May contain spoilers
Well, I just returned from the cinema and decided to share my thoughts while they are still fresh. Everything in the movie was over-the-top, but rather in a positive way in my humble opinion.
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| The Purge poster |
The film (French title: American Nightmare) begins with footage of the Purge, an annual event sanctioned by the US government in which any criminal activity is legal during 12 hours. The aim is for any citizen to release their most primitive urges, anger or resentment and get rid of their negative emotions once and for all. While its detractors assert that the Purge is a means to eliminate the poor and the weak, many specialists demonstrates with facts that thanks to it, crimes, violence and unemployment rate have decreased and the US economy is flourishing than ever. Shocking.
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| Ethan Hawke (James Sandin) |
James Sandin (Ethan Hawke, The Before Trilogy), a family man who sells security systems, is one of those who make benefits from the Purge. Like every year, on his way home, he checks out the selling rates to see how he was doing. He seemed happy and excited. Only from that, one easily guesses that the D-Day is a almost like a normal day, noone looks scared or anything. I had a strange feeling seeing people put american flags and blue flowers in vases and display them to show their support for the Purge. But that is not all. When asked about his ‘Purge plan’, a guy on the radio openly said he was going to kill his boss. I couldn’t believe the medias were talking of the Purge as if it was Christmas or Night Year’s Eve.
Now, we get to the scene when James gets home. His wife Mary (Lena Headey) is preparing dinner. The pair briefly talk about their day and all of a sudden, Mary says something is to be done about their teenage girl Zoe (Adelaide Kane). I can understand that good parents worry about their progenies but I mean seriously, an hour before the Purge?
Meanwhile, Zoe and his boyfriend Henry are locked up in her room. When he is about to leave, from the balcon they see one of the neighbours sharpen his blade. Funny.
Let’s get down to the neighbours. Mr and Mrs Halverson say hi. Grace offers cookies and brings up the neighbourhood’s gossips about James’ activity, with a big smiling face that tells a lot.
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| Grace (Arija Bareikis) and Mary (Lena Headey), half an hour before the Purge |
But this one is the best. Fortunately, Charlie (Max Burkholder) was there to remind everyone that they have five minutes left to activate the security systems before the Purge begins. Unbelievable.
First, to let go of our incredulous mind, let’s keep thinking that people are now used to the Purge and are integrating it as part of their lives, maybe after rejecting for a long time or so. Second, if we believe what James says, the Purge only happens to the others, for people who deserve it, if you will.
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| The purgers leader (Rhys Wakefield) |
But the big question arises what to do if the Purge comes knocking on your door? This time, Charlie let a fugitive in and Zoe’s boyfriend hasn’t left the home, the Sandins are torn between the voice of their conscience and their will to survive and save the family. Ethan and Lena’s performances are average but good enough to support the film. The hide-and-seek scenes remain the most enjoyable moments of the film, prompting hysterical laughters by most of us viewers, probably our own way to purge.
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| Mary Sandin (Lena Headey) |
Therefore, I don’t think the Purge was meant to be frightening. The idea is new and I quite liked it. The over-the-top might be inconvenient but I believe the writer wanted to display the features of human nature in a funny way and I am totally okay with that. But a sequel? Really?
Quotes
"Safe night"
"Blessed be the New Founding Fathers for letting us Purge and cleanse our souls, Blessed be America, a nation reborn."
"Release the Beast and Purge our american streets"
"The denial of our true self is the problem"
"The denial of our true self is the problem"
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