Terrorism and the Movies :: Media Entertainment Essays

Terrorism and the Movies Sara Groff, commenting on a recent article by Slavoj Zizek: Here is my attempt at making Zizek's article a little more understandable in a shortened format. I hope this helps everyone as I think he has some profound insights into this topic. As we all watched the horrific events of Tuesday, September 11, unfold before our very eyes - the strategically planned date of 9-1-1 appeared as if it were the setting for a big budget special effects film. The only problem - this time no director would yell cut. All we have to do is rent one of Blockbusters latest hits or watch a few video games and we'll see the disgustingly ironic parallel: bombs exploding, planes crashing, buildings collapsing, people dying, and those running away as they shriek in terror. Film producers spend millions of dollars to create such scenes, and we pay millions each year to go and see the horrific yet exciting final product. Last Tuesday our country found that the reality is much different from the fantasy- we can’t press pause or stop, we must deal with real enemies in the real world. The relation of terrorism to film is an undeniable and unavoidable topic, brought to light for us by Slavoj Zizek's article, "Welcome To The Desert Of The Real." His article is an in-depth exploration into the sometimes confusing, most definitely complex topic of America as a fantasy. Picture this - we are all inhabitants of an idealistic suburb that appears perfect in every way. Green grass, gingerbread houses, kids playing, and dogs out for their afternoon walk. However, one day this world in which you have always lived is proven to be a fake. The set comes down, the lights burn out, all the extras fade away, and we alone are left to deal with our world as it truly is. "The Truman Show" (1998) was based on this phenomenon. Zizek refers to this false world as being "substanceless, deprived of material inertia." So, do we live a staged life in which we are isolated from the real world of material decay? Zizek's belief that in order to bring reality to our world, we must experience the "desert of the real" stems from the 1999 Blockbuster hit, "The Matrix." "The Matrix" generates the belief that our environment is a virtual one - controlled by one mega-computer, and no matter how hard we try, one day we will have to awaken to the "real reality.