12 Year A Slave, Do We Need Such Films?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/03/steve-mcqueen-slavery-12-years-a-slave

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/04/steve-mcqueen-my-painful-childhood-shame

/// McQueen's film pitilessly documents the beatings, lynchings, rape and brutality of a slave-owning class half-demented by its own moral corruption, and routinely reduces audiences to tears. "I hadn't realised slavery was that bad," is the comment its director keeps hearing. ///

McQueen admits that he didn't realise slavery was so bad, so does it do any good for racial harmony to constantly remind people of man's inhumanity to others that which happened nearly 200 years ago?

/// "There's been a kind of amnesia," he says, "or not wanting to focus on this, because of it being so painful. It's kind of crazy. We can deal with the second world war and the Holocaust and so forth and what not, but this side of history, maybe because it was so hideous, people just do not want to see. People do not want to engage." ///

What is he saying that WW2 and the holocaust was also not as hideous also, what about the slaves that the Nazis used or those that the Japanese used to build their railways etc?

Just as we see less films made of these inhumane historic events these days in an attempt not to cause offence or ill feelings, to the present day Germans and Japanese, perhaps now we should do the same with other similar matters which happened further down in history?

[Zacs-Master]

Gromit, AOG seems to have argued against himself in admitting the similarity of his posts in his comment // is there anything in the site's rules that one cannot raise more than one question on the same subject //

[Zacs-Master]

Like watching a car crash in slow motion chewn?

[LazyGun]

@AoG Nothing stops you from raising the same issue more than once on this site, AoG. It is your denial that you have raised the same issue that is being discussed - and you are still attempting the same kind of half-assed denial even now, when you type this;

"If you read the two reports one is a Daily Mail report, regarding a controversial slavery film that prompted viewers to walk out, and today's is two Guardian reports about the films director, Steve McQueen's inner feelings."

The articles themselves may well come from different journals, may well deal with differing elements surrounding a film - but your motivations for posting on this issue remain the same. One only has to read each of your OP's on each occasion to see that.

For those of us who regularly read the News section on AB, it adds further weight to the impression that issues of race and racial identity are very important to you - almost obsessively so.

[Zeuhl]

The differences between AOGs two questions are obvious:

One of them lavishes caramel on biscuit and then covers it in chocolate;

The other one tops biscuits with caramel then smothers it in chocolate

;-)

[anotheoldgit]

ChillDoubt

Just because you may agree with me on certain occasions, does not necessary mean that I can't also criticise you when you attack me.

Regarding years of service in HM Forces (voluntary, not National Sevice like some), I fail to see how this effects your political views? one surely can be a lefftie or even a righty and still serve one's country.

So may I now repeat your own obnoxious and disgusting abusive statement, when I say perhaps it is you who should first check out your own mental welfare?

/// I seriously doubt at times if you can recall with whom you're dealing with and alternately praising and berating in equal measure! ///

I certainly can recall whom I am dealing with, and I treat every answer on it's merits, I am not one to follow the flock just to curry favour, even from the likes of you.

[LazyGun]

If there was any justice, this from Zeuhl
"The differences between AOGs two questions are obvious:

One of them lavishes caramel on biscuit and then covers it in chocolate;

The other one tops biscuits with caramel then smothers it in chocolate

;-"

and Chewns response
"Do you think AOG has his snickers in a twix Zeuhl?"

Deserve joint best answer :) Very good indeed, Chewn...

[ChillDoubt]

As I suspected, nothing strong enough in the BNF.....

[Zeuhl]

LOL Chewn

[anotheoldgit]

Yes I think I can safely close for the Evening now knowing that I have either hit some very raw nerves or that they have lost the argument, seeing that they have resorted to their old tactics of insults by the dozen even questioning my mental health, and you can't get any more insulting than that.

Pity that there are no Mods on duty to put a stop to such insults.

[jno]

can this be the same non-insulting aog who suggested I need an eye test or a course in English?

[Hypognosis]

I haven't stopped to read the other 4 pages of replies yet.

All I want to know is, if I watched George Hailey's "Roots" series, is there any act of cruelty portrayed in this movie which I've not seen before?

Roots, if I recall correctly, has either --never been repeated-- in the UK or, at most, has only been repeated (by the Beeb) once, even with all the extra channels we have, these days. I don['t understand why this might be, other than a desire to not stir up hatred.

I have even seen a blog piece, seemingly by an African-American writer, posing the question "isn't it about time we stopped playing the white guilt thing and just got along, on the level with them, as friends?"

McQueen is right to say that none of the injustices should be forgotten but should he really rub our noses in it if it was not our generation which perpetrated it?

[ChillDoubt]

Pity that there are no Mods on duty to put a stop to such insults.
-----------------------
Why? They rarely (if ever) put a stop to your thinly veiled racist views.

[Zacs-Master]

LOL. You must have been Rhinocerous in a previous life AOG. You definitely have inherited its skin qualities anyway.

[Snafu03]

maybe they will redress the balance and make a similar film depicting how the travelling community still partake in slavery.

At least the film has a happy ending. The slaves eventually get freedom and choose to reside in a land which provides for them a hell of a lot better than the countries they were stolen from. Certainly dodged a bullet there didnt they?

[naomi24]

//if you require educating stick to well made factual documentaries.//

Bang goes anything with a religious theme then.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Why not admit a similarity. Everyone can see it. The more you deny they are essentially the same, the more you look foolish. ///

I have already stated they are on the same subject, which in itself is not a crime.

I don't know about m,e looking foolish it would seem that there are many on here who are stupid seeing that they can't reason things out, and can only resort to insults because I commit the heinous crime of daring to have opinions that they themselves do not agree with, after all isn't the idea of debate the freedom of being able to give one's views without the need for abuse from one's opponents?.

/// I have noticed on other threads you inability to admit you are wrong, or to apologise. ///

I do not apologise for anything that I have not done wrong, I might as well say the others are wrong so they should apologise, when I started this thread I first asked a legitimate question and then later aired my views is this at all wrong?

As regards dragging it out then that is not my problem, I have no control over who should continue contributing and who should withdraw.

After all it is a free world, or perhaps not so on answerbank.


We all make mistakes and have to apologise and correct ourselves. It is better to do that quickly than to have it dragged out of us, or refuse to do it at all.

[Zacs-Master]

AOG, you really do need to take note when the tide (tsunami?) of opinion is against you otherwise, you look rather foolish. Time and time again.