-Caveat Lector-
from:
http://www.zolatimes.com/V2.44/pageone.html
<A HREF="http://www.zolatimes.com/V2.44/pageone.html">Laissez Faire City Times
- Volume 2 Issue 44</A>
The Laissez Faire City Times
December 28, 1998 - Volume 2, Issue 44
Editor & Chief: Emile Zola
-----
ANTZ
a movie review by Karen De Coster
ANTZ is a splendid movie: a kick in the collectivist butt. In fact, the
writers seem to have been inspired by Ayn Rand's Anthem. The lead ant
(Woody Allen as "Z") is the film's answer to Rand's "Equality 7-2521,"
the rugged individualist caught up in a statist system. Except that Z is
a whining nebbish of an insect, encumbered with Woody Allen's neurotic
personality instead of Equality 7-2521's strong, silent resourcefulness.
However, Z does embody one worthy personality trait--he refuses to
conform to the "ideal" of the worker who is "not to think, but rather,
to sacrifice for the good of the colony."
The ant heap where Z lives is sort of a North Korean communist monarchy.
The Queen is the supreme ruler over two rigidly stratified tiers of
ants. Soldiers come first, and workers second. Communist propaganda
abounds throughout the colony. Posters hang in the dark, forlorn
tunnels, for example, exhorting the workers to "conquer idleness," and
reminding them that "freetime is for training."
Every ant's place in society is determined at birth, when they are still
larvae. The strong are sent off to train as soldiers and fight wars for
"the good of the colony," while the weaker are given numbers instead of
names, and ordered to a mindless life in the tunnels, pickaxe in hand.
Again, this is reminiscent of Rand's Anthem, where the totalitarian
leaders determine, when the children are very young, exactly how they
will serve the state as adults.
Z was sentenced to a life in the tunnels. But he feels he's not cut out
to be a worker, and muses of a better place, a world where individual
lives matter. Then he discovers that there is indeed a libertarian
paradise for bugs known as Insectopia, where they can live in peaceful
harmony without war or oppression, and where individual sovereignty
reigns. Meanwhile, Z has fallen in love with the restless Princess Bala,
who has some doubts about her own future as inheriting ruler of the
colony.
When Z escapes with the uncooperative princess by his side, he is
pursued by the colony's military leader, General Mandible. As Z and the
princess finally reach the wonders of Insectopia, actually a quiet park
nestled in the bosom of the big city, it is reminiscent of Rand's
Equality 7-2521 entering the Uncharted Forest and discovering the House
of the Unmentionable Times and with it, the intellectual wonders of
times past.
Gene Hackman does a brilliant voiceover as the blood-and-guts general
and future husband of the princess. He declares war against a
neighboring termite colony after convincing the queen that the
termites--who have no such plans--want to destroy the ants and are about
to attack. In reality, he wants to use an unjust war as cover to kill
all the worker ants, take power, and build a thoroughly militarist
colony. But when it dawns upon the worker ants that they control the
means of production--the soldiers being non-producers---they rally
against the oppressive power of the state and, led by Z, mount a
successful revolution to squash the general.
All in all, ANTZ is a wonderful celebration of individual triumph. It
honors nonconformity, freedom of choice, and the courage of one
individual to lead a revolt against oppressive rulers. One of the
stellar lines from the movie is delivered by Z as he sits at a bar
watching his fellow workers in a regimented line dance. He calls them "a
bunch of mindless zombies capitulating to an oppressive society." This
film, like Anthem, shows why we mustn't be ants either.
-30-
from The Laissez Faire City Times, Vol 2, No 44, December 28, 1998
-----
The Laissez Faire City Times is a private newspaper. Although it is
published by a corporation domiciled within the sovereign domain of
Laissez Faire City, it is not an "official organ" of the city or its
founding trust. Just as the New York Times is unaffiliated with the city
of New York, the City Times is only one of what may be several news
publications located in, or domiciled at, Laissez Faire City proper. For
information about LFC, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Published by
Laissez Faire City Netcasting Group, Inc.
Copyright 1998 - Trademark Registered with LFC Public Registrar
All Rights Reserved
-----
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
Omnia Bona Bonis,
All My Relations.
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
Kris
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