Funny Games

I've been thinking about it and I've come to the conclusion that ridiculing the "bourgeois pigs" in their SUV's and ranch houses could be the ultimate sign of progressive modernity. That's what all the modernist architects, from Le Corbusier, to Walter Gropius, were most opposed to (and afraid of) in their architecture.

Wallen recently brought to my attention the new movie Funny Games starring Tim Roth (who I am a big fan of) and Naomi Watts. Apparently this is one of those sort of Eli Roth films were innocent people are subjected to all kinds of hideous torture. However, there is apparently something else going on as well in the film.

I think it is this mocking of the "bourgeois" inside us that is what this critic is talking about. The critic is telling us that in its very eschewing of the pornographic qualities of such films as "Hostel" and yet STILL finding that masochism titillating, it is nothing more than an exercise in ridiculing that well-off, middle class set who live in the suburbs, have a nice TV and get off on "Saw 8." Mocking that and yet still exploring the same fascination is perhaps worse than just participating in the mass bourgeois stupidity and blood thirstiness.

Now, if this movie is trying to point to the fact that this sort of gladiatorial blood lust is really nothing better than pornography than maybe it is good. That is perhaps what a good movie in this genre would do: point to the fact that it is evil. I guess we'll just have to see the movie then, won't we?

Is there still such a thing as a bourgeoisie in America or are we really all afraid of that thing inside each of us that doesn't get the new trend, or is to slow to keep up with our progression into post-post modernity?