtitles were screwed up as the opening credits faded into a stark shot of the tape player with just the text seeming like the subtitle person was on acid. Only later did I get it.

The only name we ever see in the film is of the son. It’s either papa, mother, or sister, of which there are two, younger or older. The only one to ever leave the compound/prison, is the father. Mother has a landline telephone, kept in a safe, for calling her husband at work. (See film for more about the phone.)

For a while father brings a female security guard, Cristina—the only other actual name—from his factory to “service” his son, Martin, every few weeks or so. So what we have here is a perfect picture of a totalitarian environment with father as dictator. A supreme control freak if there ever was one. The name Bruce comes up much later, from the daughter that subversively watched the two bartered tapes.

So what we have are grown children with no clue about how anything works in the real world. e.g. Frank Sinatra’s, “Fly Me to the Moon”, is grand-papa singing to the family. Advice: don’t drop acid and try to watch this film. You’ll go mad for good. Another example: jet airliners are seen flying high overhead and the children keep wishing for one to fall and land in their garden so they’ll have another toy plane to play with. I’m like telling them from my seat, “no, you don’t, you’d go the way of the twin towers”, that fateful September, Tuesday morning, over two decades ago. They have one toy plane that eventually becomes part of the stark narrative.

There is some humor, the blackest kind, interspersed throughout the film. ‘Pussy/cunt’ isn’t what you think it is, neither is a zombie, nor ear, for that matter. And don’t forget Ol’ Frank(grand-papa), crooning about the Moon. I don’t know exactly what the children thought because it’s in English. Papa may have substituted his version instead, now that I’ve though about it while writing and editing. ‘Dogtooth’ is sorta explained as well.

A Stern Warning

Warning: There are several very explicit scenes involving sex, and other taboo subjects, including cruel violence. I had to watch it in two parts, it was that unsettling. It was also the most thought provoking film I watched over about four days. It is not a fun film; chose the mindless crap from Marvel, et al, for that ‘Hollywooded’ experience.

It, the film, just shows how we are molded and given our world view from our parents first, then media, then school, and from our social interactions from our close friends we form as we grow up. I have specifically avoided most news about Ukraine that is corporate sponsored. It’s 99% garbage. I managed about 10 minutes worth of Fox News Sunday, this morning, before I went grabbing for my Roku remote. I did read a few blogs. I’ll read some Russian oriented stuff tomorrow, no more all day binging movies, for a few days at least.

Here and Now

So using the film as allegory/allusion, we are entirely misled about that Ol’ Rascal Putin’s, demented plans; by way of media saturation(papa and mother). I watched Senator Lindsey Graham become one of the biggest hypocrites when lambasting Putin for doing just 1/10th of what the US has done in this century.( The sister that secretly watched the Flashdance videotape, bartered from the soon to be ex, sex partner for Martin, sorta; we don’t get to bash Lindsey’s head with videotapes.) If I wasn’t aware of the massive propaganda we are awash in daily, I might think that Putin was Hitler personified. His agenda seems to be fighting the Neo-Nazi fascists that have suddenly taken Ukraine into ever darker territory, courtesy of the 2014 coup launched by HRC & co, under Obama’s watch.

I’ve watched a steady slide of our nation toward the totalitarian nightmare as seen in several big productions from various platforms. “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Hulu, being one of the darker entries. I did read the book before I ever started watching the dark series. I bought season one on Prime. I’m now slowly venturing into season two. Amazon Prime’s, “The Man in the High Castle”, is another great example of what could be around the corner, with multiple outcomes, depending on which Universe one inhabits.

I have no answers to any of this. I’m just using a Greek film to show how darkly absurd it can get. Just beware we are on the verge, if nuclear annihilation, or global warming/climate collapse, doesn’t get us first. I see today’s times about as dark as I can recall in my life, and I survived 37 years of the Cold War. The early 60’s and early 80’s were the scariest, from my POV. COVID-19 prepared for us to be on high alert status for a long time to come. It just boils down to which clock stops first.

I am sick of any more US involvement in Ukraine than it already is. And, like the zombie reference above, it is not what you think it is unless you get away from corporate propaganda which has invaded every nook and cranny one can imagine. Escape from the Greek’s wall, or “The Village’s”, scary border, and find your own way instead.

Finally. Be kind in your daily doings. It will continue to work until it doesn’t. Then the real boogeyman will be all to real to avoid. Stay safe, all.
Peace, The Ol’ Hippy
Bonus Feature: a double bill; like Friday nights in the olden days at the drive-in. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. Peace \/