[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

That is absolutely not what I am doing. Not at all.

The film certainly deals with anti-semitic themes, but that does not make the movie hateful. Many of the film's characters are ignorant and racist, but that doesn't make the film so.

As I'm sure you know, the film is based on true events. In real life Sarsgaard's character was Jewish. It's not racism or antisemitism, it's a fact of life. They didn't choose to make the character Jewish to make some point - to propagate hateful sentiments or anti-semitic messages. If a black man robbed a 7-11, would you call the nightly news racist for reporting that a black man robed a 7-11. If a white man murdered his wife and kids would you call the news racist or bigoted for reporting that a white man murdered his wife and kids?

Hornby has talked openly about how he struggled with the idea of changing the truth. There was talk of changing Sarsgaard's character so that he wasn't Jewish. Ultimately, it was decided that changing the facts would be more offensive and insulting to the audience and to the Jewish community. This was even discussed with the films original director - a Jew.

It's a period film. At that point in British history antisemitism was prevalent.
Would you rather they sugarcoat the truth? Would you rather they change or ignore these facts of time and place? Is it wrong to include them in a period film based on actual events? If the make a movie about OJ Simpson should they gloss over the murder trial and forget to mention that he got busted for robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas because some people might find it racist?

There are terrible people doing terrible things in all walks of life. All shapes, sizes, sexes, races and classes of people do shitty things. The opposite is also true. All shapes, sizes, sexes, races and classes of people do wonderful, glorious, heroic things. By depicting one you are negating the other. By telling one story you are not surrendering all others.

I'm sorry if the movie made you uncomfortable. If you dislike the movie because of it's themes, I understand and I can't blame you for that. They are tough themes. But that's the same reason why I don't recommend Happiness to everyone. The movie portrays a pedophile in a human, (at times even) compassionate light. Does that mean the film is advocating pedophilia? Absolutely not!

The same is true of An Education. It is dealing with certain themes, and certain character ideals, but as far as I can tell the artists involved are in no way condoning such attitudes and behaviors. The movie is not advocating antisemitism. The movie is not hateful. The film is not in agreement with it's more ignorant characters.

Is Crash a hateful film? Is Schindler's List? Is Roots?

Just because a character behaves a certain way - a way that is true to life, that is based in fact - does not mean that the film advocates that behavior. If that were the case, then I suppose The Silence Of The Lambs is racist against Caucasians because it portrays all middle-aged white men as serial killers.