Borat

On Monday after The Platform meeting, myself, Kev, Paul (YAY! He’s back!), Phil and both the Askews went to see Borat:Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

First off, I want to encourage you all to see it!

I haven’t laughed as loud or as hard as that in ages! My sides actually hurt! No joke!

I could spend time going into the plot of the movie or the funniest bits but I want people to find that out themselves by seeing it…one warning…a few people have been offended by the film, although I personally think that if you are offended by it, then you have missed the point of the film.

What I wanted to say, is a few things that me and Ben Askew have talked about since seeing the movie…

and it’s something which could been seen as quite controversial…

Are there similarities between Borat and Jesus?

As we talked about it, we saw that the people that society deemed the ‘elite’ and the ‘normals’ (e.g. Posh people, politicians, feminists etc.) were the people offended by Borat and his culture but the people that embraced him for him were the supposed ’scum’ (e.g idiot college students, gang of black guys and a black old fat prostitute)

We thought that was a real comparison with Jesus, who was hated by the ‘elite’ but loved by the ’scum’

Also, a scene that was a real shining moment in the film is where he invites the prostitute to a posh dinner party at some posh people’s house in Georgia and the people instantly got offended that a prostitute was in their house…they instantly stood up and told Borat to leave and then said that they had phoned the police (WHY?!) But the bit that said a lot was that the first person to get up and leave before anyone else had spoke of leaving was the pastor of the church in the area!

Then, Borat takes the prostitute (her name is Luenell) and goes dancing with her and has a fun evening with her, then drops her home and doesn’t “do” anything with her…but the big moment is when they say goodnight she is the first and last person in America in the whole film who manages to say his name right. I personally saw this as a big statement.

The final thing I wanted to say was a really poignant moment was where Borat had lost his money, his passport, his friend, his bear, his ice cream van had run out of petrol and he was down and out. Borat slept on a doorstep and in the morning we the audience learn that he is outside a church and the poignant bit was where all these Christians walked round him and over him to get into church. Me and Ben were talking about the similarities between this and the parable of the good Samaritan story that Jesus tells in Luke chapter 10.

You may disagree with me and think that I’m hell bound for even daring to say Borat and Jesus in the same sentence but that is why there is a comments bit…its for you to judge me!

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 Uncategorized

14 Comments to Borat

Amen brother!

Beth on November 8th, 2006

BULLET POINT I see what you’re getting at

BULLET POINT However I feel that you are ignoring fairly large bits of Borats outlook and his way of living life (I know I’m being obvious here, but I don’t even care). Also, you have to take into account that they probably partly staged parts of the film, for instance they may have asked the people going into church to leave Borat alone while he was on the porch of the Church.

BULLET POINT He had also lost his chicken

BULLET POINT I don’t think it is for us to Judge you, I think the big guy has got that covered.

BULLET POINT I’ve just typed that stright out as I’m running out of break time. I apologise if there are any errors in grammar or spelling or opinion.

Paul on November 8th, 2006

BULLET POINT RESPONSE I haven’t missed Borat’s overall outlook etc…thats why i said there are similarities between him and Jesus and didn’t say he was Jesus! ha ha!

BULLET POINT RESPONSE According to the interweb (wikipedia) none of the scenes are staged although pamela anderson and her people were in on the ending and the prostitute lady was an actress

Gareth on November 8th, 2006

BULLET POINT RESPONSE RESPONSE I didn’t actually say you had missed Borat’s overall oulook etc, merely that you had ignored it.

BULLET POINT RESPONSE RESPONSE Wikipedia defines nothing, anyone could have written that. Maybe you wrote it? I don’t even know that.

Paul on November 9th, 2006

high five…

the real Phil Brown on November 9th, 2006

*Slap*

Beth on November 9th, 2006

SHOCK HORROR: I have found a spin off…a child if you will, of….Wikipedia.
It’s called Wikiquote and has quotes from loads of famous people….
I bet now that i’ve told you this you’re going to tell me it’s old news. Ahwell. I’m excited.

Beth on November 10th, 2006

WOW!

Next they will have a website where you can type in a word and it will look or search for websites to do with that word. We could call it a searchy dealee site? I think name it after a really big number…like a google?

Man, what an idea!