Posted on 02/12/2005 7:30:45 PM PST by wagglebee
The forerunner of "Million Dollar Baby" was the very entertaining Nazi movie "I Accuse," which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival and was the propaganda that Dr. Goebbels used to convince the German people to switch their vote from "vehemently opposed to the holocaust" to over 60 percent in favor of so-called "mercy killing." In fact, "I Accuse" is a very subtle film that inspired the killing of millions of people.
Dr. Joseph Goebbels was the National Socialist (Nazi) propaganda minister from 1933 to 1945. He exploited radio, press, cinema and theater in Germany to destroy the Jews, evangelical Christians, handicapped Germans and other groups. In 1994, the Discovery Channel aired "Selling Murder," an important documentary investigating how Goebbels used mass media to influence the German people to accept the mass murder of human beings. The documentary shows that at a time when a majority of German people rejected mercy killings (a euphemism for murder), Goebbels produced the movie "I Accuse," an emotive feature film about a beautiful, intelligent woman who is dying of an incurable disease and begs to be allowed to commit suicide.
After the movie was released, a majority of German people said they had changed their minds and now supported mercy killings. After a few more of Goebbels' films about invalids and handicapped people, the German people became strong believers in the efficacy of mass mercy killings.
While the attempted annihilation of Jews by the National Socialists is well documented, the atrocities did not stop with the Jewish race. The main focus of "Selling Murder" is a group that has been somewhat overlooked: the mentally and physically ill of Germany. In 1939, Hitler ordered the killing of the mentally and physically disabled, labeling them as "life unworthy of life."
His reasoning was that the cost of keeping them alive in asylums and hospitals was too great. The real reason, however, stemmed from the government's determination to eliminate any threat to its idea of producing a superior race.
"Selling Murder" is must viewing for every moral person concerned about the use of the mass media of entertainment to influence societal behavior. Similarities between the National Socialist use of film and "Million Dollar Baby" are frightening.
In a January 27, 2005 article in the Los Angeles Times, Marcie Roth, executive director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, a national advocacy group with 13,000 members, was quoted as saying that "this narrative development spreads a socially irresponsible message. The movie is saying ‘death is better than disability.'"
The Los Angeles Times continues: "The group contends that the movie is part of a larger bias Eastwood holds against the disabled. A press release on its website carries the headline, ‘Eastwood Continues Disability Vendetta with "Million Dollar Baby." Labeling the movie a ‘brilliantly executed attack,' it also details a 1997 lawsuit in which a disabled woman sued the actor-director, saying he did not provide handicapped-accessible restroom facilities at the Carmel, Calif., resort he owned."
The press release goes on to divulge the movie's plot. "Our responsibility is to the half-million people with spinal cord injuries, not to moviegoers or moviemakers," Roth said.
Rush Limbaugh blasted "Million Dollar Baby" as a "million dollar euthanasia movie." Critic Michael Medved told USA Today that he had revealed the plot twist because "there are competing moral demands that come into the job of a movie critic. We have a moral and fairness obligation to not spoil movies. On the other hand, our primary moral obligation is to tell the truth."
Medved, who says he "hated this movie," also remarked, "They didn't want to tell people what it is [about] because no one would come." Jewish columnist Don Feder says that "the screenplay could have been smuggled out of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's prison cell."
Furthermore, my wife has been on chemotherapy for ten years and is in great pain. California is now considering a so-called "doctor-assisted suicide" law. The connection is too horrible.
Love should never trump conscience. Murder is not excusable, even when it is art. And the renowned director of "Million Dollar Baby" is not conservative (contrary to the witless commentary in the Los Angeles Times), except in the sense that the National Socialists were branded as conservative. In truth, real Christian conservatives support life, not murder.
Do you agree? Do you think this is a heroic thing to do?
I would think placing one's life in jeopardy to save another is heroic.
But now killing the other person is heroic -- according to the Hollywood propaganda machine.
Dr. Kurt Asperger achieved two great things in his life. He identified and named the phenomenon of "autism." and, by getting the concept of the autistic disorder SPECTRUM into the scientific literature, he was able to save the lives of many of his patients when the nazis came for the disabled.
The 'useless eater' propaganda machine is coming to a town near you, starting with St.Pete/Clearwater.
Actually, I just went to see the movie, and the ending made me cry. I don't see how the ending is anti-disabled or anything akin to what the article describes at all.
The movie was based on a story written by a real-life boxing cutman, so it hardly emanates from the "Hollywood Propaganda Machine."
Let's review:
1) People who actually saw the movie: Don't have a problem
2) People who haven't seen it: Simply repeating rants in lockstep as mindless minions of Newscrap and WingNutDaily.
All this talk has made me really want to see this movie now, while prior to this weekend I had zero interest.
How true. Though it may be difficult, the less said about some things the better.
This article is whacky and gives us a bad name.
Medved has very specific issues with this movie but I doubt that he would consider it Nazi propaganda.
This is Michael Medved's capsule review:
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In “Million Dollar Baby” Hillary Swank plays an ambitious boxer who wants to recruit a new trainer.
That crusty expert is of course Clint Eastwood who also directed this critically acclaimed film that focuses on a cluster of hard luck characters, including Morgan Freeman getting one last shot at the big time.
And Warner Brothers never tells you the truth about a key plot twist that turns this pedestrian boxing movie into an insufferable manipulative right to die movie. With one of the characters horribly handicapped begging for assisted suicide. While the movie kills itself with lots of hooky narration. Rated PG-13 but totally unsuitable for kids. 1 1/2 Stars for the shamelessly overrated, misleadingly marketed “Million Dollar Baby.”
Check on the key words. In the beginning, I was interested but this movie has been talked to death.
Fair enough, I would too. But here's the key question: would you ask them to inject you with a lethal dose of drugs?
The dark ages are coming back, mark my words.
You do realize that the subject of euthanasia is very controversial, and can be portrayed two different ways? That Hollywood can take a real life event and portray the character as likable or evil?
I don't care where the story emanates. I care how it's portrayed.
But I personally led a movement to take over and change my college PIRG group because I didn't like it's anti-nuclear power message. And I despise Jane Fonda and consider her to be a traitor to this country. But the movie was still well done. "JFK" would be another example of a compelling movie, although nutty.
I guess my bottom line is I am not afraid of being taken in by Nazi or neo Nazi propoganda. And I like good movies.
The "real life boxing cutman" wasn't writing about female boxers. The whole concept of female boxing is only moderately less ridiculous than midget boxing. The movie pushes the feminist line: that's concession to Hollyweird No. 1.
Then the movie promotes euthanasia: that's concession to Hollyweird No. 2. You really don't think the movie would be nominated for best picture if the boxers had been male and if Eastwood had heeded the priest's advice and not committed euthanasia, do you?
I haven't seen this movie but I seriously doubt that it's Nazi propaganda.
Yea right, the first anti-smoking laws were passed by the Nazis. History is repeating itself because people fail to understand it and it's not being taught in the schools anymore.
Let's review:
1) People who actually saw the movie: Don't have a problem
2) People who haven't seen it: Simply repeating rants in lockstep as mindless minions of Newscrap and WingNutDaily.
I agree totally.
How dare you criticise Hollywood!!!! Where else would we get guidance, wisdom, and discernment? Without "Platoon" we would never have learned about the venal way our troops behaved in Vietnam. Without "Dancing with Wolves" we would never have learned about the despicable US Clavary and the noble American Indian. Hollywood rules, man.
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