tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post1326368788767339386..comments2024-01-31T18:37:07.424+00:00Comments on The Agitation of the Mind: VIVA LA REVOLUTION! Day 1: Reasons to rebelNeil Fulwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-44040495685962727462011-01-05T21:29:47.456+00:002011-01-05T21:29:47.456+00:00I will write out 500 times "explosives in the...I will write out 500 times "explosives in the good one, poison in the disappointing one".<br /><br />That'll teach me!<br /><br />(Glad you enjoyed the article, btw.)Neil Fulwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-61018424491089364362011-01-05T06:26:53.319+00:002011-01-05T06:26:53.319+00:00Superlative Piece Neil. So good that I almost feel...Superlative Piece Neil. So good that I almost feel like a pedantic fanboy ass for having to mention that the "slow acting poison" was in LA, in NY he has explosives placed in his neck.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-91378878539707880162011-01-04T21:44:50.837+00:002011-01-04T21:44:50.837+00:00Sam – you’ve got me bang to rights. I quite simply...Sam – you’ve got me bang to rights. I quite simply got wrapped up in the “why people rebel” aspect of the article, which was intended as a jumping off point from which to discuss revolutionaries on film. Whilst planning these articles, I knew that I wanted to start with some comments on the motivations towards rebellion. I guess Camus’s famous quote burrowed deeper into my mind than I’d anticipated and “some comments” became the entire article!<br /><br />Still, this is only the first of the three posts. I’ve just posted day two’s piece – entitled “A very English revolution” and I hope you’ll find that I’ve dealt more specifically with the subject matter. Look forward to your comments on this and the concluding article.<br /><br />Franco – yeah, the students in London were protesting over exactly the same thing as the students in Puerto Rico. Except they weren’t met by anything as oppressive as militia with submachine guns. Having said that, our police force can be notably heavy-handed when they want to. Unfortunately, much of the destruction of property that took place (office and shop windows staved in, etc) had less to do with an antagonistic clash between students and police than with the presence of a non-student “yob” element in the crowd. Still, it’s criminal that our respective governments are trying to subvert the ideal of a fair and equal chance at education for everyone and simply load the dice in favour of students from moneyed backgrounds.Neil Fulwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-64575719824117099922011-01-04T15:45:28.674+00:002011-01-04T15:45:28.674+00:00Interesting Neil, I've also read that many stu...Interesting Neil, I've also read that many student protesters went out onto the streets and where met by a police force in London, on Trafalgar Square. <br /><br />Do you know the reasons why they are protesting? Tey are protesting for the same reasons why students all across the world are protesting, prices are going up in education and this effectively shuts down any chance for middle class or poor to get educated. <br /><br />I tell ya man, this plan is truly evil.Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-56480250897329706292011-01-03T23:25:22.116+00:002011-01-03T23:25:22.116+00:00Excellently interesting, Neil. I noticed, though, ...Excellently interesting, Neil. I noticed, though, that you almost immediately changed the subject from "revolution" to "rebellion." Given what you wrote, I think you were right to do this. I agree with you that the <i>rebel</i> is the person who says No. The <i>revolutionary</i> is a somewhat different creature because there's usually a Yes in his agenda; he's interested in replacing one system with another, and that usually leads to the rebels in his camp turning against him. There's no simple good guy/bad guy opposition between the two, but the tension between the two impulses is something you've probably noticed in movies and life alike. Looking forward to more.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-66283282642554111642011-01-03T20:43:50.493+00:002011-01-03T20:43:50.493+00:00Thanks, Francisco. I'm just about to head over...Thanks, Francisco. I'm just about to head over to The Film Connoisseur and check out your article on 'Romero' and 'Salvador'.<br /><br />I'll be looking rebellion in England tomorrow ... cinematically, at least. We haven't had a proper revolution since the English Civil War 400 years ago. In fact, it strikes me that England is a country more rebelled <i>against</i> than rebelling. And with good reason. We have a shameful and blood-stained history and our aggression, peaking in the Victorian era, against large swathes of the rest of the globe, still manifests in a disturbing degree of nationalism to this day.<br /><br />The British subjugation of India springs to mind; likewise our historical treatment of the Scots and the Irish. The most significant social unrest I can remember in Britain during my lifetime was in the late 70s - the race riots. I was very young at the time but I still remember TV footage of National Front members marching against ethnic minorities, wearing Nazi regalia and chanting xenophobic phrases. Nowadays, there are protests outside the BBC because British National Party leader Nick Clegg is allowed on a debate programme.<br /><br />What happened in the 70s wasn't revolution. It wasn't a cry against something that was wrong. It was pure racism. It showed up an ugly side of Britain.<br /><br />Although here in the UK we probably have as much theoretical freedom as any country in the world, it can still be a depressing place to live. The Blair government effectively dismantled a lot of personal liberties whilsts kowtowing to the Bush administration. The "us and them" mindset that a lot of my countrymen have (particularly in regards to the class divide) doesn't manifest itself into anything purposeful. There seems to be no focus on effecting any degree of positive change. <br /><br />I'll be looking at some of this in greater detail tomorrow, particulary in respect of '1984' - and, yes, it is the John Hurt version I'll be talking about. It's a film I find almost gruelling to watch, but like Orwell's novel it's a powerful reminder of what we stand to lose ... and what we've have, imperceptibly but incrementally, already started to lose.<br /><br />Here's to the next two days of our revolution!Neil Fulwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-8883316000054582532011-01-03T16:29:16.908+00:002011-01-03T16:29:16.908+00:00Great article Neil, totally agree on the points yo...Great article Neil, totally agree on the points you mentioned on what makes up a rebel, it is someone who says no. I go into what makes up a rebel tomorrow as well. But it definetly involves saying hell no to an oppressive government stomping the people. <br /><br />The films you mentioned are great. Its interesting to see how John Carpenter's films have that rebellious angle to them, I always saw Carpenter as a bit of a rebel himself since a few of his films do this. They attack the system, the way things are set. <br /><br />That idea of shutting down the planet and starting again is a recurrent one in these types of films, I will be touching up on that on day 3 of this collaboration because so many of these films offer the idea of scrapping the status quo and starting with something new. Cant say I blame them, new ideas are certainly needed in the world we live in, in terms of politics, the way we are educated, and the way we live our lives.<br /><br />You mentioned 1984, a book for which their are two versions. One is the and the other is the one starting John Hurt. I've only seen the one with John Hurt, and boy, that movie brought me to tears, same as the book. The story is so crushing, it makes you want to fight against our lives ever turning like that. Sadly, I've seen a lot of that 1984 style of governing things in my own country. <br /><br />I've been reading about all sorts of revolutions going on around the world, and one of the countries that is mentioned is England, I wouldnt mind hearing your take on whats going on over there, do you go into that on future articles?<br /><br />Awesome post man! Loved it, Viva la Revolution in deed!Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.com