Touche pas à la femme blanche

The White Man's Burden

Progress – the constant feature of the sustainable economic growth. Periodically, for the sake of progress, the one need to «waste» some people. The government of the United States of America have decided that, for the sake of progress, it is necessary to «waste» the Indians. They entrust this mission to General Terry, who delegates the battle command to Major General Custer.

The year of film’s release was the same as The Paris Peace Accords and The Watergate. Behind the façade of a standard Western film, one could see the spit in the face of a society as a whole.

It became necessary to destroy the town to save it

Touche pas à la femme blanche draws parallel to The Vietnam War and, to the lesser extent, to other so-called «local wars». The author makes an absurdist decision by putting soldiers and officers of XIXth century Army into the modern world. He does it in order to show, that despite all so-called progress the imperialists are still cruel and barbarous toward those, whom they regard as the «second-class people».

Military heroes, all of whom were the real figures, are depicted as satiric stupid soldiers. The Vietnam War was, as we know, «the first televised war», so General Custer and Buffalo Bill draws the parallel with Rumsfeld’s briefings at the Pentagon.

The government of the United States of America cares only about the profit and always ready to «waste» some or maybe a lot of people. The anthropology professor, who scientifically proves the white man’s dominance, is a rather cruel parody of Kissinger – former professor of International relations at the Harvard.

How beastly the bourgeois…

Marco Ferreri ruthlessly exploits the so-called «goody-good» people. He shows the petit bourgeoisie as ignorant, cruel and silly. «The great silent majority» are fully endorsing the barbarous policy of their government. The affair of Marie-Helene and Major General is absurdist and fully depicts the double standards of the society.

Mitch Bouyer is the stereotypical collaborator. The both sides equally despise him, but he desperately tries to use his little power. The only thing, which brings him pleasure, is the bullying and harassment of Caucasian female workers in his shop.

Touche pas à la femme blanche is a well-made anti-bourgeoisie film. All those, who enjoy good cinema, should give it a try.

8/10