26 November 2006

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

What could I possibly write that hasn't been already written about this extremely funny and astute film? I just can't wait for the DVD edition, to see all the extra footage that was left out of the film.
How can anybody feel offended by the film? 'Borat' may seem offensive vis-à-vis minorities, but in the end, amongst Borat's victims, the ones who come over as nicer from the film are women, gays, Jews, Blacks. Borat may seem offensive vis-à-vis Americans, but except for the rodeo vignette and the one with the Pentecostal congregation, everything could have happened in Europe (and it actually did — remember Borat's interviews of Britons as shown on Channel 4). The part in Kazakhstan (actually shot in Roumania) made me feel bad — Americans may be uncultured and bigoted, but we Europeans allowed half of our continent to remain in such dire poverty.
The only thing that slightly disappointed me was that I would've liked to see more vignettes with unwary 'victims' of Baron Cohen and less Borat-dreaming-of-Pamela scenes.

No comments:

Post a Comment