Movie Reviews
Movies Reviews of which relate in one way or another to the themes and ideas explored on this site. Movies about the past or the future which relate to human rights. And movies which explore how human beings relate to each other - particularly across boundaries - such as border, gender, race and culture. Movies which deal with peace.
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Gattaca dystopia: future, present or the past?
It’s hard to work out if the 1997 movie Gattaca presents a vision of triumph or failure of humanity. It presents a dystopian future which echoes the dystopian elements of our present and past. In this future, people are judged solely by their genetic scorecard. Those whose parents do not engineer them for success before birth are marked out as an underclass fit only for menial tasks. Those who try to cross the genetic border are ‘de-generates’ and ‘invalids’ – a criminal other. The “genoism” (discrimination) that arises from the use of genes to judge human worth, echoes the race science of Nazism and early 20th century eugenics in…
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“Crossing Over” – Harrison Ford stars as ICE Agent
Crossing Over is a 2009 American independent film drama exploring the lives of illegal immigrants attempting to “cross the border” literally and metaphorically to achieve legal status in the United States. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter-terrorism and the clash of cultures. The film highlights the dehumanising effects of border controls on both those seeking to cross the border and those involved in maintaining them. It also explores the crossing of cultural boundaries and the real and psychological conflicts that can result. Harrison Ford stars as ICE Special Agent Max Brogan, Ray Liotta plays Cole Frankel and…
