I published a new In the Frame piece at Escapist Magazine this evening. This one covers something that I’ve wanted to talk about for a little while, which is the interesting aspect of this year’s recurring theme of class warfare that runs through works as diverse as Joker, Hustlers, Ready or Not, Succession, Parasite and Knives Out.
To be fair, it is not unusual to see this sort of tension playing out on the big screen. After all, American cinema has long been fascinated by working class con men and hucksters getting one over on the wealthy establishment. However, what distinguishes the recent crop of media exploring this theme is the recurring suggestion that the wealthy are not especially sharp. Historically, the rich have been portrayed as canny and suave – often dangerous adversaries because of their ruthlessness and relentlessness. What is interesting about the class warfare dimension of this year’s films is the way in which money and success often seem to have coddled the wealthy leaving them surprisingly naive and foolish despite their arrogance and privilege.
You can read the piece here, or click the picture below.
Filed under: Movies | Tagged: hustlers, joker, knives out, parasite, privilege, social darwinism, Succession, wealth |
the m0vie blog 
Will you be writing a review of Parasite on your blog? I’m really interesting in reading your thoughts and analysis of the movie.
I had planned to, but things got away from me over the past few weeks. I had a bereavement the week before last, and jury duty last week, followed by the Dublin Film Festival this week. While not being able to write as much as I’d like is far from the most serious consequence of all this, it has curtailed some of my plans. (I also didn’t get a chance to write up my review of Dark Waters.)
Although we did get a chance to discuss it on our podcast, The 250.
I will try to listen to the podcast next weekend when I have some free time at home.
Thanks! Sorry about not having a proper formal review.