Chuck Norris vs Communism

Don't go in expecting political sophistication--it evinces a romantic naivete befitting its subject, and is probably better for it. The interviewees rhapsodize on the inspirational value of the rat-eating scene in MISSING IN ACTION, for pete's sake. Would you spoil that with wider context? And there is plenty fascinating ambiguity anyway--the extent of the state's involvement sure doesn't seem like a settled question. Realpolitik or bad filmmaking, either way.

It's quite the fun, pleasurable experience, especially if you've lived through it. What kinda ruins it for me is the direction at the end, when the director sort of suggests that the translator's work directly led to the Revolution happening, which is super far-fetched. What also ruins it for me is having personal contact with the translator and her becoming some sort of authority on movies in Romania, a respected one, without merit.

isme ilgi çekici absürtlükle yansıyan şey, *ideolojinin görünmezliği* gibi bir durumun iyi bir göstergesi sanırım.

There's a certain irony in the title: All those action movies made about the evils of communism, and all the talking heads saying "Plot? We never noticed the plot, we were amazed by the houses, the cars, the fact that there was food on the tables..." Funny and powerful drama documentary, even when it feels like there are angles it leaves unexplored.