Thursday, November 24, 2016

CSA: The Confederate States of America (2004)


☆ ☆ ☆


CSA: The Confederate States of America (2004) – K. Willmott

Faux documentary (in the style of Ken Burns’ Civil War) that imagines a future after the South won the “War of Northern Aggression”, complete with commercials hawking real racist products (that actually faded away as America became enlightened).  So, it turns out that after a few decisive battles and aided by European powers, Jefferson Davis takes the White House and Lincoln is tried as a war criminal but flees to Canada (aided by Harriet Tubman who is caught and executed) where he survives until the early 20th century. Slavery remains a political and economic commodity for the new nation (CSA) and this leads them to eventually side with Hitler becoming isolated from the rest of the world after WWII (except for South Africa).  JFK (elected as a Republican) is assassinated for promoting abolition.  And so on.  Things are a bit uneven but the points are well taken.  However, it is hard to laugh at the bitter comedy here and even more so on the evening when Trump was elected.  Staring down an alternate reality seemed like a good thing to do but it might be harder to put into practice in the next four years.  
  

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