MovieChat Forums > Zardoz (1974) Discussion > What this movie's about with evidence fr...

What this movie's about with evidence from the film


The movie's about what happens to a society/nation/planet when liberal fascism takes control: The Leftwing intelligentsia lives in secure commune-like enclaves (like celebs in our society), enjoying superior technology, lazy comforts and nigh-immortality wherein the women are controlling and the men decidedly effeminate.

The deplorable “Brutals” live in the “Outlands” while the hippie-ish “Eternals” control them through hireling Brutals who are provided guns by the Eternals and dubbed “Exterminators,” which would be the liberal utopia’s police or military.

Of course, only the Brutals are allowed guns, not the common people, which is reminiscent of the Nazi police. And the Eternals are sure to keep the population down through the power they hold.

No wonder Lib critics panned the film when it came out.

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I'm editing the movie frame by frame, replacing Zed's head with Trump's.

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The movie will take on even more layers of meaning!

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Good explanation.

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I don't think the intention was to show that.

I think Zardoz is deeper than just a political allegory.

There's a lot in the film about the value of the finite, for example. Facing death is part of the themes here.

I just think it's a bit too thoughtful to boil down to "Liberals are fascists."

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I didn't say the movie boils down to "Liberals are fascists," I said: "The movie's about what happens to a society/nation/planet when liberal fascism takes control." I was talking about the radical Left and its inevitable bad fruit. I then gave evidence from the film itself to support this interpretation, which is pretty self-evident.

When Leftwing fascism takes control of the society the elite are characterized by lazy art/culture-obsessed effeminate men controlled by their headstrong women in their Commune-like enclaves (gated communities). Only their Nazi-like police are permitted to have guns while the deplorable populace is unarmed and subservient. This is all glaring in the flick, as explained.

Does it go deeper? Sure, I never said it didn't.

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Thank you for clarifying your points. Because the thread was titled "What this movie's about ..." I sort of thought you meant that this was either the only real point of the movie or that it was the main point of the movie and I didn't really agree with that.

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Fascism is inherently right-wing, so there's a problem with your "analysis".

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You'll note I specified the type of fascism I was talking with the word 'Liberal.' The English 'fascism' comes from the Italian word fascio, meaning "a bundle" and symbolizes unity. Fascists radically unify around something and then use manipulation and even brutal force to get everyone else to comply or, at least, be silent if they object.

The problem in America today – and Western civilization in general – isn't Rightwing fascism, but rather Leftwing fascism. For instance, Conservatives & Independents could care less if Libs refuse to own a gun, hate meat, or if they giddily want to get perpetual experimental vaccines/boosters that don't work; it's their choice. Live and let live. Liberals, by contrast, want to force the lawful prohibition of guns, end meat products, and mandate dubious vaccines at the threat of losing one's job and not being able to fly, etc.

Why aren't Conservative speakers (or any voice that doesn't tow the Liberal line) permitted to speak at events at state Universities? When they are in rare cases, there are radical protests and they're forced to back out. How on Earth does an ugly rotund dude win a beauty contest in New Hampshire? It's Liberal fascism.

Leftwing fascists naturally say they’re anti-fascist, but their united ideology & actions involve dictatorial control and palpable suppression of opposition, which is the definition of fascism. The centralized autocratic government that Far Left fascists bow to may not be an actual nation, but a a more ambiguous shadow government, the global-oriented cabal or Deep State/New World Order (e.g. UN, WEF, etc.), which is a dictatorial power. They also rally around subcultures (e.g. LGBTQ) and identity/racial politics. When such forces overtake a nation, as increasingly witnessed in modern America, Leftwing fascism abounds.

Saying Lefties can't be fascist is like saying people of color can't be racist. Both are laughable concepts.

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According to John Boorman himself as quoted in Famous Monster of Filmland #111 from 1974, you are absolutely correct, although you go into more detail than does Boorman.

https://i.imgur.com/tBYeyoS.png

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I saw it when I was younger and wasn't very impressed. Seeing it again four years ago -- wow -- I 'got' it (and it's actually pretty glaring).

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I was aware of it for years before I saw it at about 14 on late night TV. Back then my appreciation was just for horseback warriors in cool masks killing people and a giant flying stone head and bare boobs, but I too realized the true message as an adult.

Zardoz is one of the ONLY apocalyptic/dystopian movies that is not told from a Leftist point of view, and in fact utterly savages that entire mindset.

Boorman was kind of like a prophet in many ways with this movie. You have the reversal of gender roles, even a process very similar to internet cancelling and so much more that we can draw parallels to in the real world today.

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Oh shit, he's posted an actual quote from Boorman that proves Zardoz is anti-leftist.

~reads quote~

Um... it actually says literally nothing to support what you said. You are projecting your own biases into it.

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Online, epub/pdf: https://archive.org/details/Famous_Monsters_of_Filmland_111_1974_c2c_Pmack

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Not that good, I knew most of that. Just read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zardoz#Plot
They include pics of Zed and Consuella aging naturally but label them "renegades"!

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