Jerzy Popieluszko: Religion and Geography

Jerzy Popieluszko: The Messenger of the Truth has one of the most suspenseful climaxes for a documentary I have ever seen.  The film is about a Polish priest who sets out to remind Poles about their natural rights as workers and humans.  His struggle shows the dark side of utopian visions such as Communism due to its disconnectedness with natural law and the world.  I strongly recommend this film.

Several factors make Father Popieluszko's effort note worthy to even secularists (or geographers disconnected to religious issues) and play key roles in the documentary:

The Papal Effect was Only the Beginning: 1980s Poland was revolutionized by the Polish pope, Saint John Paul II.  John Paul's election and visit to Poland allowed for the popular culture to come out of forced hiding due to Communist rule.  However, after a week the pope went back to Rome.  The labor union Solidarity and its chaplain, Popieluszko, seized the momentum the pope started.  The union united not only blue collar Poles but also academics and rural populations in making a popular culture peaceful resistance.

Communism - A "Vanguard" is not the People: Solidarity was an independent labor union and that scared the "Workers of the World, Unite" Communist Party of Poland.  Communist and major leftist movements had long moved past any serious care for the worker.  Solidarity's goals were laborist, not leftist, and that scared the party.

Faith is dangerous, it's why Caiaphas killed Jesus: There is a reason why Poland crackdown on Catholicism after the rise of Solidarity.  It is the same reason the People's Republic of China bans independent Christianity and why Caiaphas killed Jesus.  When an authoritarian regime encounters someone claiming there is a "universal truth" above the party/regime/king then the regime is shown to be limited.  It must either strike out or fold, there is no middle ground.

The documentary is well done and the narration by Martin Sheen sets a professional tone.  Clocking in at about 90 minutes this film is best viewed in one sitting but I recommend parental guidance before letting children watch it. 

Geography of James Bond

The Atlantic's Cities blog has a map of (almost) all the places visited by James Bond in the films.  It does not include space locations and I know for sure that it is missing the Amazon Rainforest from Moonraker and Madagascar from Casino Royale.


View The Geography of Bond in a larger map

London has been in every Bond movie except You Only Live Twice and Moonraker.  The other top most visited cities by James Bond are

• Istanbul (Near East Oriental exoticism)
• Hong Kong (Far East Oriental exoticism)
• Venice (Picturesque Europe)

The World Geography's Top Ten Geography Errors in Movies

Geography purists who are wrapped too tight to enjoy films (myself is included when I am in a bad mood or feel the movie is dumb) will eagerly look to find geography errors in movies.  The mountain in the background of Rumble in the Bronx, the easy running distance between the Egyptian pyramids and Petra in Transformers 2, and the glaciated mountains in Oklahoma in the original True Grit are just three that easily come to mind.

The website The World Geography has created their own list of geography movie mistakes.  The best one's pointed out where Krakatoa, East of Java (Krakatoa is actually west of Java) and the multiple "Mexico=Peru" errors in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Cultural Geography Notes for Halloween Movies

Forget the mainstream Hollywood Halloween movies (not that there is anything wrong with mainstream Hollywood films compared to other schools of industry).  There are plenty of high quality movies that are perfect for Halloween that come from across the globe.  These films are fun to watch while gaining bits of cultural geographic insight.

Dracula (1931-Spanish edition)

During the same time that the famous version with Bela Lugosi was being filmed Universal was also creating a Spanish-edition.  The actors for this film came from all over the Hispanic world ranging from Mexico, to Spain, to Argentina.  In an effort to show Spanish language films were good as English language efforts the actors and staff worked hard to "one up" the English-language film crew.  They were successful in creating a better technical film that was longer and more faithful to the book than Lugosi's movie.

An unrelated thing to take note is that the Hispanic film was unencumbered by English cultural morals of not revealing too much with the women's nightgowns.

Tim Estiloz has more on the Spanish-language version of Dracula



Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In is the Swedish vampire hit that was recently redone with the American movie Let Me In.  The movie is truly a product of modern Western Europe: willing to accept other worlds except those that deal with Christianity.  While permission and sunlight make prominent parts of the film there is not one mention of a church, cross, or holy water to deal with the most manipulative vampire in a movie ever.



Bubba Ho-Tep

Bubba Ho-Tep is a proper homage to B-monster movies by the primary B-actor: Bruce Cambell.  The films staring an aged "Elvis" and "John Kennedy" as they battle an Egyptian mummy which feasts upon residents of a nursing home.  A forgotten part of east Texas, which is an overlooked part of the country to many, provides the background to a film about how American cultural does not value its old.  But it is mostly a dark comedy about Elvis and JFK versus a mummy.



Do you have your own favorite Halloween movie and any cultural geographic insight to share about it?  If so please comment!

God In America

American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the television program Frontline have released an six-episode mini-series about religion in America's social and political history.  All six episodes can be watched online from God In America's website.

The show does a good job showing how English Puritan Protestantism greatly impacted America.  The Puritans focused on the Old Testament, unique among Christians at the time, and saw themselves as the remnant of the true faith leaving Egypt (England) for the promised land (America).  Seeing America as a blank slate and a "city upon the hill" infused the United States with the belief that religion is critical for the country and America is God's country.

That belief has greatly impacted the country:  Dissenter religions like Methodism which could claim direct contact with God flourished, Americanist religions like Mormonism were born, Manifest Destiny gave the country a conquering spirit over the American Indian nations, and politics and religion have been closely intertwined in issues ranging from education to civil rights to geopolitics.

God In America is long but it is an intimate, person-driven account of how religion has impacted the United States.

Restrepo: When Counter-Insurgency Meets Rough Geography

WARNING:  SPOILERS

A section of The Accidental Guerrilla is dedicated to the construction of a road through Kunar Province.  The Coalition was successful in persuading local Afghans to buy in to the road and get involved with its construction.  The invested Afghans then ensured their road was protected by creating a societal gap between themselves and the Taliban who wished to harm both the road and Coalition forces who used the road.  Despite rough terrain and a typically isolated Pashtun population, successful counter-insurgency tactics allowed for a Coalition victory.

However, not far away in Kunar Province is the Korangal Valley.  This valley is full of steep ridges and deep valleys.  It is located near the Pakistan border.  It is also in this valley where United States soldiers step up several firebases and began a road construction project in the mold of the other Kunar project.  Unlike the other project, though, the geography in valley did not favor a similar outcome.  The valley and the soldiers are at the center of the documentary Restrepo which documents one of the most hotly contested parts of Afghanistan.

The first issue was the physical geography.  The first base was in a bowl which the Taliban could easily shoot into.  After a few firefights the Americans take the initiative and seize the commanding heights.  However, there are too few troops to push the advantage and keep forcing the Taliban to fall back.  After a while there is an offensive operation but the ground cannot be held because the lack of troops and the close-range fighting which resulted in both American and civilian causalities.  Much of the remainder of the time is spent fighting between a static line of control.

The second major problem was the human terrain.  Tribal and elder leadership did not value the road like elsewhere in Kunar and villagers would not build the road without elder approval.  Instead the elders wished to discuss damage done by soldiers and detained locals.  The American commander's various responses and blame shifting prevented any bonds from growing.

What was the result?  A Taliban victory.  A postscript describes how the military abandoned the valley in April 2010.  The Taliban quickly released videos of their exploration of the Coalition firebases.



The rough physical terrain dwarfed the limited amount of troops who were stationed in the valley.  The local population could have been a massive force multiplier and could have made the Taliban easy targets.  However, the failure to culturally engaged and the style of warfare made the locals neutral at best and hostile in many cases.

Restrepo is a good documentary on multiple levels.  It shows what has gone wrong in Afghanistan but it also portrays the bravery of soldiers who risk their lives for the Afghans and every other free citizen of the world.

Afghan Star

Warning: Some spoilers in this review

Afghan Star is the Afghan-take on the hit popular television shows like American Idol and Pop Idol. In a country were power is limited and cell phone use is rising but still limited as well, the show is immensely popular. The third season in 2007 had eleven million viewers per episode. That equates to slightly less than forty-percent of the population! The show is primarily a hit because it combines many elements of diverse Afghanistan. Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazara men and women sign modern traditional and pop songs in Dari and Pashtun. Afghans both inside Afghanistan and in neighboring countries are eligible to tryout in one of the many recruiting sessions.

It is this initially surprising television sensation that has lead to the creation of the documentary Afghan Star. The documentary is about the third season of the television show. After watching the film I have gained a better understanding of the stunningly optimistic Afghan culture. It, like all cultures, wants to be modern while keeping its traditional ways (polls show the Taliban is very unpopular and most Afghans still think that the current will get better and not worse). This is a problem all cultures expierences, just think about terms like "family values" and alike. What truly is surprising is how this conflict erupts in the film. No one but the Taliban seem to have an issue that a woman competes on the show. She sings and even takes off her head veil. The straw that breaks the camels back is that she "dances" by moving back and forth while singing. When this occurs the show disowners her and she has to go into hiding. Even when she returns home a month later many locals want to kill her and harm her family.

Afghan Star is a fun movie to watch. It will leave you feeling good and slightly optimistic for the Afghan people. It will also remind you to expect the final result of Afghanistan to be something that a liberal, western democrat would reject.

Where Europe Ends

The word "Europe" is becoming increasingly more and more tied to the European Union. If one is "Euroskeptic" one is not skeptical of the land mass and people on it but instead wary of the European Union. To have a "European" perspective is to think and view problems as the European Union would. The European Union has become synonymous with the continent to many. However, in the era of Euros and a European presidency, it is easy to forget one of the first places stated to be the geographic center of Europe is to the east of most of the Union in Ukraine and over thirty percent (well over two hundred million) Europeans live outside the European Union.

The documentary "Where Europe Ends" is an hour long survey of regions that are European but outside the Union. The documentary looks at lands like Moldova and Transnitria, the ethnically mixed Transcarpathian region in Western Ukraine, and Black Sea Coast. Those already knowledgeable in these regions will not learn anything new but will appreciate the personal stories of Romanians, Jews, Germans, and others who have fallen through the cracks Russia and the European Union.

When the documentary talks about the history of regions one quickly realizes those lands beyond Europe(an Union) have long been moving towards and away the greater European cultural realm. Ancient Greece colonized the northern Black Sea coast. The Republic of Genoa extended Italian influence there as well. Germans brought Central European culture with them into southeastern Europe (ethnic Germans were fierce opponents of their price, Vlad "Dracula" Tepes, in part because of leadership not paying bills and Vlad's habit of impelling his ethnic German subjects), the Baltic (Teutonic Knights battled Orthodox and Pagans to gain massive cultural sway there until the end of World War II), and even past the Volga River (Volga Germans had their own autonomous Soviet republic). However, these attempts to bring/impose Europe were ended either by barbarian, Turkish, and Communist conquests. Each of these invaders sought to rebuild these lands in their own image. What they left beyond was instead fragmented cultures.

Today many in the outside zones of Europe want to be members of the European Union. They see how European Union membership has not only aided the core countries but has seemingly improved many former Soviet satellite states as well. Opposing them are homeland corruption, a ruler in Moscow wants a buffered Eurasian empire, and European Union elites who see the outsiders as pests not worthy to share in the common market. Hopefully the European Union can spread bringing open-government liberalism and economic improvement to the European overlooked lands while importing positive Eastern European traits. Time will tell though if Europe can finally hold onto these outside lands or if a new horde will keep them geographically separate yet again.

Olympus Inferno

Olympus Inferno is the latest and hottest movie in Russia. Almost twenty-five percent of all Russians tuned in to watch it, according to Russian Channel One. It is also a prime example of Russian propaganda. Even so, Olympus Inferno is required watching for anyone wishing to see the Russian point-of-view of the 2008 Russia-Georgia War.

***SPOILERS***

The movie features two main characters: an American male of Russian descent and a Russian female. The two are studying a rare butterfly when they accidentally witness and film the Georgian military invading South Ossetia. After being left to die by American peacekeepers and chased by a Georgian supercommando, both finally make it to safety by being rescued by the advancing Russian military. At the end of the film, the American decides not to return to "materialistic and empty" America but instead begin a new life with the Russian woman who he falls in love with.

The film definitely hat tips recent western films. I noticed action sequences and pans that borrow heavily from films like Behind Enemy Lines and the Bourne movies. Moscow accepts Western film schools now, unlike in the Cold War.

That's where the Western perspective of the movie ends. The film is clearly pro-Russian and anti-everything else.

• The film has Russian president Dmitriy Medvedev as the voice of reason. Putin is no where to be seen.
  
• The film starts with Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili promising peace. When the American character sees he believes Saakashvili the female makes fun of the American's ignorance and warns that Saakashvili is not to be believed.
• Georgian military equipment purposefully attacks civilian targets while waving massive Georgian flags.
• US peacekeepers refuse to help the heroes and American media tell the Georgians where the two are hiding. Never mind there were no American military personnel in Georgia except embassy guards.
• Even Ossetians come across in a not so positive light. They are shown as badly clothed, bumpkins without a government, who fight with old weaponry, and will turn on each other with minimal prompting. An Ossetian blogger denounced the colonial attitude which the film depicts South Ossetians. The film probably shows Ossetians this way in order to imply that they were completely helpless and needed the Russians to save them.

The Russian film industry has benefited from Russia's resurgence and government funding. Watching Russian films like Olympus Inferno offer a window into their world. Right now it is a world full of incompetent yet shady Americans, evil American allies, loyal Russians trapped in the Near Aboard, and heroic Russians. With films coming out later this year dealing with Ukraine it will be interesting to see how the Russian worldview sees its western border.

Geography and Film: 300

300 is based on a graphic novel which in turn is based on the Battle of Thermopylae. I would rate the movie about 4.5 out of 5 praising it for its battle scenes and artistic style but wondering if all the nudity in the first part was necessary.

For those interested in the actual battle and how it compares to the movie Victor David Hanson has the knowledgeable information.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The geography of the film is fantastic in that it is both great and preternatural. Greece is depicted as a land of muscular men, strong and beautiful women, and picturesque lands. The Persian Empire on the other hand is a cosmopolitan mixture of everything that is morally wrong. War elephants and war rhinos are fierce beats, the Persian Immortals and other elite troops of Xerxes are physically corrupted humans. Not since the days of religious plays have the inner strengths and weaknesses been shown as physical qualities in such a dramatic way.

Another aspect in the film is politics. While the film makers deny political bias it is clear the beliefs of Frank Miller have played a role. Queen Gorgo makes the case for the war while the oracle priests (the United Nations) are swayed by bribes and Spartan politicans feel this is not their war (anti-Iraq War Democrats). "Freedom is not free," says the queen to the council. Elsewhere in the movie the Spartan king turns down offers of an "exchange of cultures" and personal honors which would be exchanged for surrender of rights and freedoms. At the end of the movie a soldier named Dilios tells the united Greek at army that this is war against "mysticism and tyranny." Sound familiar?

SPOILERS END

In case you need any more reason to see the film check out the trailer below. PREPARE FOR GLORY!

Jet Li's Fearless

Jet Li's Fearless is an excellent martial arts film with enough drama elements to appeal to both sexes. From a geographer's point-of-view it reveals a Chinese perspective on Westernization, honor, and the urban/rural relationship.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The film is loosely based on the life of Chinese martial arts expert Huo Yuanjia. In the initial third of the movie Yuanjia lives the high-life fighting to become the city's champion. He enriches himself, has a family, and spends lavishly on his friends. He is the nineteenth-century's playboy. He fights for the sheer pleasure of it and fails to recognize honor. When a gaffe of a biblical-proportion occurs because of his lack of honor he goes in self-imposed exile.

Redemption is learned in the rural country side. Here is a clean environment where family is valued. Things like rice are valued above riches. In short the country side becomes a healing place and the antithesis of the city.

When Yuanjia returns to the city to right his past it is a very different place. Soldiers from British India, camels, and missionaries are in the streets. Westernization is occurring.

The movie handles this issue patriotically but not xenophobicly. Yuanjia's friend shows how Westernization and capitalism can help China using China's historic fall from empire to Sick Man of Asia. The heads of the foreign powers are shown as shadowy snakes. The Japanese leader comes off the most negative being the brains of the anti-Chinese group.

The way the foreign fighters are depicted is the most interesting part. The American is a huge, war brute with no quick moves but with mighty power. However, after realizing the skills and honor of Yuanjia the American cheers Yuanjia's victory. The European fighters are only shown on screen fighting and have no redeeming qualities. The Japanese fighter completely counters the negativity of his leader. The fighter meets Yuanjia before the fight and realizes he is an honorable worthy of victory.

Fearless is an excellent movie with a great soundtrack. Rent it today!

Geography and Film: Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers is hands down of the best war films ever. The movie is loosely based on the book by Saadi Yacef and concerns the urban guerrilla battle for the city of Algiers during the Algerian Independence War. The movie first shows how Algerian FLN tried to create an ungoverned space, fill the vacuum, and then extend their control. The FLN first attacked French police on patrol and enforced their own laws. The police retaliated by bombing FLN areas with small explosive devices. A tick-for-tat style of warfare started reaching a climax with the introduction of French paratroopers.

Unlike the book, written by a Algerian FLN commander, the movie is unbiased. I have discussed the film with several people and we all agreed that one sees what they want to see. When the French military resorts to extreme measures to defeat the FLN a leftist may see horrible, amoral torture while a rightist may see a necessary evil to save lives.

The movie shows many geographical elements. Algiers was a collection of French and Arab neighborhoods which were worlds apart. While the French liked their neighborhoods French many of the lower jobs were done by Algerians (much like the American-Mexican relationship. The world was also showing signs of globalization in the 1950s with Coca-Cola is enjoyed by the Pied-noir French. Finally, the fourth generation warfare tactic of media battles is shown with the FLN trying to get sympathetic media and therefore the world community on their side.

While the FLN loses the Battle of Algiers they win the war through media and the French's defeatist attitude.

The Algerian War set many first. First time in centuries that a non-Turkish Muslim power defeated a Western nation. First time the third world defeated the first world.

The film has many lessons and morals; all of which apply today.

Category: Geography in Movies

Geography and Film: Falling Down

Falling Down is a movie which follows William Foster's attempt to "go home."

*****Movie Review*****
Bill Foster's effort to survive Los Angeles and "go home" are portrayed well in this "tale of urban reality."

*****Geographical Review*****
The early 1990s were rough on Los Angeles. The Rodney King riots occurred and there was an economical downturn which led to large numberings of lay offs. The main character, Williams, was a government defense worker before he lost his job and snapped at the beginning of the film.

The first incident in the film occurs at a convenience store. The convenience store is manned by a Korean who over charges and is "not a people-person." This alludes to the perception of the alleged swamping of convenience-stores by Koreans. This stereotype was so wide-spread that Koreans were targeted in the Rodney King riots for alleged wrongs against the black community.

Next up on Williams' tour of destruction is Angel Heights. This neighborhood is depicted as a barrio full of gang warfare. The people in this area are Hispanics who walk around working-class buildings with Hispano graffiti. In reality the gang problem seems to be becoming worse as groups like MS-13 acquire more weaponry and commit greater acts of targeted violence.

Another vernacular region is the country club area. This section of town has grumpy old white men playing golf. Houses nearby are huge mansions owned by wealthy doctors. The whites have cut themselves away from Los Angeles proper with gated communities and member only activities. Gated communities were and still are on the rise of the wealthy who can afford to live in them. The perception of those who live in them as being snobby and isolationist has also grown with the trend.

The final region is the pier nearby William's "home." The ocean is scene as the end point and place for salvation.

The movie does a good job of giving each neighborhood its own feel. It also is a good survey introduction to the make-up of Los Angeles and the people which combine to form its society.

Category: Geography in Movies

Geography and Film: Goodbye Lenin!

**********Spoiler Warning**********

Goodbye Lenin! is a German film which depicts the last days of East Berlin and the process of reunification.

Movie Review
A son tries to convince his ailing mother that her beloved East Germany still exists even though it went defunct while she was in a coma. The movie is a well done combination of comedy and drama. I greatly enjoyed the powerful acting and the sense of triumph and tragedy of each turn of events.

Geographic Review
There are tons of things geographers can analysis in this film. First off is economics. Soon after the Wall comes down a wide range of goods reaches East Berlin. The main character goes to the supermarket and sees all the different types of foods when he was use to one brand for one product. Signs for Coca-Cola replace red banners. Finally, the sister of the protagonist gets a job at an icon of capitalism, Burger King.

Another thing illustrated well is housing. Many people left East Berlin trying to sneak into the West. When the Wall came down there was a lot of cheap housing available which was taken by West Germans. One of the characters remarks on the amount of "people from the West" living in the apartment building.

A strong point in the latter part of the film is the depiction of ill will towards West Germans. The protagonist remarks how he is from "another country" to West Berlin kids, says "Westies" are arrogant, and attempts to give East Germany the "send off it diverse." Eastern Germany has been the black sheep of Europe for a while and the move does a good job showing some of the problems. (Hat tip: TDAXP's old review of the film)

Category: Geography in Movies

Geography and Film: Brotherhood of the Wolf

The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French movie based on the Beast of Gevaudan.

Movie Review

The movie is literally a mixed bag. The first half has a hard time determining if it is going to be a Kung Fu, erotica, travel, or horror movie. The second half, starting with the main characters return from Paris is much better and focused. The action scenes are great. Finally, the movie is free with its liberty to do absolutely unexpected things in the second half.

Geography Review

The Gevaudan province in the Languedoc region is depicted as a forested, rocky, and bogged hinterland region of France. The movie does a good job at portraying and giving a sense of place.

The society of the region is depicted as a rich, interloping oligarchy ruling over the peasant class. The upper class is divided between the Enlightenment movement and loyalties to the Catholic Church. Peasants are depicted as loyal church goers.

Some of the villains are cast interestingly. They seem to be dressed like the Hun hoard and behave like Roma (Gypsies). Secondary villains include some members of the Church's hierarchy. The ruling oligarchs are also portrayed in a negative light. Seems like typical French bias.

Category: Geography in Movies