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starcrossd169
Reviews
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
On the Fence
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a slapstick-style comedy making fun of basically every type of race involved in the film. The film depicts a fantasy-like picture of life for the !Kung people in Africa. To most, the film may be nothing but a comedy. For other, educated viewers, the movie may seem slightly offensive. Included in the DVD package of the film is a small documentary about the actor playing the part of the main character, Xixu. After watching the film, and then viewing the documentary, I didn't find the movie to be quite as funny. In fact, I now am rather on the fence about the picture the movie paints for the uneducated audience which more than likely makes up the majority of movie-goers in the United States. It is this gross misrepresentation that can sometimes cause more harm than just providing a good laugh. Comedy is used as an outlet in our Western societies; however, it can sometimes go too far and lead people into believing that, for example, the life of the !Kung people in Africa is carefree and full of ignorance concerning "civilized" life. Although the movie was enjoyable and did bring me to laugh at times, I still find it to be dangerous for encouraging the wrong ideas of how life in Africa really is for the !Kung people.
Twist à Popenguine (1994)
A solid look at the good and the bad of a changing culture.
Ca Twiste a Popenguine allows its' viewers to take a somewhat raw glimpse into the conflict between generations, caused by the colonization of one's country. Moussa Sene Absa (director and writer) does not convey a clear pro or con stance on the changing culture of Senegal, but does provide a rather complete look at both sides of the issue. He provides this raw look through his characters and their interactions with one another, the setting (Poponguine, Senegal), and time frame (1960's) of the film.
Ca Twiste a Popenguine is a movie best suited for one with some background information about Senegal or Africa in general. An uniformed (or entertainment-seeking) viewer would most likely miss the messages being sent by Absa; However, he does include many humorous perceptions of the American culture throughout the movie to keep the attention of the uniformed!