MovieChat Forums > V (1983) Discussion > 5th col. traitors to their own people?

5th col. traitors to their own people?

posted 14 years ago by charonme-1
4 replies | jump to latest

Sean: "Aren't the Fifth Column traitors to their own people?"
Mike: "Well, that's one way of looking at it, but what their people are doing is wrong."

It's amazing and sad how a freedom-fighter like Mike fell for the fascist politicians' lies. "Their people" (peaceful lizard workers) are not the ones doing something "wrong". Their politicians and warmongers are the traitors and criminals.

On the other hand, most of the common lizard people are not completely innocent, because it's highly improbable that without the support (or at least the passivity) of the majority, the warmongers wouldn't have enough resources for their criminality.

[–] dpcole7 13 years ago

Great point - but the common lizards (e.g. Willie) may not have known the complete scope of plans... Willie did (as revealed in TFB), but probably not all. Besides, if the commoners like Willie were starving, even the most benevolent of people might acquiesce to do some not-so-benevolent things.

Plus, power corrupts - if you were asked by somebody powerful to do something and in return you'd be given riches, royalty, power, etc, would you be more interested to comply? (Hence characters like Eleanor and Daniel. Eleanor acquiesced to the situation and got rewarded due to circumstance (hubby owning a plant the visitors needed). Daniel, a loner and probably bullied and other nasty things as a kid, found something "nerdy" that appealed to him. At first he didn't really know the "Friends of the Visitors" was just a shrouded military gig, but the idea was cool - he effectively indoctrinated himself as he warmed up to the group. Makes sense, rather, as to why Daniel would sell out as such...)

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] stevenackerman69 13 years ago

The reason Sean says that is that he was converted before being freed was to find out about the resistance's plans. Mike even admitted that there is a point Sean is making, but here's another point: What the Visitors were doing was wrong and the 5th column is trying to fix the situation.

[–] 13 years ago

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