The Purge: Election Year Dissected

After watching the Purge: Election Year numerous times, I expected to be shocked. I wasn't. My analysis reflects what I, and most people already felt for the government. People have a general distrust. Is our society a democracy or an oligarchy? The movie came off like political satire. However, there are so many subliminal messages...





 Once a year, for 12 hours, a government-sanctioned crime spree called the Purge where every crime is legal including murder. The impasse between the central character, Senator Charlie Roan and the NFFA (New Founding Fathers of America has two warring ideals, with strong evidence and arguments why each is essential. Roan's stance is that the Purge disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable and those are the ones targeted and killed. She has a personal stake because she was the lone survivor as her family brutally murdered as a result of the Purge. The Government's stance is the Purge is necessary for economic balance and reducing crime. They feel that the population has become too dependent on them for benefits and are not willing to foot the bill anymore. It's a classic case of elitist, capitalist agendas (greed). The ever-widening gap between the haves and have-nots. The need to preserve and conserve. In their words, "Purge & Purify." Their ideology is a complete and utter lie. The honest shock value of the movie is the political ruling class that elevates their own self-interest under the false pretense of doing a greater good for society. They even act like they are pious when, in actuality, money is their God. Sounds like the Bush family...



 Throughout the movie, I was constantly reminded of the venomous rhetoric spewed by the Republican Party. Is it art imitating art or life imitating art?



What's unique is that I'm on the fence about which side to take. I do agree that the country is on edge with the unstable economy, normalized degeneracy, and quasi-politics. People are suffering in silence in an otherwise tranquilized society where laws are counter-intuitive and the ebb & flow of life takes a toll. If murder was legal, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't here as well as 50% percent of people I know. What the government had planned was in order to combat lawlessness and create a more optimistic society the laws of Darwinism must be implemented. NFFA has sold the purge as an escape valve and encourages it as a form of civic duty. What's ironic that even though the crime is sanctioned, the people still engage in revenge, wanton violence, and anarchy. It is indicative of the powder keg that is brewing in people's hearts.  Some people purge just to get a kick out of killing.  The scene highlighting the "murder tourist" is a glaring example of that. In the school of thought, political realists and neo-realists describe anarchy as important to addressing the ills of society, subsequently coming up with a solution. In my opinion, one should never leave questions unanswered and let problems persist.



Senator Roan comes off as some Jesus Christ character, who advocates for the poor and undesirables. According to Oscar Ameringer, politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other...sums up the movie in a nutshell. Her challenging the establishment has made her a threat to their money and their way of life. And she now has to be protected. Previously the Purge excluded government officials, but the playing field has leveled due to NFFA circumventing the laws. The scene where the head of the NFFA, Caleb Warrens arrogance, and belligerence shines brightly on screen. He is the main antagonist and the creator of the Purge. He orchestrates to have Senator Roan killed and her opponent, Minister Edwige Owens ushered into the Presidency. That scene reminds me of some conspiracy where a small group-think is controlling the masses like puppet masters. 

AN APPARENT ACHILLES HEEL OF POLITICS

Cursorily watching and analyzing the movie,' The Purge', through the lens of politics, it arguably appears that the movie was purposely made to expose the follies and setbacks that dog our politics and political leaders today. This is as a result of the despicable attitude of selfishness, malfeasance, nepotism, and numbness to the deplorable conditions of the poor and downtrodden in the society that epitomizes the actions of our political leaders today and in the past. 


The movie is a 2013 American horror film written and directed by James DeMonaco which revolves around the theme of a family held hostage during "The Purge", which is 12-hour time in which all illegal acts are decriminalized.


To a great extent, the movie seems to paints a largely an unattractive picture of our politicians, aim as a lampoon, lambasting all senseless, nefarious humans who seem to prioritize material wealth over human life.


In fact, one of the scenes of the movie worth mentioning relates to the commendable care and concern that the young son of Mr. Sandin doled out to the black man who was searching for refuge being on the verge of death as he was pursued by killers. It appears the action of the young boy in saving the man's life is employed as a tool to mock at those political leaders as well as party flag bearers who will mismanage national funds and not take care of citizens who are most deserving of help, especially so when they are seen as supporters of another party. Again, Sandin's son's enthusiasm to aid save the life of someone he does not know and whose skin color is obviously different from his readily qualifies the young boy as a consummate "good Samaritan" whose love to preserve human life transcends beyond the boundaries of race, familiarity, and social class. In the annals of American politics, an incident that conforms with the boy's marvelously tremendous attitude and actions takes us back to the late 1800s, specifically during the presidency of one of the greatest presidents of the US, Abraham Lincoln. Without an iota of doubt, the memories of how the then president expensed efforts to abolish slavery is still fresh in our minds and cannot be flung into oblivion. Just as the young boy, Abraham Lincoln's enthusiasm to abolish the slavery was not to satisfy his whims and caprices, but based on morality, concern, and care for human life.


The selfishness embodied by the financial superpowers or bigwigs in society yet present another important theme in the movie. It is noted how the most influential in the society care less about the well-being of the downtrodden by not uprooting the menacing purge but instead turn a blind eye to the annual mayhem. It is readily understood that, to the merchants of the security system, Sandin's family, any attempt to militate against the purge will spell doom for the business. Additionally, it is through the yearly revival of the purge that there will be a boost in the sale of the security system. In fact, this particular unfortunate part seems to be a satire mocking European countries who act as the brainchild behind the feud and fights between African ethnic groups or nation just to improve the sale of their ammunition. A case in point relates to the efforts made by France to sell guns to Thomas Sankara in the 1980s the then President of Burkina Faso convincing him that he needed a protection, an idea to which the president objected to. In a shrewd fashion, the movie act as a clarion call against selfishness, malfeasance, nepotism and instead preaches the unconditional need to help, sacrifice to offer a helping hand to the needy in our societies.

The Purge Series: Official Trailers

The Purge (July 7th, 2013)

The Purge: Anarchy (July 18th 2014)

 

The Purge: Election Year (July 1st, 2016)

The Purge: Money Cures All Things

Within the Purge, economic status shines through the attainability of protection during the 12-hour cycle where all crimes are legal. Though many individuals of all financial background voluntarily participate in crimes, the ability to acquire a fortified living space is a barrier that exempts the wealthy from the horrors of the Purge.


The Sandin family’s wealth is from James Sandin’s company that sells security system advertised to protect homes from criminal activity during the Purge. The Purge allowed for economic prosperity for the Sandin family so much so that they have blue flowers in their lawn as a symbolic support in favor of the Purge. And yet, in essence, his money stems from people’s aversion to the criminal acts that are legal on that day. People buy his security system to protect themselves, or if not themselves then their personal belongings while they participate in the Purge. This contradicting cycle is mimicked for our own world as cigarette companies produce a lethal product that kills their consumers, while many of the anti-smoking campaigns are produced by the cigarette companies themselves.


Not only are the wealthy able to access security from the havoc of the Purge, but they also are able to attain weapons and tools to participate in the Purge. While the James Sandin's neighbors not only purchased his security system, they also acquired weapons. The neighbors tried to use the weapons to kill the Sandin family because of their newly-founded wealth.


Those under the same economic limitation as the bloody stranger that the Sandin family let into their home could not afford the security nor the tools of defense and this theme is repeated throughout the Purge Trilogy. Money is strength in both the alternative universe of the Purge and within our own. Within the Purge, the rich view the 12-hour time where crime is legal as a way to indulge in their most wicked fantasy where the poor are playthings. Rather than presuming the Purge as a threat to their well-being, the wealthy enjoy and look forward to taking part in criminal activity. While in our reality in the United States of America, money provides you with a better quality of life, not just with luxury handbags and sports car, but with better healthcare and safety that allows you to avoid death for a little while longer.