52 Films by Women Vol 5. 30. THE OLD GUARD (Director: Gina Prince-Blythewood)
Right now, the United States of America resembles the alternate reality depicted in the X-Men movies. The government is right-wing. ‘Othering’ is rife. Belligerence rules over detached, evidence-based analysis. If there are superheroes, they operate outside of government, serving the people better than those elected as their representatives. Currently, fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans want their guns. They do not want face masks. We are seeing how that works out for them. The Old Guard , a modestly budgeted action film released on Netflix, is a missed opportunity, to reflect on heroism in the age of President Trump. America is no longer committed to long term military action overseas to protect against the threat to itself. It has no interest in the moral high ground. Instead, its principal weapon is its market, its ability to trade on its own terms. Tariffs have replaced bullets; they kill less but hurt more. As for problems that require a coordinated, global respons...