r-c-s Review of Forces occultes

Forces occultes (1943)

Very interesting movie disparaged for political reason

[7/10 · 13 December 2008]

The biggest problem with this movie is that it comes from those who lost the war, and therefore intellectual giants deem it necessary to join the winners oozing joy about filmmakers being put to jail or executed by militia...which is funny, because if the other party had won the war, these very same highly discerning individuals would probably be wearing toothbrush mustaches and goose-stepping to show those in power how much they care. I watched it because it was advertised as platinum specimen of hatred, but honestly that's not what I've found. Naive parliamentarian who wants what's good (in his opinion), abhors corruption and backstage dealing and criticizes them vehemently is approached by more experienced colleagues who want to 'channel' his impetuousness. So he joins a masonic lodge thinking that those people -after all- want progress as much as he does, but do so adhering to some bizarre protocol. Once enlisted, he discovers all the 'inner circle' is about is covering up one another's dirty deeds, and he's flooded with requests for petty favors. When war rumors spread, he confronts his associates who depict the upcoming war as a picnic...as a result he's assaulted and stabbed by henchmen of the fraternity, while newspapers proceed to assassinate his character claiming the assault arose out of matters of sexual (mis)conduct or drug abuse, and label him a psychopath. The short (40mins) amateurish movie is no hatred artwork at all...or perhaps some think there are no 'inner circles' and backstage deals of that amplitude in politics... Sure, there are flashes of newsstands details financial scandals, hinting that the 'inner circle' is covering up for his members...hardly surprising, especially after thousands of billions 'mysteriously' gone to waste these last months. In 1943 it wasn't considered 'propaganda', but a 'documentary', much like many of today's AAA+ productions. It's short and to the point.