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If it is racist,
At the end when the Zulus are just about to win, the Army form a firing line that kills loads of them (carrying swards and shields) in one go, the Zulus retreat, sing a song about how brave the white people are; and leave.
Seems fine.
At the end when the Zulus are just about to win, the Army form a firing line that kills loads of them (carrying swards and shields) in one go, the Zulus retreat, sing a song about how brave the white people are; and leave.
Seems fine.
And what happens next?
indeed… written/directed/based-on-short-story entirely by men, of course (like most of them I’m sure). The woman is a plot device to be manipulated, rather than an actual person. Of course that’s true for many (most?) Hollywood films in all genres, until fairly recently, at least!Lots of Rom Coms have pretty dark “normal” behaviours when you get down to the nitty-gritty. The Switch is a tale about a man who replaces a donor sample…apparently ripe material for a romance and not at all creepy and weird stuff of horrors
right… is that a healthy approach to relationships though? 🤔 pretty much the opposite of “just be yourself” 😂
well, if the real version of yourself is to be a misogynist or just a basic arsehole then best modify that and not ‘just be yourself’.
Which is pretty much what he does.
But I think that we’re falling down an unnecessary PC rabbit hole. It’s just a pretty funny and creative film about the idea of keeping on trying until eventually you get something right.
And what happens next?
Is that not the end?
1990s mountain bikes (since improved)
Cadburys Cream Eggs (since wrecked)
Baked potatoes (since mysteriously less potatoey)
Bridge over the River Kwai
It's been a while/decades since I've seen that one. Is the racism anti-Japanese or anti-white? Serious question, BTW.
In Zulu, it's also terribly injudicious towards some of the main characters. Notably Hook VC. The Hollywood red-wash was working hard in that film, but I'm pretty sure the battle scenes were reasonably accurate having lived with a guy who was very into his army history.
Getting drunk in parks
V Brakes
And what happens next?
Is that not the end?
Actually, you're right, I think. They have the final stand-off, the Zulus retreat, Chard and Bromhead do a bit of musing on the pointlessness of war, and the Zulus stand on the hill singing about how brave the red soldiers were. Credits. The song didn't happen in 1879, and probably Chard and Bromhead didn't have a 1960s chat about life, the universe and everything. I don't see the singing as being racist because both sides describe the other as brave during the film, and it's a great, cinematic ending. The reality was the the Zulus left the battlefield and went home - not so cinematic.
If your opposition is based on the fact that it's whites vs blacks, then that's just the historical fact - the actual war was racist and imperialistic, etc. The film is a snapshot of one action, that had happened only 85 years previously, closer in time than the film 1917 to us. There are bound to be things that don't sit well these days, but I guess that if we look at almost any war film made recently it will look dated and biased in 60 years. (How even handed is any recent film about the middle East, or maybe the Japanese in WW2?)
If your opposition is guns vs spears (not swords - the Zulus didn't do swords!) then you're missing the point - there were under 200 soldiers at Rorkes Drift facing 3-4000 Zulus. The main British force had been wiped out, over 1300 dead, the day before by the main Zulu army, by the same guys with spears. That is why the filmic Zulus were honouring their bravery - they hadn't run away when they had the chance.
Is the racism anti-Japanese
Yeah there's the implication that the Japanese are just all violent and thuggish. One of the plot lines is a British Army engineer making changes to the design of the bridge to correct the Japanese errors - Oh, and have a look which actors and other categories who won awards and who didn't. The Oscars in particular is pretty blatant
Well, that doesn't stand out at all.
V Brakes
V Brakes were just fine, considering we had come from cantis. A well adjusted set on a true wheel are still ok
Getting drunk in parks
Actually, that still is good as well :). Not getting at you, just spotted that that's still a winner
I'm also wondering if Fray Bentos pies in a tin/spam fritters/tinned ravioli have had to change their recipe or if our tastebuds were really shit 50 years ago
the actual war was racist and imperialistic, etc
Yeah that really, The film somewhat glorifies that period, Rouke's Drift largely stands out because for once the British Army didn't have the use of Mixim's Gun, which is how they mostly killed thousands of black Africans, hence the ditty:
Whatever happens, we have got,
The Maxim Gun, and they have not.
You can perhaps forgive the Picture Post for completely made up "heroic" engravings of huge mustaches and horses dying from underneath the brave Englishman fighting hoards of natives, but a 20th C Film, not so much... That it still gets a regular airing on scheduled TV is probably overdue a re-think.
Getting drunk in parks
I may well do that this evening. Thanks.
V Brakes were just fine, considering we had come from cantis. A well adjusted set on a true wheel are still ok
V brakes were brilliant coming from canti's, but when I use them now less brilliant. Just following the brief from the OP.
Actually, that still is good as well 🙂
We may have different definitions of drunk. I'm really not thinking getting myself 15yo drunk in parks will really be a good look in the latter half of my 40's....
Those small Chicago town pizzas. Not microwaved of course, but still terrible.
That’s no way to talk about the food highlight of my week!* Deep-filled tomatoeycheesy hot awesomeness.
* Actually not true - I tried a smoked salmon thingumny the other day for the first time ever and it was every kind of epic. Can’t remember it was cool but it was filled with some kind of chewy fishy mousse. Oh my godzzzz
I’m really not thinking getting myself 15yo drunk in parks will really be a good look in the latter half of my 40’s….
I'm not sure it is ever a good look 🙂
I never enjoyed Space Hoppers back in the day. Even less so, now that my prostate has morphed into one😜
Williams and McLaren
Lots of Rom Coms have pretty dark “normal” behaviours when you get down to the nitty-gritty.
They are basically stalker comedies, creepy guy harasses a woman until she gives up and agrees to sleep with him.
Indeed.
There's a lot of similar era (and earlier) music which is way more problematic also.
My memory
The first series of Grange Hill.
The scrolling black and white bar in the top right of the telly that told us when a program was finishing.
Nowadays I can hit a button on my remote anytime and see when something is going to end.
Spare / leisure time. There were days when weekends seemed to last for ever, were fun times with beer, cocktails takeaways and a warm duvet.
Nowadays it feels like a couple of hours have gone by before Friday night turns into Monday morning.
That’s very true Kryton. Just gets shorter as you get older too. No
wonder lots of old folk seem confused. Christ knows how fast time is going for them!
I think the time thing is a mixture of most daily activities become routine which doesn't help form new memories. And that as you age, a single hour or day becomes less of a fraction of your life than it did in the past. My son for example is 10 so a year is 1/10th of his life, where's I'm 45 so year for me is only 1/45th.
Just my thoughts on it.
I'd also nominate lie-ins.
I loved to lie in until midday at the weekend when in my teens. Now I'm up and out nice and early to make the most of the weekends.
Stephen King bokoks. And The Lord Of The Rings.
Fray Bentos pies like many other folks on here.
Incredible how the developed that pastry. Crispy on the top but the rest of it was like limp rubber, with an indescribable texture.
Tax cuts…