I think I would die.
I am not one for real world violence.
I don’t understand the need to hurt people. Doesn’t matter if it is emotional or physical. That’s why I can’t understand the popularity of MMA. Is there an innate bloodlust gene in us left over from our nomadic cave dwelling ancestors or maybe even further back?
Tonight I had tickets to see The Purge: Anarchy. I was anxious about seeing it all day. Specifically for the reason stated above. I know this is simply a movie.
The plot of the movie is that one night a year all crime is legal. The logic (?!!!) behind it is that you can get all your frustrations and grudges settled and be a model citizen for the entire rest of the year. Crime rates are way down and the gap between the haves and have-nots has miraculously shrank as well.
As the movie plays out, I began to see it as a story of profiteering through classism. Government or more specifically the military plays a role in the murder of innocent people in the movie for the sake of profit. Is it a subtle nudge to America saying “Wake the hell up, people?!” Could be.
I don’t want to spoil the story for you but when you find out about our unlikely anti-hero, it also sends a message of hope that even in the worst groups, there is a conscience.
While it made me anxious and unnerved and flinch A LOT, I really liked this movie. Go in thinking it is just another gratuitous gore fest, and I think you will be surprised by the story. Yes the commercials gave away too much information. And yes, there is a ton of blood and violence but look at all of the subtext too. That for me is where the real story is. There are so many questions that I left the theatre with.
Like I said with it just being a movie, I wondered were there people that would actually take to something like this. Then, as if on cue, a hulk of a mouth breather began spouting off horrible things like “I wanna purge right now! I wish I didn’t leave my knife in the car!” This, as he is walking between two people that had skin much darker than his own. It’s those people that scare me when it comes to movies like this.
But it is just a movie.
I give it a solid B+!!
The Actorvist 