My friends were doing some spring cleaning the other day and they found an old copy of this video. For grins, we decided to toss back a Coke and whiskey or two and watch it. It was a blast! That movie is one of the most insane pieces of propaganda you will ever see. Some of the technical aspects are pretty good too, especially the parts shot in film. But wow, some of the writing was just incredible! We would look at each other in disbelief, thinking, "Did they really just say that?"
One of the most interesting aspects of the video was the modern-day Dinah story that comprises the second half. As a piece of propaganda, I must say it was masterful. There were tons of places where the viewer was clearly expected to nod approvingly or (much more often) humph in righteous disapproval. For example, when a girl in school asks our heroine for help with her homework assignment, the conversation goes like this:
Worldly girl: Like, I so need to get a good grade on this assignment! You have to help me.
Witness girl: Why do you need a good grade, are you failing?
Worldly girl: (scoffs) No, so I can get into college.
At this point, of course, it is painfully obvious that we the audience are expected to go, "Ohhhhh, college. Yep. Worldly. Bad. Makes sense that a worldly girl would want to go to college." They actually played the "college marks a person as worldly" card several times, which made me wonder what people think about the video when they see it now. Take the next scene for example, when our hero eats lunch with her three new worldy friends after being praised in class for her poem.
Girl 1: Oh my God, you have some real talent there. You could really do something with it!
Witness girl: Do something? Like what?
Girl 2: Hello? Scholarships!
Girl 3: Ca-reer!
Girl 4: Money?!
Girl 3: Boys!
Girl 4: Money!
Girls 3 and 4 high-five across the table as our heroine looks forlorn.
This scene really cracked me up. As if people would be high-fiving about that. And I love how they throw in scholarships and careers with the evil things that pursuing her talent could lead to. Yes, using your talents to actually do something with your life is obviously wrong. You can just see the spirits of hundreds of thousands of young Witnesses being crushed before your eyes.
Their depiction of non-Witnesses was really amusing. Throughout the drama, the kids at school were presented as witty, happy, comfortable with themselves, smart, and college-bound. Our heroine is portrayed as solitary and self-absorbed. She constantly wears a depressed face and looks off into the distance, seeming to hope for Armageddon to come and wipe her out. Seriously, I couldn't believe that this was their own depiction.
There were some other really funny scenes, like the total Leave It To Beaver introduction to our heroine's parents. The camera starts on the street close on a "Sold" real estate sign. As we pull back, we find Dad plucking it out of the ground, grunting charmingly as it comes loose. From the garden, Mom chides, "Honey, your back!" As we pan up to the bedroom window, our permanently depressed heroine casts her sad gaze into the distance.
The insert scenes from the high school hallway were great, too. In one, we see the English teacher step out from some side corridor with an pile of papers stuffed under his arm. As a young ruffian skateboards by, the papers are knocked into a chaotic flurry and our hapless teacher shouts powerlessly after the long-gone worldly kid.
Anyway, all in all, it was a great time. I highly recommend it if you want to review how crazy the Witnesses are. We're going to watch The Organization Behind the Name next. That one promises to be even better.
SNG