MovieChat Forums > Vixen! (1968) Discussion > Niles, racism and the political subtext

Niles, racism and the political subtext

posted 16 years ago by KlangDing
6 replies | jump to latest

It struck me watching this film again that a great deal of the plot (such as it is) concerns Niles and his bitterness towards America, presumably personified in his antipathy towards Vixen and her treatment of him. It comes to a head when a visiting Communist on his way to Cuba convinces Niles to join him, betraying Vixen and her husband on the way. He goes along with it until it becomes clear that the Communist villain is just as racist as the Americans Niles is turning his back on. The Commie's plan is defeated and Niles (and Vixen) are redeemed.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about what Meyer was driving at with this episode? It's essentially just a subplot but it does form the climax of the movie, and seems more or less entirely separate from the "sexual awakening"/liberation theme of the rest of the movie.

[–] erwan_ticheler 16 years ago

I am still wondering about the political subtext of this film. I was positively attracted to the first half hour which had the usual Russ Meyer camp and some lame dialogue and shots, but the second half hour caught me be surprise. Knowing Meyer it shouldn't be taken to seriously, but still: the last part of Vixen! is pretty anti-communist (which is quite forgivable for the time it was made in) and racist. The latter element is strange and I still can't really figure out what Meyer's plan with this entire plot element is.

Yes, the dialogue is lame at best, but the remarks at Niles' address is repeated endlessly by the heroin of the movie. Still, when the commie bastard (to stay in Meyer's vocabulary) calls Niles a *beep* it would seem that Meyer denounces racism or oppression. The last couple of minutes are ambigious in my opinion. To me it almost seemed that Meyer's deal here was: it's better to be black then to be a commie. Otherwise, you could also claim that Meyer is on Niles' side and that he and Niles accept the ignorance of American white ignorance and deals with the situation as it is (note that the black character is free in the end and runs towards a new life).

All in all, I was surprised and until now I still don't know what to think about the context of the film concerning racial issues. It seems very obvious that Meyer denounces Communism as a good ideology though, that can be said for certain.

3S96
Amsterdam

"Who's the more foolish,the fool,or the fool who follows him?"

[–] Sic Coyote 15 years ago

I thought it was well America(Vixen)'s pretty racist, so Niles is drawn to communism by it's promise of equality and his hatred of America(Vixen) but once it's pointed out that communist countries(O'Bannion) aren't much different than America(Vixen) he realises he's better off sticking to where he is and dealing with it.

But that's pretty much what you said.

[–] firstwinsgop 14 years ago

Vixen is not American. She's Canadian. The only person in the film we know is an American is Niles. The couple could be, but they were just brought in for the sex scenes and irrelevant to the larger anti-Communist storyline. So it is better to frame this in the context of Capitalism vs Communism, or freedom vs authoritarianism. The message Meyer is trying to get across in the film is that though Niles isn't always treated wonderfully by everybody in a free society (who is?) at least he has the opportunity to walk away. In the Cuban system the people that mistreat him are in charge of every facet of his life, and he then truly becomes a slave.

I also think it is clear that Vixen was raped by a black man earlier in her life, and that's why her hatred for blacks is so over the top. That doesn't really have anything to do with the Communist stuff though.

[–] Sic Coyote 14 years ago

I was just saying she was representing America rather than being American

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[–] firstwinsgop 14 years ago

No, I think it's larger than that. The Cold War wasn't just America vs Russia. It was a worldwide battle between East and West. That's why Meyer made the protagonists Canadian, the villain Irish, and the destination Cuba. The Irish Communist makes this point explicitly when he rails against not just America, but "the entire Western system". It's Niles who represents America in my view. Vixen just represents the West in a generic sense. Note what happens in the end. With the Communist hijacker taken care of, Vixen and her husband have no reason to go on to San Francisco. Presumably, they are returning to Canada. But Niles, the American draft dodger who has been hiding out in Canada chooses not to return with them but rather stay in America. Will he sign in and report to duty in Vietnam? Become an active participant in the War Protest movement? Do a Mohamed Ali and go to jail for his beliefs? Or simply continue the nomadic life of a drifter he had been living in Canada? As an audience, we are only left to guess. But whatever path Niles takes, he has resolved to do it in his home country, and in that sense I think this film is even more pro-American than has already been stated.

[–] lfdr 14 years ago

mmmm, isn't Canada part of the AMERICAN CONTINENT? We should keep working in our geography (but its common for United States citizen to think America is only their country). Ok, nothing to do with the post, just putting a note for those who forget or ignore that America is really a continent, not a country (and it also includes countries from the south, regions called Center and South America).