★★★★

a fascinating anthropological artifact and a fascinating film. this film is the tip of the spear of american propaganda– each shot has been meticulously crafted, sprung forth into existence using technology that did not exist only a few years ago. there is an intentionality and weight to every moment, born from endless focus testing that has sharpened each frame into a diamond capable of cutting through any unwitting person’s psyche and manipulating them into feeling whatever its creators want them to feel. I do not believe any other film has achieved this level of subjugation before, and none will eclipse it for at least a few years, at least until the next message must be handed to us from the powers that control this evil country.

i am struck by the perfection and beauty of this work, in the same way i would be mesmerized by a mushroom cloud outside my window. other films of this budget and scope did not achieve this level of power– the latest star wars trilogy, for example, does not even scrape the heels of what this achieves, despite its similarly endless well of established canon and detail obsessed fans. was it craft? was it blind luck? i am hoping for the latter. if our masters learned to control this power fully, they wouldn’t need to make films to tell us what they want. i deeply fear this film and what it means for humanity.