I discussed this new movie with Marc Gafni Friday afternoon.
Marc: "It’s a rare movie that understands the subtlety and complexity of both masculine shadow and feminine shadow."
Luke: As a religious person, I felt like I shouldn’t enjoy the movie. It was so sadistic. All the leading characters were bad doing bad things to each other. I felt like I was at the Roman coliseum. It made me sick that I was feeling entertained at watching people behave so badly.
I interviewed producer Mary Aloe earlier in the day. Her movie "Battle in Seattle" is in theaters. It is about the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle. I have no sympathy for the rioters but at least they believed in something greater than themselves. If any of the leading characters in "Burn After Reading" had believed in something greater than themselves, they wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble.
People who believe in something transcendent are not necessarily better for the world (what if they believe in something bad such as Nazism or communism?), but having a cause will often save people from their own destructive tendencies.
Anyone with a strong sense of boundaries would’ve been saved from destruction.
Luke Ford is the author of five books, including:
» Rebel Without a Shul, » The Producers: Profiles in Frustration » Yesterday’s News Tomorrow: Inside American Jewish Journalism
Read Luke’s autobiography here. Pictures. Fiction. Contact info. Facebook. Press. Twitter.
Luke Ford discusses the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Rabbs every Monday at 7pm PST on my live cam and YouTube.
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