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Roland Emmerich: Ein Spätentwickler wettert los ("Day After Tomorrow" Director Hates Bush-MUST READ)
RP Online via Tim Blair ^ | May 28, 2004 | "werner"

Posted on 05/27/2004 10:04:24 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War

Roland Emmerich, the German director of "The Day after Tomorrow" made these illuminating remarks in interviews in the German press. It says a lot about him but also about the Hollywood mindset.

Here is the German original, the translation of the excerpt is mine. Do you think he would say this to American audiences?

Q: Will the anti-Bush mood outside of America be conducive to the success of the film?

A: I had no idea that Bush would get up to all the things he did eventually. During the last election campaign I was already writing the script. I hope America comes to its senses. They have been so lied to by the government. For us Europeans this is crystal clear, but also for a few Americans. However there are still 50% of Americans who want to vote for Bush – this is absolutely inconceivable for me.

Q: Don´t you get into all kinds of trouble when you as a German take such a stand?

A: As I already told my mother, they probably won´t let me back in. (laughs)

Q: But you are not the only one fulminating against Bush. Many filmmakers think the same way.

A: That is indeed new and it is good. I admire colleagues who are commited to political awareness and engage in a critical discourse with people.

Q: The American people do not have the best reputation with regard to ecology. How environmentally conscious are the Americans really?

A: Totally, just not their government. Of course I can only speak for my friends. This may perhaps sound a bit elitist, but most of them drive an electric car. The Americans would approve if those on top would do more for the environment. But they never had a green party in the government which could have had some influence – in contrast to Germany. There is a great gap: Americans want to recycle. 78% of all people there are worried about the environment. But the government doesn´t see it that way. In the last election, the environmental candidate Al Gore had the consent of the regular voters, and only the electoral college finally changed it. I still think it was a family affair in Florda. There was something fishy about it.

Q: You seem to be downright furious.

A: But this all goes much further. With a policy of fear they tried to find a pretext to invade Iraq after September 11. The Americans were made insecure, to make them agree to that. The intelligent Americans are so appalled by what their president does, you cannot imagine it.

Q: Are these things really communicated in the open?

A: Yes, for the first time there are now open discussions.

Q: Whereas the infamous Patriot Act has even succeeded in muzzling media.

A: That is a giant problem. As soon as you criticize something, you are no longer a patriot. What about that? America is the oldest democracy in the world. Since then they have totally developed beckwards. Euope was most of the time under monarchic influence [sic], but is today three or four times as democratic as America. I hope this will soon change. I think that will work out.


And in a recent interview with the German Spiegel newsmagazine:

"We must not destroy our planet. The United States are the most powerful country, and there sits George W. Bush, a president who cares about nothing but oil. How different would the world be if the Democratic environmentalist politician Al Gore would have come to power? All this is hard to bear for me as a German. I never want to be an American."

Then he claims his next car will be a hybrid fuel/electric one, but asks: "Why does the industry build the ugliest bodies for hybrid cars? There is method behind it. They want to keep selling their expensive fuel models..."

Another newspaper writes that currently he still drives his "old" BMW.

It´s all there, isn´t it? I think this should be better known in the US.

Posted by: werner at May 28, 2004 at 07:32 AM


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Germany; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2004electionbias; activistactors; algorelostgetoverit; antiamericanism; boycott; boycotthollywood; bushhasser; campaignfinance; cfr; dayaftertomorrow; dnctalkingpoints; globalwarming; hollywoodleft; liberalwetdream; onforeignsoil; rolandemmerich; saddamite
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To: Dont Mention the War
Q: But you are not the only one fulminating against Bush. Many filmmakers think the same way.

A: That is indeed new and it is good. I admire colleagues who are commited to political awareness and engage in a critical discourse with people.

Really? Or is this a one way street that denies any conservative voice?

21 posted on 05/28/2004 4:49:46 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS. CNN ignored torture & murder in Saddam's Iraq to keep their Baghdad Bureau.)
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To: Jon Alvarez

PABAAH PING


22 posted on 05/28/2004 4:53:38 PM PDT by weegee (NO BLOOD FOR RATINGS. CNN ignored torture & murder in Saddam's Iraq to keep their Baghdad Bureau.)
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To: Dont Mention the War
Why does the industry build the ugliest bodies for hybrid cars? There is method behind it. They want to keep selling their expensive fuel models..."

Oh please. Considering the price of hybrids this is plain stupid.

But then so is the guy saying it,

23 posted on 05/28/2004 4:56:09 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Pax quaeritur bello (Latine loqui coactus sum))
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To: LadyDoc

Most of the "positive" reviews assume that the movie is aware of it's campiness.


24 posted on 05/28/2004 4:57:16 PM PDT by AmishDude (Well, *I* thought it was funny, and that's really all that matters.)
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To: Dont Mention the War
Let's see what is it that Germans did for the world in the twentieth century.

Oh, two world wars. Millions killed for German ambitions of dominating the world. Now that's contributing to humanity.

And what did America do in the twentieth century. Well for starters we stopped Germany twice, Japan once and the Soviets once. A couple hundred million people freed from tyranny.

21st century score so far, 25 million free Afghans, 25 million free Iraqis. You decide.
25 posted on 05/28/2004 4:57:25 PM PDT by snooker (John Flipping Kerry, the enemy's choice in Vietnam, the enemy's choice in Iraq.)
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To: mrustow
I've always remained silent in Patriot threads because I found it to be a very unsatisfying B movie.

Flame suit on.

26 posted on 05/28/2004 5:00:24 PM PDT by Petronski (They could choose between shame and war: Some chose shame, but got war anyway.)
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To: LadyDoc

It just occurred to me. The reviews that I have read have led me to one comparison. "Day After Tomorrow" has the same effect on audiences as "Springime for Hitler".


27 posted on 05/28/2004 5:01:31 PM PDT by AmishDude (Well, *I* thought it was funny, and that's really all that matters.)
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To: Dont Mention the War

BTW, your screenname is so appropriate if you are a Fawlty Towers fan.


28 posted on 05/28/2004 5:02:19 PM PDT by AmishDude (Well, *I* thought it was funny, and that's really all that matters.)
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To: Dont Mention the War

Considering that in the movie the VP is a rather obvious left-wing caricature of the evil, manipulative Dick Cheney and the President is depicted as an indecisive, clueless idiot, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the director isn't a big fan of the administration.


29 posted on 05/28/2004 5:03:39 PM PDT by jpl ("You can go to a restaurant in New York City and meet a foreign leader."- John Kerry)
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To: Dont Mention the War
For us Europeans this is crystal clear,

About as crystal clear as Hitler!

30 posted on 05/28/2004 5:06:25 PM PDT by lonestar (Me, too!--Weinie)
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To: AmishDude
BTW, your screenname is so appropriate if you are a Fawlty Towers fan.

That's where I got it from. :)

31 posted on 05/28/2004 5:13:14 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
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To: Dont Mention the War

I thought you did.


32 posted on 05/28/2004 5:26:27 PM PDT by AmishDude (Well, *I* thought it was funny, and that's really all that matters.)
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To: Dont Mention the War
The intelligent Americans are so appalled by what their president does, you cannot imagine it.

Yes, all the "intelligent people" who produce absolutely nothing and are merely parasites, yes, they are appalled. However, those of us who actually make things and produce things and keep this country moving, we just laugh at the vain "intelligent people".

33 posted on 05/28/2004 5:54:14 PM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: Petronski
I've always remained silent in Patriot threads because I found it to be a very unsatisfying B movie.

Flame suit on.

I didn't see the movie until a year or two ago, on TV. A lot of FReepers liked it because it was, well, patriotic, but dumb is dumb. If someone panders to my politics, he's still pandering, and I don't need cheap boosts to my self-esteem.

Apparently, Emmerich is able to pander now right, now left. He's the Hollywood equivalent of a pimp.

34 posted on 05/29/2004 6:43:31 AM PDT by mrustow
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