IMPERIUM

IMPERIUM

IMPERIUM - A 5/5

I have been longing for a newer movie that captured and held my interests, entertained me and made me think. I found it in IMPERIUM. 

Extremely well written, well directed and well acted. Even the cinematography and subtle score were part of the ensemble that made this thus far my favorite film of 2016. 

Daniel Radcliffe was amazing. I've seen a lot of English actors pull off Americanizing themselves through accents and mannerisms. Legends like Bob Hoskins for example and even Cary Elwes and Hugh Laurie, but I have to conclude that Radcliffe may be the best example I have ever seen on screen. 

Believe me, when it comes to films I am a very critical individual and if I could think of a complaint to give this film I would, but I can't. 

Nothing but praise.

I would conclude this film as the twenty-teen's version of AMERICAN HISTORY X, only this film was better. As high on the pedestal as I hold AMERICAN HISTORY X, I have to say that the storytelling in IMPERIUM was better. It conveyed the message in a clearer, more direct manner. 

The story here is extremely powerful. If made me think of so many things, from so many different angles. 

Hate is such a complicated matter. We treat it like it's something simple but it isn't. It's convoluted. This film not only examined hate, it did a full body cavity search. 

It showed why hate exist, why it is so powerful and why it'll continue to exist. The people truly believe what they are doing is right. They form relationships and bonds of trust, love and compassion with one another. There is love in hatred, and the movie examined that and showed how and why it works. 

The hate group sprouted the same goal, just with a different path and a different destination. A much different path and a much different destination than those of us who preach brotherhood, tolerance and acceptance of us all despite our differences. 

The swastika cupcakes, the belief that "diversity is white genocide", The White American Network, I'd like to think this is all out of the imagination of some sick mental patient locked up in an institution for the criminally insane, but it isn't. These are the thoughts of people we would otherwise deem as civilized and rational. The thoughts are real and so are the people who think and believe them.

I have to admit the thought of division and dissension amongst hate groups themselves sort of threw me off. I figured that their might be a little bickering here and there between different white supremacists groups, but not to the degree that the movie depicted. 

Lastly I have to comment on how the film made me realize what undercover agents put themselves through to achieve their goals. The incident with the Latino and the white girl, having to say those God awful things to his friend, not to mention the grave danger that he consistently had to put himself through. 

The only thing that I couldn't make sense of was that at the bust, they revealed Radcliffe's character's true identity. I have to ask why would they do that? They went to such heights to conceal his identity that to me it would have made more sense to have never revealed it. It seemed dangerous, sloppy and rudimentary. Almost as if it were an error. I would think in such a situation that it would be wiser to continue the undercover. I wonder how it was handled in real life.