A New Diversity Flick
August 18, 2014
Foundational, fundamental differences between countries and cultures (France and India) are not explored deeply in The Hundred Foot Journey, the latest in feel-good diversity cinema. Instead, these differences simply melt away, even after an incident of extreme violence. Profound connections are made through romantic desire and high-end culinary recipes. One especially heavy-handed moment comes when the stern French restaurateur defends a Gallic recipe’s 200-year tradition, while her apprentice Indian chef offers a challenge to the effect of “Isn’t 200 years long enough?” and then proceeds to diversify the dish with his South Asian spices.
Women in this movie treat men as if they don’t really need them; and then these men continue to pursue them, not necessarily sexually but emotionally and psychologically. The young Indian male here goes off to Paris to conquer the French culinary world but still expresses (through texting!) his desires for the young French woman who treated him in ways that any self-respecting male would not find appealing. And if you think this couple ends up married and happy ever after, this movie is far too hip (and this beautiful French woman far too “strong”) for that. Instead, they are united at film’s end in a multicultural business venture complemented by their romantic ties!
— Comments —
Suzanne writes:
I notice that the commentator chose to focus on the feminist aspects as being the worst thing about the movie, instead of the interracial relationship aspect. The commentator did not write the word ‘interracial’ once. I find this incredibly sad especially since he/she was angry over the Indian spices to a Gallic recipe scene.
Are people so cowed now that they can only criticize feminism? Specifically feminism that involves a white woman’s actions? Does it feel safer to go after a fictional white woman character than to call out the movie for what it is….encouraging miscegenation and the destruction of the French people?
The young Indian man has no business pursuing the French female, and the French female has no business responding.
Buck writes:
Suzanne writes that “The young Indian man has no business pursuing the French female, and the French female has no business responding.”
Suzanne appears to be objecting to their personal “business”. Personal business is subject to human weakness and desire. Modern liberalism isn’t just a set of rules or guidelines that people chose to obey or follow. ML is an unstoppable force that acts on us, on and against our nature. The mixing of races by high rates of open immigration ends the nation and blends the races. Without an adamant nation-state bent on remaining so, there is no stopping it. The alternative is a society so repugnant and unhealthy that no one wants to be part of it.
Many whites resist the unavoidable romantic and sexual temptations presented by our increasingly diverse societies, as do most of the French. But, most is not enough. It’s not even close.
If “we” did not have as a bedrock public policy and purpose, the blending our white European heritage out of existence, then “we” had “no business” opening our borders to anyone who could get here. But, we did, and we still do. The “French” are barely replacing their population, at 2.1 births. That is thanks only to the immigrant. On their own the actual French are not. France doesn’t yet match the U.S., with our less than 50% white birth rate, but they’re at 25% and climbing.
At some point, in the not-to-distant future miscegenation will not have to be “encouraged”, it will be unavoidable.
Paul writes:
Hollywood’s liberals show their cynical hypocrisy by refraining with few exceptions from having blacks and whites kiss onscreen. I’ll admit I find it ugly and won’t rent a movie with such an intentional display. It is a gut instinct. And Hollywood’s actors who gorge on Hollywood’s discrimination-based largesse against blacks and whites and Christians don’t dare say anything. I understand. I and most other people won’t admit it with strangers. Our jobs are at stake. It is delaying the day when many people have had enough of the nondiscrimination, and then we will all pay dearly. Ferguson is the offensive. The counter-offensive will be the day when things get really bad.
(I much prefer Blythe Danner, who is about 70, four years older than Helen Mirren. Danner has always been a bona fide beauty. Sad that her daughter isn’t holding up as well.)
