Director - Miloš Forman
Czechs are very proud of their fellow citizens
that manage to make it in the world. Franz Kafka, Tom Stoppard, Miloš Forman …
Czechs always make sure their foreign friends know where these geniuses come
from originally. You could sense the buzz about this week´s choice of movie
among the classmates as well. Very proud to be able to watch a movie by a Czech
director in a “cinematography of English speaking countries” class.
The People vs. Larry Flynt is a movie about the “porn king” who
fought for free speech rights in the US, and to this day is called a hero for
what he accomplished. Or did he? His
daughter, Tonya Flynt seems to have a very different opinion: "He doesn't
give a damn about freedom of speech ...all he cares about is making millions of
dollars out of the sexual exploitation of women and children."
I am “ashamed” to say, I had no
idea who Larry Flynt (who actually even played a tiny role in the movie as
well) was before the Tuesday class. I remember holding Hustler Magazine once in my hands, back at primary school when one
of the more spoiled kids wanted to brag about what kind of literature he reads.
And the owner was not what we were looking at, so the fact that Larry Flynt was
the man behind all this was very new to me.
Obviously the movie serves as a
kind of biographical film of the successful publisher, shows a bit of his
childhood, his rough starts, falling in love etc. etc. up to the point when he
became a billionaire. The main part of the film is when Larry Flynt gets in
trouble with the law after publishing a parody of the then famous Campari ad,
in which a Baptist Reverend, Jerry Falwell is pictured saying that his first
(sexual) time was with his mother in an outhouse. Falwell sued Flynt and Hustler for 45 million dollars for emotional
distress and invasion of privacy and libel. Flynt brandished the First
amendment, and the movie then elaborates the problem, while displaying Flynt
consistently mocking the court and the church.
The whole case goes all the way
up to the Supreme court, that finally decides that “public figures, such as
Falwell (or how Flynt likes to call him, Fartwell) cannot circumvent the First
amendment protections by attempting to recover damages based on emotional
distress suffered from parodies.”
We can talk about whether it was
right to include Falwell´s mother into it, but I find this decision crucial for
democracy and free press. And was quite surprised the decision was unanimous,
since people like Scalia were still there. Imagine a world without media being
able to make fun of public persons, or current situations. That would be a very
depressing environment to live in. I am
glad I was born into a society that is able to distinguish satire from reality.
And laugh along with it. Because I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t able
to watch Saturday Night Live, and Last Week Tonight.
So from this point, I think of
Larry Flynt as a hero. Although we don’t really know whether he did it for free
speech rights, or for the money, as his daughter suggests. I don’t really agree
with the concept of Hustler, nor do I
think Larry Flynt is a particularly a nice person, but we still have to
understand how crucial the whole “Larry Flynt thing” was and still is for the
world. We must stand up to anyone who questions free speech and free media,
wherever it is a Jerry Falwell or ISIS.
Lastly, I want to appreciate
that Miloš Forman didn’t make this into a porn movie about a porn king, and
managed to make it decent as possible. Miloš Forman himself said that he does
not like Hustler, and that he agrees
that it is “tasteless”, which I think is really why the movie is that good. If
it was directed by a person, who is a Hustler
subscriber and is a porn fan, I believe the final product would have been very
different.
Also, I thought Courtney Love
was outstanding in this movie, and I was very disappointed to find out that she
did not grab the Academy Award for her performance. Neither did Woody Harrelson
or Miloš Forman, but Kolja won that year, so at least something.
As of now, I think I will be
doing my final seminar work on this movie, but I will gladly change my mind, if
something better comes up.
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