May 17, 2005
Apparently slavery is alive and well in Amerika
Danish filmaker believes himself, and all Danes, to be three-fifths of an Amerikan:
"We are all under the influence -- and it's a very bad influence -- from America," said the 49-year-old Dane. "In my country everything has to do with America. America is kind of sitting on the world."America has to do with 60 percent of my brain and all things I experience in my life, and I'm not happy about that," von Trier said. I'd say 60 percent of my life is American so I am in fact an 'American' too. But I can't go there and vote or change anything there. That is why I make films about America."
He goes on to say he'd be perfectly happy watching a movie slamming Denmark: which of course leads to the question of why bother?
"Slamming Denmark," by the way, would be a great comeback vehicle for Ben Affleck and Kevin Smith.
Posted by Steve at May 17, 2005 05:07 PMIf he's never been here and %60 of his brain is taken up by America, I'd say that's a problem with his brain chemistry as much as with America. He sounds about 1 1/2 steps away from muttering in the streets about "America" controling his mind and making him do horrible things.
Posted by: Eric J at May 18, 2005 08:52 AMOn reflection, I think he's hit the right note to get the press he craves, both at home and abroad. But it's classic social-ist* thinking to nurture a sense of meaningless ownership of things that don't or can't possibly belong to you [while starving in bread lines], and people are suggesting that it is a mental illness.
*can't type social-ist normally because spam blocker won't allow ci-alis. if only it were that easy to deflate ideas of group fascism.
Posted by: tee bee at May 18, 2005 09:48 AMWhen I was in England earlier this month, I saw, at the Imperial War Museum, the newsreel footage of Denmark being liberated. The British sent a cruiser into Copenhagen harbor, but the people demanded a more significant personage, so Monty went, along with an American unit (I think we sent Bedell Smith or some other general, I don't recall). The Danes seemed pretty happy.
60% American/40% Danish ain't so bad when the alternative is something like 10% Danish/90% Nazi. I mean, McDonalds ain't perfect but I don't worry about Mayor McCheese and his jackbooted thugs arriving in the middle of the night to search for Jews I've hidden in my attic.
I know. Godwin's Law. Bad form of us to even mention the whole liberation of Europe theme.
