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From: jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: The Gods Must be Crazy
Message-ID: <367@rtech.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 10-May-85 02:36:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtech.367
Posted: Fri May 10 02:36:04 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 14-May-85 07:17:24 EDT
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Distribution: net
Organization: Relational Technology, Berkeley CA
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> I too thoroughly enjoyed this movie; the humor was a bit cliched in places,
> but over-all I thought it was one of the funnier movies I saw this year.
> My enjoyment was tempered, however, by nagging suspicions that the movie
> had racist overtones.  A review in one of the local papers accused the movie
> of being patronizing to African blacks--the term "noble savage" was bandied
> about in the review in a derogatory fashion.  Personally, I didn't find the
> movie racist; it seems to me that fundamental human traits, rather than
> stereotypically "black" traits, were being parodied.
> 
> Any discussion, netlanders?
> 
> Rance Cleaveland

The character of !i (the bushman who takes the Coke bottle to the edge of the
world) is a foil for the other, more "civilised" characters.  The main theme
of the movie is that people in technological society spend their lives rushing
about like ants.  It was necessary for !i to be a "noble savage" to make
everyone else seem ridiculous.

Reviewers like the one mentioned above take life too seriously.  "The Gods Must
Be Crazy" is a *comedy*.  The main idea was to make people laugh.  I don't
think it was trying to make any deep statement.  If the movie had any message,
it was that people make their lives too complicated.

I doubt that the racism issue would have come up at all if the movie were not
made in South Africa.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

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