Relation to Marxism

Whilst watching this movie recently, I struck me that Anthony Hopkins' character and his views are very close to Marxism.

Hunter Gatherers
When describing his wall painting to Cuba Gooding Jnr, he talks about the primitive man, the hunter gatherers. Marx's analysis of history mirrors this completetly. Marxism calls this epoch of history "Primitive Communism". Hopkins actually explains Marx's analysis to Gooding Jnr. He talks about how they "never took more land than they needed", and that they "shared" and "never declared war". They didn't stockpile food, they simply took what they "needed". Then, the 'takers' came and changed all that.

'Takers'
Throughout the film, Hopkins calls Gooding Jnr a 'taker', along with the majority of the people in the world. This is because they enforce control, and subordinate people to their will. This can be translated in Marxist terms as the bourgeoisie, or even the capitalist/feudal/slave state. The 'takers' are the ruling class in every society. They 'take' from people, they exploit the majority of the people for their own ends. They 'take' their freedoms, through the various arms of the state (police, army etc).

'My Illusions'
After pinning down Gooding Jnr on the table and telling him to write what he has taken away from him, he finally realises he has taken away his illusions. His illusions of wealth, career, material possessions etc. In Marxist terms, this can be identified as a person's class consciousness. For example, working class people have illusions such as a new fancy car etc. But Hopkins was trying to make the point that these are just illusions, and Gooding Jnr should really try and understand what is actually happening in the real world.

'Freedom'
Gooding Jnr - "You're free to go"
Hopkins - "Am I? Are you?"

This also has something to do with illusions. If we live in America, or Britain or France, we think we live in a 'free' society. But Marxism questions that. As Marx said, "The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them." If this is the maximum amount of democracy we hold, are we free? Or is Gooding Jnr trapped?

Strategy
When Gooding Jnr asks Hopkins what to do in the world, how to resolve the problems etc, he doesn't give a clear cut answer. He says, "We have only one thing to give up. Our dominion. We don't own the world. We're not kings yet. Not gods. Can we give that up? Too precious, all that control? Too tempting, being a god?"

Although on the face of it he is referring to animals, "we" can be interpreted to mean the bourgeoisie. Hopkins frequently claims how he was a 'taker'. "Too precious, all that control?" is a clear example of my explanation. Capitalists do own the world, but shouldn't. The whole population of the world should. Another world is possible, and for that to be achieved, the small elite who currently make the decisions have to give up that control.

If you feed a terrorist or fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist George W. Bush