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Reviews
Star Trek: The Omega Glory (1968)
An ending so terrible it sabotages the gritty story it concludes
Any selective viewings of TOS episodes should avoid this episode. It is offensive to anyone who loves the US **or** the rest of the people on Earth. It descends into racism when the Mongol/Hun- costumed humanoids are proved to be "Asiatic" "Communists" - terms that are actually used to demonize one of the cultures on the host planet!
This episode starts out great. It seems like an adaptation of Heart of Darkness with a similar gritty interpretation as Apocalypse Now. Dark, intense, with moral ambiguity that makes you expect something like "A Taste of Armageddon."
I'll ignore the inconsistency regarding the Prime Directive ("don't interfere," of course they always do). You can have fun with an episode that is inconsistent, and it seems like half of the early Star Trek episodes were like this.
35 minutes in, the story has already started to get a bit confused. But it is still good. No episode is perfect. But then we get a not- so-subtle claim of "resemblances" to Earth's history (actually just a "resemblance" to a bad stereotype that has never been true of the US and the Communist bloc states).
I like to think that Robert Justman's "devastating" assessment of the script might have had the following advice which I would have given Roddenberry (who wrote the script): ● Use less overt symbols ● Don't use "Asiatics" and communists ● Anyone with any integrity *has* to make the point that both sides (The Western and Eastern (communist) blocs) had legitimate ideas about freedom and neither side was very good at living up to them.
**This episode ultimately features a glorified side genociding the "Asiatic Communists**
I would have liked to have seen both sides humanized. That is normally what happens (and despite what people like to say about Kirk, he usually ended up being great at this, if inconsistent). The moral/ethical dimension usually got explored with a heart-felt, sensitive assessment. In this episode, the opposite basically happens.
**Why this episode is so offensive if you love Americans, Communists, or Human beings with different ideas**
Marx, in remarks that were embraced by the Soviets and Chinese, said that mankind cannot be free until he has control over his economic life. Just as the US failed its excellent ideals of freedom during its McCarthyist phase, the Soviet and Chinese states actively undermined the institutions of Workers' power, which themselves should have had primacy, according to Marx.
In the end, both the West and East had theories which have a lot of truth to them. Even if Roddenberry wanted to be a partisan on this, producers should be nuanced enough to realize that the heavy hand of such a black and white viewpoint is not fitting for any show, least of all "forward-thinking" Star Trek.
**Conclusion**
To top off this sanctimony, the "good side" in this episode is literally trying to genocide the "bad side." It's strongly implied that this is what is happening in the final sequences. I cannot think of any other show or movie which has glorified ethnic cleansing or genocide. Even propaganda for groups that do stuff like that usually pretends that it's not happening.
I cannot believe that this episode got approval - it is literally the opposite from the message of "Patterns of Force," where the crew try to stop a genocide by Nazi-uniformed "humanoids." Let alone "A Private Little War." **Avoid** this episode unless you are a completionist. Any selective viewings of TOS episodes should avoid this unless they are actually looking for these quirks. Cynics could find hilarity in the Jingoism here, but even I can't help but feel a bit disheartened that Star Trek aired this monstrosity.
Revengers Tragedy (2002)
My favorite movie by far
This movie relates a surrealistic rendition of a 16th century play by Thomas Middleton (sometimes credited to Cyril Tourneur). The movie is set in a feudal European society (Liverpool) in the near future, the opening scene relating a nuclear attack on Europe.
The acting is very good - Christopher Eccleston's emotions are believable and he brings the old English style of the play to life. The actors actually bring the old English to life in a way that Romeo and Juliet failed to. From the hatred of the Duke from the commoners to the expressions of Joy in the wedding sequences, the acting makes one feel as if the emotion is sincere.
The scenery manages to appear a post-apocalyptic impoverished city that is dynamic and pleasing to the eye. The images of the Duke become eerier as the film progresses, representing an authority that s all - encompassing. There is very little nature shown, though the glamorous buildings chosen as sets suggest opulence at the expense of the people, and are beautiful.
The writers modify the language to a degree to make the violent speech sharper and the whole script easier to relate to. The lines that appear in old English but were absent from the play blend in well and supplement the near - futuristic setting well. The whole story is in fact changed to some degree in order to make the futuristic set blend in well with the script.
Politically, there are many references to peoples' struggles. A poster depicting Oscar Romero, a martyr for his support of "Liberation theology" and a quote of his appears near the end of the movie. The original play in fact was released anonymously, probably because it depicts authority as reviled by the disgruntled populace. The play makes the royal family appear corrupt from their abuse of the law to an adulterous, murderous family life. The movie takes this further; dressing the Duke to resemble a vampire and making the heirs to the throne appear childish as well as greedy. The news is symbolized by an eye over a pyramid, the duke appears regularly as if he was Big Brother and even the popular Antonio is corrupt.
Not surprisingly, a leftist musical group, Chumbawamba was chosen to do the whole soundtrack. The music is more than stunning; it's atmospheric, melancholy adds graveness to the movie. In some ways the shows plays like a music video - even when the music fades the beauty of the old English is lyrical and allows the audio to flow seamlessly. Chumbawamba released a new version of "Don't Try this at Home" including bits of audio from the movie; the song appears during the credits and on the soundtrack. The lyrics of the song underline the undoubtedly political intent in the movie, and the original lyrics ironically relate very well to the plot of the movie.
The New World (2005)
Just another love story
Though the movie is not bad by any means, it could have been easily set in fifty other historical situations and came out with the same effect. The love story leaves the viewer bored and the seeming emotionlessness of the characters creates a sense that the two main actors didn't take their roles seriously (Pocahontas certainly seemed emotional until a certain point, while Smith seemed to feel as if she could have been any harlot he could have had on the streets of London). Bale does seem compassionate but also seems to be a little apathetic. The lack of dialogue and explanation leaves the viewer wondering both why the characters acted how they did and at times what even happened. The soundtrack is generic, bland, unmemorable and sometimes out of place, which would not be such an offense if the movie had not had such a focus on emotion and surrealism.
Historical inaccuracies are not excessive, but the portrayal of the natives is downright offensive - jumping around and using war cries at inappropriate times as if to portray them as monkeys. Again, the lack of explanation makes it appear as if the natives did not actually help the settlers through the winter or help them with their crops. The shift from downright militancy between the groups to a leader allowing himself to be taken across the sea with only one of his tribesmen is unexplained, as well.
The movie is not without positive aspects, however. The scenery is beautiful and historically accurate, though some of the settings are unexplained in the context of the plot (i.e. it is unexplained why certain people went / lived here or there). The directing is dynamic and generally flows nicely together, and John Smith's communal attitude toward his direction of the colony is accurately portrayed.
I gave the movie a '6' because it was regularly confusing, sometimes drawn out with unnecessary scenes, the soundtrack was pedestrian, the movie didn't make you care as much for the characters as you should have been able to and the portrayal of the natives was surprisingly condescending.
I would suggest seeing this movie if you want to see a love story and are fairly interested in Jamestown and Pocahontas, but be warned that the historical content basically stops halfway through where the characters' dull emotions start to take the stage.