If this was for real...

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2006)

The Kazakhstan government is not happy, nor should it be. Sasha Baron Cohen's movie 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' depicts Kazakhstan as a misogynistic, anti-semitic, handicap bashing backwater of impoverished villages. Borat arrives in the US to learn civilization for his country and we follow his journey from New York to Los Angeles with stops at Richmond, Dallas, Atlanta etc. Borat is played even bigger and better than his character on HBO's Da Ali G Show. My husband can't stand Borat. I think his dead pan politically insane comments and attitudes are hilarious. Never-the-less, even as I laughed at Borat 's goofs and spoofs in this 80 minute film, it was a very uncomfortable 80 minutes--the comments about Muslims and gay people and the anti-semitic jokes turned my stomach. But in a searching way. There's a scene where an old Jewish couple are figuratively turned into cockroaches-- not funny. To me. Yet much of the audience in the cinema laughed. I kept having to remind myself that Sasha playing Borat is Jewish himself-- you know, I can call my mother what I want but you better respect her. Which is a troubling notion. If people do think this way, is it only a problem when they think this way out loud? Does political correctness curtail freedom of speech? Am I now advocating thought police? Some scenes were downright frightening: a group of white frat boys bemoaning the end of slavery, a Christian revival where Borat is encouraged to talk in 'tongues', Borat at a gun store where he's happily shown a gun perfect for killing a Jew. And some scenes were gross-- hair and fat coupled with nudity is not necessarily funny. That the film's most touching and protective relationship occurs between Borat and a prostitute speaks volumes for the social satire this film is, and for the goodness that deep down Borat's heart is capable of. Or maybe I'm giving Borat too much credit. At the end of the film one wonders that, were this actually real, what 'learnings' Borat would have returned to Kazakhstan from the US with. One thing is for sure though: there are many Americans who have a bit, a lota bit, of Borat living within their souls.