A Creepy Sensation
Sunday afternoon we watched “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” — which of course we have watched before. It’s one of several prequels to the Harry Potter story as you no doubt are aware. Its author, J.K.Rowling, has an uncanny ability to make me think of current events. As I watched, I had a creepy feeling that the eerie evil character Grindelwald was very familiar right now.
Yes, I placed Grindelwald’s face: he looks like British right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos who was taken into custody by ICE and deported last Friday from the US to the United Kingdom. The reason for his expulsion was that he had overstayed his visa while engaging in very visible right-wing political activities. He was a writer for the far-right Breitbart website, and was proud of using language that was racist and that denigrated women, Muslims, and transgender people. Good riddance!
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| Left: Grindelwald. Right: Yiannopoulos. |
UPDATE: Tuesday Sept 1 — We have now watched the entire series of Fantastic Beasts. Last night we watched two of them.
Stories for Our Time: Repost from 2024
A purely evil political leader appeals to the masses through his dramatic speeches. The large crowds of his followers go wild, howling with adoration and loyalty. He convinces them that they are superior beings, and that they should show no tolerance for those who differ from them. He promises that once empowered, he will expel or even exterminate their inferiors. His overwhelming appeal almost enables him to become the supreme ruler of the Wizard World. Luckily, a few brave opponents, especially Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore, prevent the deceptive and charismatic Grindlewald from achieving his evil plan.
As we binge-watched the three recent Fantastic Beasts films (prequel to the Harry Potter story) I was overcome with dread because of the parallel to recent real life. Unfortunately, no one stopped the onslaught of our new dictator, and as he rapidly announces his coming regime, I fear that no one will stand up to his evil plan.
Not only are we without a magical hero to save us, we don’t even have adorable magical pets to cheer us up. However, these films are a good escape if you don’t take their political situation too seriously. Here are Newt Scamander’s two adorable pets:
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| A Niffler |
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| A Bowtruckle |
Blog post © 2024,2026 mae sander
I know exactly what you mean about watching an old film and suddenly seeing something completely different in it because of what is happening in the real world. Fantastic Beasts is one of those films that can be enjoyed purely for the magic and creatures, but once you start noticing the parallels with politics and the way charismatic people can draw crowds behind them, it becomes much harder to watch innocently. I had a little chuckle at the ending, though, because after all that political darkness, those two creatures really are the perfect distraction. The Niffler in particular is impossible not to like. Sometimes a familiar film is exactly what we need when the real world becomes too much, even if we end up analysing it more than we intended. I have also shared a new post on my blog, so I would love for you to stop by when you have a moment.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteIt would nice if the evil leaders in the world were only in fictional movies. I missed the Secrets of Dumbledore, he was one of my favorite characters. Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
I'm a big Harry Potter fan and shame on me for not having seen any of these movies. I have tried with the first one, but both times I feel asleep watching it. :)
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