When I first began watching White Bear, I thought it was going to be about an apocalyptic world where a woman, Victoria, with amnesia is begging for help, but everyone is brainwashed into just being a bystander. A few others aren't brainwashed like her, and aid her in trying to shutdown the brainwashing broadcast system. However, there is a plot twist towards the end that changes the entire outlook of the movie. As it turns out, the woman is actually a murderer and is being forced to take part in an amusement park where customers are encouraged to take pictures and videos as they replay the same day over and over again. This day includes erasing her memories, having actors called "hunters" out to kill her, being nearly crucified, and attempting to shut down a broadcast that brainwashes people. The real kicker is that none of this is real. Her entire situation from start to end is meticulously planned out as a punishment for being a participant in a crime that included kidnapping, torturing and murdering an innocent little girl named, Jemima. I think it is very ironic that before the staff gave back her memories of what led her to her current ordeal, Victoria was asking why the people were doing this to her. I'm sure when Victoria was watching and recording her fiancé torture and burn the little girl Jemima alive; the little girl was wondering the same thing. Why were they doing this to her? It is hard to feel sympathetic to a character after learning exactly how far they would go to murder an innocent. Even though the character, Victoria, did not exactly commit the actual murder of the little girl, she was a participant because she just stood there and watched this heinous crime without doing a thing to stop it. This is exactly what the customers who go to the park do. They watch as a woman who has no clue of what is going on be tortured over and over again similar to what Jemima experienced.
What I found most interesting was how many people flocked to the park--young, old-- it didn't matter, anyone could participate in this park. In fact, it was even encouraged by the staff to take as many videos and pictures as they could. I found it strange that so many people could stand by and watch as a fellow human was tortured, in pain, and begging for help and all I saw was amusement on their faces. These people have become compliant which reminds me of the movie that Dr. Johnson mentioned we should watch, The Push. In this movie, I watched as the directors set up the perfect scenario that would cause a human to push a fellow human off a building and three out of the four people ended up actually doing it. The people at the park become socially compliant with the rules of the park and the woman, Victoria, becomes socially compliant because of her fiancé. I think they are not truly aware of what they are actually doing, just like when Victoria said she was under the spell of her fiancé. These people at the park are also under a spell, and I think eventually will wake up and see what they are doing is not really right. However, this does not mean to say that Victoria doesn't deserve to be punished. She definitely does. I just don't think hiring actors and having people participate in torture like this is the way to go.
2 comments:
Although I personally would never pay to participate in one of these simulations that are being done to Victoria, I do not believe she is being tortured. Since we don't have any knowledge of her and her fiance's relationship before this I refuse to believe that she is anything less than an evil person for recording the death of an innocent child.
I do agree that she was being tortured, but she did deserve a great punishment for what she did. The only thing I would change is that her memory was lost. She should have been aware of the torture and then understand why her actions were wrong. I do agree that the people at the park are also under a spell but we can also compare these people to people in our society today as well. Many times people just stand by and record instead of helping someone in need.
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