cmuston
The most endearing thing about this entire film is that it doesn't touch on or even mention racism a single time throughout the entire thing. It's just a man who's had it hard helping out a man who's had it hard. The sharpest point about this movie is its determination to ignore racist issues and comparing pain for the sake of pointing out which audience members care so much about identity politics and group debt that they're willing to sacrifice everything beautiful about the personalities of every character in this movie for it. A child would look at this movie and not point out roots of racism, they would naturally (instinctively) look at every character as equal in their suffering, want them all to be happy, and see all the characters that aren't suffering as happy people undeserving of envious hatred. The selflessness, openness, and true equality in this picture is so pure at heart that the politically correct mindset is a fake leach in comparison to it, which is why so many critics were so quick to jump on the Uncle Tom case when criticizing it. They all missed the point. It's literally anti-racism in its indifference towards racism, which is how we all should be. It's true acceptance over tolerance, which was perfectly presented in the scene when Driss sits down and listens to classical music, putting his own fun perspective into it as to try to honestly enjoy it as it's own substance, separate from himself, then plays Earth Wind and Fire and proceeds to make all the coming-off-as racist rich people dance their butts off like it doesn't matter. As far as the movie itself goes, it's a fantastic story about a man out of good options finding sanctuary in a job for a man that has no comfortable options. 2 different people giving each other everything that they're missing in the Taoism sort of fashion; one man coming from a chaotic life of uncertainty meeting a man forced into order to the point of boredom and abstractionlessness, like most people that can find depth in simple blots on a canvas. Deep down it's really one of the best love stories ever told, as they become best of friends despite their polarizing differences (never once mentioning skin color as a difference, because there's so much more to talk about in their lives as human beings) to the point where life was simply happier with each other around. We all have that best friend. We all need that best friend, and sometimes that best friend (and even your girlfriend/boyfriend) comes to you from the strangest of places. Hell, it usually does from my experience. It's a movie that everyone should be able to appreciate, and the people that don't aren't looking at its art the right way.
