Tell that to Bolivians, whose water rights were privatized by the World Bank in 1997. In what some called a “water war,” Bechtel was chased out of the country as Bolivians took to the streets in mass opposition to the company’s high prices for basic water services. Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first-ever indigenous president, now plans to enshrine a right to water in the constitution. Indeed, the indigenous Bolivians depicted as demure victims in the film have proven in the real world that they don’t require the violent heroics of a rich white guy like Bond to organize and take back their own country.
"Indeed, the indigenous Bolivians depicted as demure victims"
ReplyDeleteThe movie did seem to imply that these Indians were clueless bumpkins, with the implication that the villain was building huge dams to block water, but the Indians had no idea what caused it. Dams close enough to the Indian towns to be a short walk away.
Of course, dmarks - How else are Indians invariably portrayed in American cinema (be they American or South American)?
ReplyDeleteI do, however, like this latest interpretation of James Bond as he is closer to the character in the novels by Ian Fleming that I enjoyed reading in my early teens -the brutally tough, professional killer that I found to be highly credible - and totally unlike (with the exception of Sean Connery) the line-up of wimps, pussies and dilettantes who have played the British agent in years past.