Tea at Trianon: Seven Politically Incorrect Films

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, September 6, 2013

Seven Politically Incorrect Films

Some must-see films, according to the Intercollegiate Review:

So your local googolplex is showing only Ice Age XXII and Jackass in 5D. Time to invite over those friends with whom you do nothing but culture war for some streaming over Huluflix. Make sure your choice of film guarantees some “interesting” discussions after the credits. A few suggestions:

Starship Troopers (1997)
In the future, Earth is an imperial war machine colonizing planets throughout the galaxy. To make matters more interesting, citizenship is not a right but a privilege earned—most often in battle, by men and women. The more scars, the more opportunities for advancement. Perfect for that friend who thought Fahrenheit 9/11 was a documentary.

Unbreakable (2000)
On the surface, this live-action comic book depicts with great solemnity the birth of a superhero and his archnemesis. But scratch that surface and you will find a surprising tale about the superhuman lengths to which a father must go to save the American family. For a first date with that special someone convinced fathers are disposable.

Gran Torino (2008)
A gruff Korean vet whose idea of diversity is limited to which gun he will use to keep foreigners off his lawn takes under his wing a young Hmong boy tormented by gang-bangers. Every lefty’s picture of a “hater” makes the ultimate Christ-like sacrifice. Perfect for those Randians looking for a more textured rendering of the virtue of selfishness. (Read more.)