quote: They forgot one tiny thing: World War II really happened. Nazis really tortured people. It wasn't funny.
Yes, it did. Yes, they did. No, it wasn't. However, 60 years later making jokes about it should be okay. Monty Python did sketches about Nazis and the war, such as one were Hitler and his advisers lived and moved to England were they maintained a ridiculous charade of not being Nazis while holding rallies with three people, all members of the newly formed National Bocialist Party, led by Badolf Bitler.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
I don't think OSC was establishing the bounds of acceptable humor, but merely was discussing what did and didn't work for him in a movie.
[ September 09, 2005, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: Will B ]
Posted by Oliver Dale (Member # 8398) on :
Not to answer anyone else's question, but it's from Scott's latest review. Or more specifically, his comments on "Valiant."
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
Humor is a highly subjective thing. Personally, I feel that making a joke of death and torture isn't funny whether we're talking about any war, 60 years ago or 6000 years ago. I don't think the timeframe matters nearly so much as the subject matter.
I don't remember the Monty Python sketch in question, but from the sounds of it the humor wasn't attempting to make light of death and suffering, but rather put a known villian in a ludicrous situation without calling specific attention to his deeds.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Actually, their "Spanish Inquisition" sketch is still hysterical, and it definitely makes a joke of death and torture.
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
Yeah, I never liked the Spanish Inquisition sketch either.
Like I said..humor is subjective.
Posted by ChaosTheory (Member # 7069) on :
Mr. Card if you want some decent carbonated lemon flavored water try Mendota Sparkling...I'm not sure if they have it in NC but you should try it if you get the chance.
Posted by camus (Member # 8052) on :
Card himself said that it is OK to make jokes about it, if done in the correct manner. He was just stating why this movie was more offensive than humorous to him. You either deliberately took him out of context or stopped reading once you got to something you didn't like.
quote:It just made me sad. World War II mattered. The Allies saved much of humanity from the hell of Hitler's rule. Funny movies can be made about it, even satirical ones. But only if they show decent respect for what was actually accomplished and what it actually cost. Mr. Roberts did; Catch-22 did.
Valiant didn't even try.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Advice: Don't get offended by things, if you can help it. Otherwise you might miss out on the ability to appreciate, for instance, a perfectly good joke or a perfectly good movie.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
While I have no comment on the movie in question, I will respectfully disagree with your atitude. Some things simply are offensive, and morally repugnant, and we should reject them.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
I guess there must be some purpose in the being-offended thing, or it wouldn't be part of human nature.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Fair 'nuff.
Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :
Maybe that sounded dismissive. I didn't intend it: I think some things ARE morally repugnant, and torture is far from funny -- although it can occur in a funny movie. Such as Brazil. We laughed at a lot of things in it, but not the torture.
Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :
I laughed in The Brothers Grimm, when the people were tied in the arm chairs, hung from the ceiling, with their heads in a large glass container that also housed snails. Especialy when he asked "are those snails?" and the Italian sadist said yes, in a tone of voice suggesting that he was the greatest torturer on Earth. That was funny.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I appreciated his review of Valiant, largely because I walked out of the theatre afterward vaguely unsatisfied but not knowing why. At least after I saw Robots I knew why I didn't like it.
But with Valiant I really didn't quite get it. Sort of the same feeling I had with Benji Off The Leash. For me, I think it was that in both movies, the endings made up for a lackluster beginning and middle. But OSC's article did put specifics to what made it so pointless. I appreciate that.
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