Wag the Dog: A Parody of games politicians play

William Randolph Hearst, an American publisher in the early 20^th century, was in bitter rivalry with his competitor Joseph Pulitzer. The competition was so fierce that all ethics were thrown to the winds. Mr Hearts for example had sent his artist along with his important reporter to Cuba to draw pictures to support the reports of the uprising there. Days after the war was over, and when the artist Remington said, ‘Everything is quiet. There is no war. I wish to return’, Mr Hearst was reported to have said, “Please remain. You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.”

 Director: Barry Levinson

Film Clip

Well, USA has the dubious distinction of creating wars when there were none, for wars were important for its leaders to survive. The story of the film Wag the Dog is very similar. Here is a President who is caught up in a sex scandal which mars his chances of being re-elected. So, he has to divert the attention of the people to help his cause. The obvious choice before him is to create an illusory war. Accordingly, a Hollywood producer is employed to create visuals to support his make-belief war. Despite many doubts and questions raised by the Opposition Party and the media, the President succeeds in his ‘mission’.

The scenes in the film are a depiction of how several Presidents of USA have functioned in the recent past. Be it George W. Bush senior, or his son, or Bill Clinton – they all had one thing in common: they created wars playing on fear psychosis, just to divert attention from major issues troubling the nation and scandals they were personally involved in. In fact, President George W. Bush, when he set out to attack Iraq in 2003, used some of the dialogues from this film, the story of which is somewhat similar to his own story of lies and deceits.

The film may look like a satirical comedy, but it is conceived on important contemporary facts which have time and again proved to be true, especially in the US political history. Hence, the film is an important visual parody of the politics that our leaders and government play.

- Melwyn Pinto SJ

Tsotsi: Loss of childhood

We hear a lot about juvenile delinquencies and try to pass judgements on them, without understanding their background and circumstances in which they grew into delinquents. Tsotsi is a South African film that deals with this theme. It is the story of Tsotsi, a juvenile delinquent. He has become so due to various circumstances surrounding his upbringing in dire poverty.

In the film, though, he is faced with a peculiar situation. While trying to steal a car, he realises that he has got a baby as bonus in the car. He has no choice but to take care of the little one. He uses his gun and muscle power to force people around him, especially a mother of a new-born, into taking care of the kid. In the meantime, he has to make a lot of compromises on his ‘profession’ of extorting people. In the end, though, his real human nature comes to the fore.

Director: Gavin Hood

Film Clip

What is unique about this film is that it suggests even deviants as having a human face. No-one by nature can be bad. There is some goodness in all of us and different crucial circumstances bring forth that goodness in all of us. In fact, he seems to regain his lost childhood in the company of the new-found baby.

The film is indeed a class art for more than one reason. The camera work is smooth and uninterrupting. The narration too has its beauty, in that it does not tend to overdo the crime décor of the theme. Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) captures our attention, despite him being an ‘anti-social entity’. The film has a unique touch of Zulu culture in most parts, especially in the Kwaito background score.   

- Melwyn Pinto SJ