This has literally been my "favorite movie of all time" ever since a friend rented it for a gathering of geeks. It was made for television, of course, but I believe it was put together far more expertly than most movies I have seen. Aside from a seemingly low budget, some minor inconsistencies, and an occasional poorly-delivered line, the movie is superb. It sets a pace, speaks to a theme, and gives the viewer a story they could believe in.
Other reviewers here have observed how "Harrison Bergeron" is a political commentary on the conduct of government (especially American government). Others point out the science fiction aspect of intentionally manufacturing a society. I would just like to voice my awareness of a theme that hasn't been spoken to much here-- the theme that is the reason that this is my favorite movie.
The nature of intelligence, while poorly defined and understood by those who measure it so expertly, is a concept I and many others cannot ignore. For the gifted and talented among us, the world looks much like Harrison's world in the beginning of the film. Intelligent people are often isolated from others by intolerance and by their own unwillingness to conform to mediocrity. The movie sums this up well with a line: "It's lonely, being smart." It would be arrogance to believe that people like Harrison are 'better' than the rest, but it would be foolish to say this difference does not matter. Being different in any way is painful for young people, and even more so when the difference allows someone to more fully comprehend the meaning of it.
I would never want to be as smart as Harrison Bergeron in a society where excellence was penalized. The American society is not so punitive, but there are certainly costs for being gifted. When federal funding for gifted programs is so quickly siphoned away during budget crises, an intelligent student is not a "child left behind" but is instead a child *kept* behind. What motivation is there to try, to achieve one's potential when more tedious and mind-numbing work is the only reward? Many smart students learn it is better to do just enough to get that "A", or slack off to get even worse, than it is to fight against the inertia of school curricula. At worst, the educational system destroys our brightest minds by teaching them to conform to the standard of the norm.
When I saw this film, I remembered again the darkest parts of growing up smart in a place where intelligence is a liability. I was smart enough to be anesthetized by my classes, but not smart enough to see right through it all. The secret government of the best and the brightest looks like a utopia to eyes clouded by compliance. It would be comforting to many students to have a place where they did not need to hide their gifts because other people (and teachers) might get resentful. These places need to be re-created in American culture, because they existed once and served an essential purpose. Until recently, universities and laboratories were places of intellectual enlightenment; now they are institutions designed to swell the ranks of the middle class and to make a profit. The result: it is difficult to find groups who are together solving the greatest problems that beset humanity, as was once done.
So, I enjoy Harrison Bergeron for its humor, political insight, and science (non)fiction, but I appreciate it more for its portrayal of the talented and gifted. These are not happy people-- they are burdened people. If you are one of these people, know that you are not alone. Movies like Harrison Bergeron remind us that there are others who experience the angst, the ennui, and the pain of being uncommonly gifted. Find solace in the world of the geek, or in Mensa, or even just with your special group of friends. Harrison Bergeron is a warning, not a role-model.
Other reviewers here have observed how "Harrison Bergeron" is a political commentary on the conduct of government (especially American government). Others point out the science fiction aspect of intentionally manufacturing a society. I would just like to voice my awareness of a theme that hasn't been spoken to much here-- the theme that is the reason that this is my favorite movie.
The nature of intelligence, while poorly defined and understood by those who measure it so expertly, is a concept I and many others cannot ignore. For the gifted and talented among us, the world looks much like Harrison's world in the beginning of the film. Intelligent people are often isolated from others by intolerance and by their own unwillingness to conform to mediocrity. The movie sums this up well with a line: "It's lonely, being smart." It would be arrogance to believe that people like Harrison are 'better' than the rest, but it would be foolish to say this difference does not matter. Being different in any way is painful for young people, and even more so when the difference allows someone to more fully comprehend the meaning of it.
I would never want to be as smart as Harrison Bergeron in a society where excellence was penalized. The American society is not so punitive, but there are certainly costs for being gifted. When federal funding for gifted programs is so quickly siphoned away during budget crises, an intelligent student is not a "child left behind" but is instead a child *kept* behind. What motivation is there to try, to achieve one's potential when more tedious and mind-numbing work is the only reward? Many smart students learn it is better to do just enough to get that "A", or slack off to get even worse, than it is to fight against the inertia of school curricula. At worst, the educational system destroys our brightest minds by teaching them to conform to the standard of the norm.
When I saw this film, I remembered again the darkest parts of growing up smart in a place where intelligence is a liability. I was smart enough to be anesthetized by my classes, but not smart enough to see right through it all. The secret government of the best and the brightest looks like a utopia to eyes clouded by compliance. It would be comforting to many students to have a place where they did not need to hide their gifts because other people (and teachers) might get resentful. These places need to be re-created in American culture, because they existed once and served an essential purpose. Until recently, universities and laboratories were places of intellectual enlightenment; now they are institutions designed to swell the ranks of the middle class and to make a profit. The result: it is difficult to find groups who are together solving the greatest problems that beset humanity, as was once done.
So, I enjoy Harrison Bergeron for its humor, political insight, and science (non)fiction, but I appreciate it more for its portrayal of the talented and gifted. These are not happy people-- they are burdened people. If you are one of these people, know that you are not alone. Movies like Harrison Bergeron remind us that there are others who experience the angst, the ennui, and the pain of being uncommonly gifted. Find solace in the world of the geek, or in Mensa, or even just with your special group of friends. Harrison Bergeron is a warning, not a role-model.