Monday, May 26, 2008

Russian Communists don't really get fiction

Despite your feelings about the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones saga,(and I know there are a lot of blogger reviews of the movie up at present), at least most of us understand that those films are in fact fiction.

However, it seems that the Communist Party in Russia doesn't really get that. The political party is apparently trying to get Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull banned in Russia because the film represents an attempt at "ideological sabotage".

"[Russian Youth] will go to the cinema and will be sure that in 1957 we made trouble for the United States and almost started a nuclear war. It’s rubbish."

"In 1957 the Communist party did not run with crystal skulls throughout the U.S. Why should we agree to that sort of lie and let the West trick our youth?" Again, fiction is not "tricking". It is storytelling. It is not that hard a concept.

And correct me if I am wrong, but I don't remember reading about complaints from the West German government or the American Nazi Party over the way the Nazis/Germans were portrayed in Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade. And let's fact it, the Soviet Union wasn't exactly a friend to the United States or the West in 1957, so really, I don't think the Communist Party is in a position to make the argument that the Soviets were the peace loving people they claim they are (especially after Hungary 1956).

I am sure there are a lot of other movies in which certain characters of Russian descent or Communists look far worse than in this puffed up and lighthearted adventure film set 5 decades in the past. So my advice to the Communist Party is get over yourselves. It wasn't 70 years of bliss and you know it. Just admit it, sit down and enjoy a little bit of fiction, because you are all obviously already living in a dream world.

7 comments:

Megan said...

Good on ya, Matt.

I wonder if the tribes of the Amazon are complaining, too?

MC said...

If they know it exists.

Micgar said...

I concur-what are they complaining about?! Gee whiz!

MC said...

See, I wonder how they feel about something like Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Arjan said...

they should have tried to forbid the Red Alert games ;)

The Ferryman said...

You would think they would be a litle more thick-skinned. Gosh!

MC said...

Arjan: Shudder... oh, the bad acting... I would support banning the cutscenes for that.

Mr. Fab: They are supposed to be iron men.