MovieChat Forums > A State of Mind (2005) Discussion > Reprehesible

Reprehesible

posted 18 years ago by Rurik_Snorri
13 replies | jump to latest

While this so-called documentary offers more of a glimpse into North Korea than what we normally have had access to - since foreign news crews or documentarians are not given free access of any sorts in this miserable land - the end result is pathetic and dishonest. It is plain as day that the director has found favour with the nazi north korean government, why on earth else would he be given carte blanche to film there. Or was he? The girl who is the central character in this piece of propagandic rubbish comes from an elite family in Pyongyang and I'll put down a hefty wager that her family has blood on their hands. Only the elite can live in Pyongyang, and the way you rise to the elite in these societies is by ratting out people who can think for themselves or who disagree with this disgusting regime. Something these filmmakers take for granted.

The producers and filmmaker by focusing on this one family of toadies and their relatively rosy lifestyle neglect to mention that by the 1990s, agricultural output in North Korea had tumbled so far that it induced widespread famine, which killed between 600,000 and 3.5 million people. This is all due to the ridiculous so-called concept of "juche" which the filmmakers present as a real concept which is in fact a sham meant to brainwash the people and force them to worship a degenerate clown while picking the ground to find earthworms to eat. You will not see THAT reality in this film. Only reason it was made = the director is a "useful idiot".

This is the equivalent of the propaganda films made about Theresienstadt. North Korea is a monstrous prison overflowing with blood and corpses. The reason they have these games is to distract the people from their horrid existence. The filmmakers NEVER address this reality. DPRK is NOT a "different society". It is hell on earth. Period. An honest filmmaker who truly wanted to say something about this inhumanity would have made a real film. But I suppose these dolts are too scared for their lives. Though since they have found favour with the mutants in charge, and may have actually believed in some of this rubbish to make this spineless film they have nothing to worry about.

Not one mention of the horrors. Not one word about the famines, the mass executions, the gulags, the deaths. Truly a despicable exercise in dishonesty.

[–] Eric-1226 18 years ago

Only the elite can live in Pyongyang, and the way you rise to the elite in these societies is by ratting out people who can think for themselves or who disagree with this disgusting regime. Something these filmmakers take for granted.

Good point. I just watched it today, and I see where you are coming from. I believe it would have been helpful if the filmmakers had been a bit more "questioning" about how such a heretofore closed and secretive society had given them what seemed to be carte blanche freedom to see and film what they wanted.

But man, North Korea - wow, talk about a society of pathetic, subservient robots. I'd like to get me some of their girls.... and make nice house pets out of them. And to think that their beloved "father", the Generalissimo himself, didn't even attend the Mass Games! What a dick.

[–] Rurik_Snorri 18 years ago

Hahahaha... You hit the nail on the head there. What a dick! So true.

Apart from what I said before, the thing is that this whole thing was planned and executed through guidance and direction from said dick. And that's what makes it rubbish - because you do not see how REAL people in DPRK live.

What a dick!

Hahahaha!

WELL SAID!!!

[–] shaolin324th 18 years ago

[–] Rurik_Snorri 18 years ago

Shaolin, I know this by studying, learning and living. If you are indeed interested in the social psychology and sociology of totalitarian societies, then I recommend you do your own reading to find out that without informers, states like the DPRK which is the subject of this film, but also Khmer Rouge Kampuchea (Cambodia), the USSR (until its collapse in 91), China (to this day), Germany under the NSDP (Third Reich), and countless other dictatorships would not have had a chance of survival. If you are not being facetious I can explain further.

The point of the matter is that anyone with two ears and two eyes had better see that 1984 is here and now. It exists in many places in the world with the DPRK being a prime example, and if people get their priorities straight and look beyond their navel gazing and painting Hitler moustaches on George Bush and walking around dressed in Che Guevara shirts while ignorant of history maybe we'll get somewhere to stop the intolerance, misery and suffering of millions of people throughout the world.

[–] martinseoane 17 years ago

"painting Hitler moustaches on George Bush and walking around dressed in Che Guevara shirts while ignorant of history maybe we'll get somewhere to stop the intolerance, misery and suffering of millions of people throughout the world"

You make me laugh one more time. You are very funny.

[–] moretap 16 years ago

I saw someone with a Che shirt today. It did not make me laugh.

[–] Injinn 9 years ago

It would piss off the man, himself.

Che Guevara LOATHED commercialization. Someone wearing a t shirt bearing his likeness is tantamount to pissing directly on what the guy stood for in his life.

[–] shaolin324th 18 years ago

BTW, havc you seen "Seoul Train" yet? I haven't and there aren't any comments on the board there, but I'm dying to see a film with a counterpoint to this.

[–] Dougie B 14 years ago

On the contrary, I think the filmmaker was pulling a fast one on North Korea. After showing the tiny apartment, he'd talk about how these were the best living conditions in all the country. He'd show people talking over and over about how great Kim Jong Il was, the the point where anyone from outside NK would see it as totally absurd, while the people within the country would see it as normal everday chatter.

I think he knew that North Koreans seeing this would think "See what a great country we are!" while anyone on the outside watching would be thinking "WTF is this wrong with these people?"

[–] DVDwiz34 13 years ago

This is an old topic but I just saw this movie, and I think (unless I'm not picking up on the sarcasm of the OP) that <b>Dougie B</b> has hit it right on the head.

Undoubtedly, the North Korean regime would have looked at any and all footage that these guys shot...and undoubtedly it's not the filmmakers' preference to shoot in Pyongyang; it's the North Korean regime's restrictions that only allow them to film there (and two scenes outside the city).

There's two stories being told here: one about the Mass Games and one satirical point of view about the Generalissimo and how brainwashed the North Koreans are. the brilliant thing about this film is how it tells the story while mocking the regime, all under the premise that this is merely a documentary about the Mass Games.

It's like passing a note in class where you know the teacher is going to find it and read it out loud...you write stuff that will look normal to the teacher, but when he reads it out loud, the joke's actually on him...but only the students know it.

[–] misterh-ian 14 years ago

You know what's truly a despicable exercise in dishonesty?
The fundamentalist/creationist indoctrination of children.
After watching this documentary, as well as Jesus Camp, I've come to the conclusion that I'd trust a North Korean to raise a child way before I'd trust a fundamentalist christian.

[–] SrEditor 13 years ago

Neither docu tells the whole story, so don't jump to any conclusions.

[–] rainofwalrus 13 years ago

While this so-called documentary offers more of a glimpse into North Korea than what we normally have had access to - since foreign news crews or documentarians are not given free access of any sorts in this miserable land - the end result is pathetic and dishonest.

couldn't disagree more. rest of your post(agenda) sounds like propaganda itself.

just saying.

messageboard rules are serious business. like really serious.