also known as Aftenlandet
Evening Land1977
Recognition
What makes this film worth watching?
Posits "...that even the most leftist state is one chain of events away from a right-wing takeover." - Sam Adams, Philadelphia City Paper
1 member likes this review
For an American, living in a land where the rights of workers have been severely curtailed, where even the most left of major media would appear right-wing by European standards, where any suggestion that workers might have a voice in choosing not to produce weapons would be considered an assault on the "ideals" of free market capitalism, where our courts have handed democracy to the rich oligarchs on a silver platter, and where even local police are as well armed as most militaries, this film, as dated as it might be, it is still a bit of an eye-opener. Memories in this country are very shallow. We have forgotten how far the political march to the right has taken us. We have forgotten what we have lost.
Peter Watkins and the others associated with producing this film are to be complemented. The use of non-actors, often speaking in their own voices, and in their own words, gives this fiction and documentary style and sense of reality that is seldom seen in hours sleek Hollywood productions. This film demonstrates that movies can lead to thinking as well as feeling, that emotion can be guided toward productive thought. Powerful stuff.
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Member Reviews (2)
For an American, living in a land where the rights of workers have been severely curtailed, where even the most left of major media would appear right-wing by European standards, where any suggestion that workers might have a voice in choosing not to produce weapons would be considered an assault on the "ideals" of free market capitalism, where our courts have handed democracy to the rich oligarchs on a silver platter, and where even local police are as well armed as most militaries, this film, as dated as it might be, it is still a bit of an eye-opener. Memories in this country are very shallow. We have forgotten how far the political march to the right has taken us. We have forgotten what we have lost.
Peter Watkins and the others associated with producing this film are to be complemented. The use of non-actors, often speaking in their own voices, and in their own words, gives this fiction and documentary style and sense of reality that is seldom seen in hours sleek Hollywood productions. This film demonstrates that movies can lead to thinking as well as feeling, that emotion can be guided toward productive thought. Powerful stuff.
Having seen what happened at the G8 demonstration in Toronto and how the Occupy movement was treated by the mainstream press, police and those in governance I do not see any difference between what Peter Watkins shows us of police brutality against peaceful demonstrators. Living in Canada which usually is a progressive country and having seen how quickly that changed with our federal Conservative government led by Stephen Harper I understand how quickly a centre left democracy can descend into near fascism. Peter Watkins does a great job in this film of depicting a fictional scenario but that mirrors reality using direct cinema techniques and a realist style including non-actors and actresses. Some people even mistake this film for a documentary. That is the genius of Peter Watkins.