Answers that Civil War Daydream ..... What if?
Added 10/25/2009
I first caught the tail end of this movie on cable and I was determined to see the whole thing through uninterrupted. It is a shocking, satirical, humorous and insightful flick presented as a contemporary documentary. It is time set as if the viewer is in an alternate universe under the premise that the outcome of the Civil War had flipped. It rewrites the ramifications of how we would be affected by the alternative outcome from past all the way to the present day. It has even cleverly "spoofed" modern TV commercials with genuine racially insensitive products from the historical past. It demonstrates the genius of Spike Lee and the creativity of his team. Well done and a good rental. Leaves ample room for reflection.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A new definition of "black humor"
Added 10/1/2009
When we originally rented this film, we had no idea what was coming. We're fans of Harry Turtledove's alternate-history novels, so we thought it would be a similar work. Boy, were we wrong! Without giving away too much, suffice it to say that this is the most hilarious (and uncomfortably accurate) piece of uncompromising political incorrectness we've ever seen.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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a brutal, squirm-inducing satire
Added 9/15/2009
"CSA" takes the format of the broadcast of a faux British documentary about the history of slavery in the CS after the War of Northern Aggression. It's punctuated with commercials that suggest what life would be like in a society that has thoroughly integrated slavery into its basic structure.
Contrary to what some reviewers claim, the documentary is a coherent, well-worked-out speculative history of what might have happened if the South had won. Some of it is based on what the South did, or wanted to do (the invasion and subjugation of South America, for example); most of the rest seems plausible, if only in terms of "human nature".
Several reviewers correctly pointed out that all the South wanted was the right to continue to spread slavery to states entering the Union, and that it had no /intention/ of conquering the North. This overlooks the fact that the only way it could have had what it wanted was by overthrowing the US government and seizing power. The South /did/ invade the North, and had it seized Washington, it's unlikely it would have simply walked away from the opportunity to take control. Would you?
If you're expecting an SNL or MAD TV sketch, you'll be disappointed. Though there are slap-your-knee/laugh-out-loud moments, the subject matter and its basically serious presentation prevent most of it from being amusing.
Highly recommended, if you have the stomach for this sort of thing.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Totaly Whacked
Added 9/11/2009
Absolutely off the wall movie, makes the satirical racial comedy Blazing Saddles look tame. Imagine building the cotton curtain between the U.S. and Canada as Canada is our enemy. How about Hitler coming over during WWII to visit the U.S. as a allie and trying to encourage us to use the final soluiton while we try to convince him of the benefits of Slavery. This film may be way out but when you see the comparisons of the racial commercials with the ones they show at the end that realy happened, Whoa! And then the narator is a black women, yikes. This is a twisty nutso flick definatly not for everyone. You need to be a little bent to enjoy it.
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Outlandish SATIRE, not supposed to be historicaly accurate
Added 8/20/2009
Folks here trying to point out inaccuracies in the alternate history that unfolds when the CSA wins the Civil War are missing the point. Any chaos theoretician will tell you that a slight change to a system will result in massive change years later--in the "real" CSA there would probably never be a war with Japan, or the Nixon/Kennedy debate, etc. So what! A true examination of alternate history this is not, but I'm a hard-core history buff, and I was extremely entertained by this piece. It's a hoot to see footage of the Berlin Wall going up, used to illustrate the "Cotton Wall" between the US and Canada!
This was meant as a very biting satire of American culture, race, and slavery. It succeeds on that level. The only, and minor, complaint I have is that the low budget of this highly ambitious production occasionally spoils its "reality."
Also, some folks here presume this is some sort of Spike Lee production, which is not the case. Lee was asked to put his name on it as a "presented by" for marketing purposes, a seal of approval thing, much like Tarentino has his name on some Chinese action films. This piece is entirely Kevin Willmott's baby, he's a professor in the Film Studies Department of Kansas University.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Answers that Civil War Daydream ..... What if?
Added 10/25/2009
I first caught the tail end of this movie on cable and I was determined to see the whole thing through uninterrupted. It is a shocking, satirical, humorous and insightful flick presented as a contemporary documentary. It is time set as if the viewer is in an alternate universe under the premise that the outcome of the Civil War had flipped. It rewrites the ramifications of how we would be affected by the alternative outcome from past all the way to the present day. It has even cleverly "spoofed" modern TV commercials with genuine racially insensitive products from the historical past. It demonstrates the genius of Spike Lee and the creativity of his team. Well done and a good rental. Leaves ample room for reflection.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A new definition of "black humor"
Added 10/1/2009
When we originally rented this film, we had no idea what was coming. We're fans of Harry Turtledove's alternate-history novels, so we thought it would be a similar work. Boy, were we wrong! Without giving away too much, suffice it to say that this is the most hilarious (and uncomfortably accurate) piece of uncompromising political incorrectness we've ever seen.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
a brutal, squirm-inducing satire
Added 9/15/2009
"CSA" takes the format of the broadcast of a faux British documentary about the history of slavery in the CS after the War of Northern Aggression. It's punctuated with commercials that suggest what life would be like in a society that has thoroughly integrated slavery into its basic structure.
Contrary to what some reviewers claim, the documentary is a coherent, well-worked-out speculative history of what might have happened if the South had won. Some of it is based on what the South did, or wanted to do (the invasion and subjugation of South America, for example); most of the rest seems plausible, if only in terms of "human nature".
Several reviewers correctly pointed out that all the South wanted was the right to continue to spread slavery to states entering the Union, and that it had no /intention/ of conquering the North. This overlooks the fact that the only way it could have had what it wanted was by overthrowing the US government and seizing power. The South /did/ invade the North, and had it seized Washington, it's unlikely it would have simply walked away from the opportunity to take control. Would you?
If you're expecting an SNL or MAD TV sketch, you'll be disappointed. Though there are slap-your-knee/laugh-out-loud moments, the subject matter and its basically serious presentation prevent most of it from being amusing.
Highly recommended, if you have the stomach for this sort of thing.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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