News2 mins ago
Should The Superb Film Zulu Be Banned?
187 Answers
Answers
Jackie@
13:14 Tue 26th Jun 2018
Quite........who needs to when you have this to hand to c&P from? LoL
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I believe there are two aspects to this situation.
One is the film itself, and the other is its screening in 2018.
First to the film.
Like every single piece of art, it was of its time, and attitudes have changed, a good thing, but that does not entitle people to airbrush history, and by that I mean the film, not the events it portrayed, o how specifically it conveyed them. For that reason, banning the film is not appropriate in my view.
As for the events portrayed - there is not a single film ever made concerning a true historical event that has not taken dramatic liberties for the sake of creating a more entertaining film. It could have been completely historically accurate, but then it would be a documentary for education, not a feature film for entertainment.
I don't believe that racism was in the minds of the film's creators, nor do I believe it comes over as having overt racist content in the finished film.
It was a piece of entertainment, written and filmed under the auspieces of attitudes at the time it was made - trying to airbrush it out of cultural history is inappropriate.
The historical accuracy of the film, or not, is irrelavent to the debate about its being shown.
One is the film itself, and the other is its screening in 2018.
First to the film.
Like every single piece of art, it was of its time, and attitudes have changed, a good thing, but that does not entitle people to airbrush history, and by that I mean the film, not the events it portrayed, o how specifically it conveyed them. For that reason, banning the film is not appropriate in my view.
As for the events portrayed - there is not a single film ever made concerning a true historical event that has not taken dramatic liberties for the sake of creating a more entertaining film. It could have been completely historically accurate, but then it would be a documentary for education, not a feature film for entertainment.
I don't believe that racism was in the minds of the film's creators, nor do I believe it comes over as having overt racist content in the finished film.
It was a piece of entertainment, written and filmed under the auspieces of attitudes at the time it was made - trying to airbrush it out of cultural history is inappropriate.
The historical accuracy of the film, or not, is irrelavent to the debate about its being shown.
Zulu should absolutely not be banned. It's not a great film, but that doesn't matter.
It's the same as when '12 Years A Slave' was released. We saw certain persons complaining bout it with statements like:
And surely most would agree that such films do awaken certain feelings amongst some, who otherwise just would get on with their 21st century lives
It's odd that those same people cherish the film Zulu, but were uncomfortable with 12 Years A Slave.
Let's not be shy of history, even if it make some people uncomfortable. The past was the past, and we should be able to watch films based on the past without flinching (or rank stinking hypocrisy).
It's the same as when '12 Years A Slave' was released. We saw certain persons complaining bout it with statements like:
And surely most would agree that such films do awaken certain feelings amongst some, who otherwise just would get on with their 21st century lives
It's odd that those same people cherish the film Zulu, but were uncomfortable with 12 Years A Slave.
Let's not be shy of history, even if it make some people uncomfortable. The past was the past, and we should be able to watch films based on the past without flinching (or rank stinking hypocrisy).
Films like Twelve Years A Slave May well make us feel uncomfortable when we watch them - which is part of its power and message.
And it is absolutely right and proper that we do - the day we stop being uncomfortable about the bad things we have done in our history, is the day we stop learning lessons from that history.
And it is absolutely right and proper that we do - the day we stop being uncomfortable about the bad things we have done in our history, is the day we stop learning lessons from that history.
On that thread, the following statement was made:
Just as we see less films made of these inhumane historic events these days in an attempt not to cause offence or ill feelings, to the present day Germans and Japanese, perhaps now we should do the same with other similar matters which happened further down in history?
Like...the massacre of the Zulus?
I want to be clear - I've seen Zulu and thought it was boring as hell, but I wouldn't want to see it banned. But I am concerned about the hypocrisy that I'm seeing here.
And again - the open letter was signed by 28 people.
As far as I'm concerned, that's not a big deal. If it were signed by 2,800 people, then that would be something to focus on.
But 28 people?
That's barely more than two netball teams.
Just as we see less films made of these inhumane historic events these days in an attempt not to cause offence or ill feelings, to the present day Germans and Japanese, perhaps now we should do the same with other similar matters which happened further down in history?
Like...the massacre of the Zulus?
I want to be clear - I've seen Zulu and thought it was boring as hell, but I wouldn't want to see it banned. But I am concerned about the hypocrisy that I'm seeing here.
And again - the open letter was signed by 28 people.
As far as I'm concerned, that's not a big deal. If it were signed by 2,800 people, then that would be something to focus on.
But 28 people?
That's barely more than two netball teams.
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