I'm confused, is this intended to criticize fascism, or celebrate it?!!
Because the more I watch the movie (love Verhoeven), the more I'm unsure what it is that I'm seeing.
I know the director, coming from Denmark (or somewhere like that) clearly intended the film to be a satire of how absurd fascism can be, even in it's most appealing form (like in the movie where everything seems peachy, or Nazi Germany before the war if you were the right race and political affiliation). But I'm thinking the director clearly missed the mark (like those antiwar movies that have so awesome battle scenes that people end up cheering the action instead of being disgusted by it):
a) What the movie got right:
- The propaganda machine: the best and clearest part of the movie. I doubt anyone gets that wrong.
- The manipulation through the news and patriotism (that reporter being cut off when mentioning that humans started the mess in fact, not the bugs, Rico eating up and later acting out everything/anything Razjack said to him, etc).
b) What the movie got wrong:
- Unlike in real fascism, there were no oppressed minorities/political opponents here (you know, blacks, jews, indians, etc). The place is presented as literally heaven on Earth (no poverty, crime, suffering, etc). At the simple cost of giving up democracy? I'm pretty sure most poor unstable democracies on Earth would jump on that wagon in a split second. Which is simply impossible (like having a Nazi Germany without jew persecution, racism, forced labour of "inferior" races, invasion of other countries, etc).
- Unlike in totalitarian regimes (all fascist regimes end up becoming totalitarian), people were not being conscripted into the armed forced. In fact many people are seen living just fine as civilians without feeling the need to serve to secure citizenship (Rico's parents are against service and seem pretty well off). And even the privates in the showers are elated at all the incentives (bribes) offered at those who serve (free tuition, etc). The fact that most will die before collecting is never mentioned or even hinted at (the death toll at Khlendatu is presented as an anomaly that cost the sky marshal his job, thus we only get the idea that service is dangerous, but not a death sentence).
- The military leaders we get to know (Razjack and Zimm) end up giving the opposite intended impression:
Zimm: as sadistic as he may be, he's shown to be thoughtful, practical, even appealable (helping out Rico).
Razjack: the guy's fascist indoctrination is like Edward Norton's neonazi rants in American History X: as compelling as possible, coming from a likeable sincere person, and go unchallenged except by clear idiots. How many people don't end up wishing every military unit had a leader like him?
- The military intelligence officers (Doogie Howser playing Gestapo dress up) are shown callous and cold with people's lives, but are given unchallenged excuses (it's a numbers game, the bugs have more) and thus also end up getting the upper hand and moral high ground.
- People hungry for war/combat (Zimm) are actually rewarded and cary the day (he captured the brain bug), thus giving the impression that the warmongers are actually right and willing to fight their own battles (Hitler was indeed a veteran and when the chips came down he abided by his orders to others to resist until death, but in all honesty such example is not representative of these types. Dick "5 deferments/I had more important things to do" Cheney is).
So if this movie was supposed to dissuade people into thinking fascism (or totalitarism for that matter) is a viable option, it seriously misfired (current democracy already performs far worse and is more cruel in real life, just ask any Iraqi, Egyptian or Lybian how's that US made/backed democracy feeling right now).