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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Die Welle

I know that this movie is 3 years old. I am just now getting around to seeing it.

In 1967 a teacher in California named Ron Jones was asked by a student if the Holocaust could happen here. To answer him, Mr. Jones did an experiment with the students. Within 4 days the conformity and fascism displayed by the students became scary to the staff and locals.

Die Welle is based on the experiment, asking could the Nazi Regime happen again in Germany. To date, I feel that this is the best version of the experiment that happened so long ago.

It shows how a normal situation and normal human behavior can, disturbingly,  move easily and unnoticed in to fascist and dangerous behavior. Things that we have seen and heard in the last few years or so, that we now see as acceptable are portrayed in this film.  It takes you through the mundane steps and acceptable social behavior used to create a dictatorship.

"Strength through discipline, strength through community, strength through action, strength through pride." Was the motto that Mr Jones used in 1967




I rarely recommend movies, unless you ask me my favorites. However this one I do.

6 comments:

Judy said...

And the vast majority of our fellow citizens don't get it! I cry every time the National Anthem is played for what has happened to my country because we are there.

Phelan said...

We aren't there yet Judy. However we are ripe for it, high unemployment, social injustice etc. . . Just waiting for the right personality to come along and exploit it. The movie does go into the discussion of extreme nationalism which also breeds fascism, as well as the us vs them mentalities. Yes, it does show the more liberal views reaching into fascism, but it does remind us that just about anything can turn us away from democracy.

Phelan said...

allow me to amend that to perceived Social Injustice. Because it boils down to who you are talking to. And unhappiness. A society that is unhappy fosters a dictatorship.

TransFarmer said...

I'd say were have already been in a pseudo dictatorship with Herr Bush with the elimination of privacy and the proliferation of the nation's corporate wealth.

I just watched this on netflix. Wasn't happy with the ending, but overall a good movie.

Phelan said...

I agree with both statements. The ending wasn't the best. The patriot act and encouraging us to tattle on our neighbors and DHS is a step in the right direction. I would place it closer to a military occupation however. Especially with NDAA being signed into law.

TransFarmer said...

so true, I forgot about NDAA, even though it's splashed all over the place

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