Jodie Foster Film 'The Brave One' Raises Issues

Jodie Foster's new film, 'The Brave One,' raises serious societal issues even before one goes to the theater to see it. Foster raised eyebrows in advance of the film by stating that basically no one should have the right to bear arms with the exception of law enforcement.

Thus, one views the film with a predetermined bias. We expect 'The Brave One' to extol the virtues of disarming ordinary citizens. Our expectation, however, is not met, although the film does indeed raise serious questions concerning issues such as self-defense, gun rights, and law enforcement.

Ultimately, however, the question is raised, how far can or should an ordinary citizen go in self-defense and in seeing justice served, when a system such as ours often deprives the citizens of both? And, at what point does such a pursuit disintegrate into a vigilantism that borders dangerously on criminality?

The film provides no answers to these questions. However, it is no inconsequential matter that the movie's two protagonists feel forced to act outside the law in bringing justice to inhuman and brutal excuses for humanity.

If Foster's statements on gun rights and self-defense were intended to promote the movie and boost attendance at theaters, then we will see if her plan worked. If my viewing of the film is any indication of viewer interest, then the movie is in trouble in spite of the fact that it topped the box office last weekend. The theater was two-thirds empty.

Yet 'The Brave One' is, indeed, an excellent film and worthy of a viewing. Foster gives a riveting performance, one of the best of her career. And the story-line and plot of the film hit a common nerve in modern society--the danger of gangs of criminals in our streets, the seeming inability of law enforcement to adequately address that danger, and the utter helplessness that many citizens feel in the wake of criminal violence that often leads them to take matters into their own hands out of sheer desperation.

It is to be hoped that the film can garner a widespread viewing if for no other reason than the issues it raises.

If, on the other hand, Foster the private citizen actually believes that ordinary citizens should be banned from exercising self-defense with firearms, then her starring role in this film is yet one more example of Hollywood hypocrisy, i.e., starring in a film that seems to grant a pass to extreme measures on the part of ordinary citizens with firearms while personally denouncing the right of citizens to possess those weapons.

We have seen this phenomenon many times before from the likes of Barbra Streisand, Michael Moore, Sean Penn, and many more, who will gladly and willingly accept the megabucks of stardom, provided by good old American capitalism, while personally denouncing the American form of government and advocating for Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and others who believe capitalism to be the embodiment of evil.

If capitalism is so evil, then why are such actors accepting the loot that is gained by employing the principles of capitalism to fund, stage, film, and market their movies to the public? Do they not realize that were it not for free market economics and the principles of marketing--all products of capitalism--they would likely be living in poverty or at least working each day for an average living like most Americans?

A common sentiment expressed among those of us who have studied this phenomenon for years is that such persons are the victims of their own unconscious elitist mindset which holds that what they do as America's premier darlings of film is OK for them but is not OK for the rest of society.

Thus, Streisand, Moore, Penn, and the rest of the like-minded comrades against capitalism can bask in luxury and lavish wastefulness while at the same time attempting to put a heavy guilt-trip on the local soccer moms for driving Chevy Tahoes or Ford Expeditions.

It is certainly not clear as to Foster's true motivation for her words about self-defense and guns prior to the release of 'The Brave One.' But one thing is for sure, whether she intended to do so or not, her comments gained the movie tons of great publicity, compliments of American capitalism.