Strong anti-bush/neocon scenes in new 'Pirates' movie.

[Philosoraptor]

I only just saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I don't get out much and my sister in law bought the tics, and in the opening scenes they are hanging 'pirates', men, women and children, who've been imprisoned and tortured, the British commander is reading their sentences and crimes against the crown, and the condemned are told that they will have no legal representation, no trial, no habeas corpus, no visitors, no recourse from being accused and hanged as 'pirates'.

Then they are hanged, even the children, and the bodies piled up, as a long line of more doomed 'pirates' stand in line awaiting their turn, as they all begin to chant a pirate song of unity.

I instantly recognized this as a slam against bushco and jolly old England type imperialism and fascism, even if no other movie goers caught it, it was fairly blunt.

And they revisited this theme again toward the end when this same commander sees his inevitable silver screen bad guy cinematic demise, he is wandering about the chaos on the ship, amid explosions and bloody cutlasses, muttering to himself, in a shocked stupor, about how it was all bloody good business, good business.

And the theme was throughout the movie, as the East India Trading Company was conquering the globe for absolute economic control of EVERYTHING, and fighting the terrorist pirates for the safety of Great Britain, while hanging it's own citizens as 'pirates' while they do it.

Anyway, Kieth Richards was great.

[On the Road]

1. "Pirate" Was Certainly a Stand-In for "Terrorist"

And in that sense, the pro-pirate slant of the film was actually a little shocking. Things have changed a lot in the last few years.

[woodsprite]

2. I mentioned that to my daughter about 10 min into the movie.

It was especially ironic after viewing 30 min of in house commercials where 50% of them were for various arms of the Military. Every-other-frickin advertisement was "be better than you are, see the world, get paid to go to school, protect our freedoms....."

The same thing happened at the Order of the Pheonix last weekend. I kept talking to my kids thru them, lamblasting the war, the death toll of both troops and Iraqis, the commander-in-thief. I thought someone would say something about my comments because it was a packed house, but I only heard agreement from the people sitting near us.

[1monster]

3. Caught the allegory immediately. It certainly wasn't subtle. But it was good!

:D

[TlalocW]

4. I didn't catch it

But then I was sitting through the movie with gritted teeth, hoping it would be better than Pirates 2.

Alas, it wasn't. :)

TlalocW

[cynatnite]

5. Neither did I...

and I felt the same way. :)

[Tesha]

6. Does this episode at least *END*, instead of...

Does this episode have the decency to at least *END*,
instead just being an obvious come-on for the next
episode in the series?

And if it doesn't does anyone want a copy of the
P-II DVD *REALLY CHEAP*? (What an awful movie!)

Tesha

[gatorboy]

8. It has the most obvious set-up for another movie.

Why, God....Why?

[cynatnite]

9. I groaned when I saw the ending n/t

[gatorboy]

7. Honestly, I thought the pirate "freedom" speech was hilarious. And not in a Ha Ha sorta way.

Freedom? To do what? Rape and pillage?

I guess this means Dinsey will have a GTA: FREEDOM! movie out next year.

[Marr]

10. Haha, I know what you mean. But I do think it's true that

the pirate has become a sort of cultural icon of individualism and freedom. Doesn't have to be rooted in reality. I mean, cowboys have become practically synonymous with gunslingers or paladins in our society.

[ProgressiveFool]

11. His Noodly Plans Proceed well

The Pirate is nearly universally rehabilitated. All praise the Spaghetti Monster!