Starship Troopers - Renegade Cut
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- Опубліковано 25 тра 2016
- An analysis of Starship Troopers. Topics include war, dehumanization, propaganda, eugenics and more. Support Renegade Cut Media through Patreon. / renegadecut
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"It would be as if, today, we could only choose between a conservative Republican, and a very conservative Republican."
This hit different in 2020.
I literally came to comments just now to highlight this EXACT sentence. Well played, friend.
It’s been that way for decades.
holy crap your right. doesnt he have a video about mike pence that is literally that sentence but if trump gets reelected?
Lol now the Democrats are the pro war party.
@@UluvDuddes Both parties are, unfortunately.
“Joining the mobile infantry made me the man I am today”
> camera pans revealing he only has one limb
It's interesting - the book has this scene too, and it's very explicitly deliberate on the part of the recruiter, and it's also pretty explicit that the recruiter is trying to dissuade the men he's talking to *away* from a career that guarantees citizenship. It's weird to think Heinlein believed the novel could be an argument for that political system. (But Heinlein was *weird*, so who knows.)
@@thefaboo I know, right? Modern recruiters will lie in your face just to get their statistics up.
@@thefaboo there are alot of veterans who speak our against war, he could very well be trying to paint dissenting veterans as "they're just cowards who couldnt handle the suffering"
Remember when Sargon of Akkad ran as a political candidate, unironically with the slogan "Service guarantees citizenship"?
Yep, I was there some 4000 years ago. Good times
Maybe I remember wrong but Sargon made a video critic of the movie where he (and his loyal fans) supported that the regime we see in the movie is actually awesome (no surprise there). Apart from the political views he pushed, I remember that at some point he said something like "The director himself said that he did not read the book" and proceeded to start talking about the book, mostly disregarding the movie. His video was supposed to be for the movie but why bother eh?
Oh ukip, the moment they became a parody of themselves, more so then ever before.
Jonathan Pie: "wanklord of aragon"
15:30 : Gory violence by itself wasn't censored, but it was only censored when it was suggesting something sexual, like a phallic machine penetrating a mouth that looks like a vulva.
Their world is also weirdly sexless. Rico gets permission from the squad leader to do it with Dizz.
Now that I think about, the soldiers didn't really seem to experience any form of PTSD or care that their comrades were dying by the hundreds. When I was a kid, I thought, "So everyone is cool with not caring that their friends were getting melted and chopped up." I remember being uncomfortable by that. Satire has a terrifying element to it.
part of the future is proper emotional training
There's a lot of ancient Spartan values in the Starship Troopers movie. They're raised as children to hate the bugs, glorify war, and taught that to have no fear, no ego, and to die in service to the society is the greatest achievement.
I forgot the exact name, but Fascists have this idealisation of death. In normal human culture, the hero typically survives his or her ordeal. In fascist culture, the hero dies for the state.
deektedrgg if you're referencing Eco, he said in "Ur-Fascism" that fascism requires a cult of death.
I think I saw an NRA TV spot (I think it was in a Last Week Tonight episode), decrying that the "purveyor of death" is vilified.
When I first saw this film in 2000 on TV the satire gone right over my head. I was 14 and i liked the action. I must have watched it a dozen times before my 20th birthday to realize how to interpret this movie.
same here,
Me at 16: KILL ALL THE BUGS!
Me at 39: Oh my god. We're the bad guys.
Same here, my man. The only part that cut through that at all for me was the big bug at the end being scared. That's when I felt some things that I didn't understand at the time, and I wouldn't understand them until I finally got out of both conservatism and Christianity much later on in my life.
At least you figured it out yourself. I saw it at the cinema at 15. I had read the book and was just disappointed that it didn't have the power armor, nuclear hand grenades and "the skinnies" in it. I didn't know it was a satire of the book, I just thought it was a bad adaptation. I didn't even spot the problematic philosophy in Heinlein's writing until much later (and I'm pretty sure someone else pointed it out to me).
I always saw ST as a WW2 film from the perspective of the German soliders. Knowing Verhoeven's fascination with the subject, I really think that's what it is. A brilliant piece of satire for sure.
25 years ahead of its time! A masterpiece...
In the book, Heinlein makes it clear that anyone who wishes to serve, regardless of their physical state, is allowed to serve. So if you are disabled, the military has to find a job for you.
I first see it at 9. I understand the satire immediately. Maybe is because I am from a colonized country. I never understand people who can't see it...
You can literally switch the “bugs” with anyone, even other humans, the point of the movie is not about a fictional war between humans and aliens, but about the militarization of society and the dehumanization of their citizens to turn then into prisoners of a self perpetuating system of control and war.
Colonialism
"Everyone has a different reaction"
I originally watched the movie because Clancy Brown is in it. Then I stayed for the interesting world. The satire had gone over my head, as I was more focused on Clancy's role as Sgt. Zim.
I miss Paul Verhoeven movies like this.
Starship Troopers and Robocop are some of my favourites.
The trailer for that movie really caught my attention.
And~ I just found out he's directing The Legend of Conan. :3
Giovanni Romanelli Total Recall!!!!
My favorite movies too
Total Recall is another secretly genius movie. It can be interpreted at face value, or it can also be interpreted as all being an implanted memory gone wrong. I believe Verhoeven has even said you're not meant to be able to tell which interpretation is correct.
Weren't Rico's parents both civilians?
This film perfectly encapsulates the most basic fundamental flaw with Fascism: Life is essentially a Permanent Warfare. There must be an enemy for the 'heroic' government to fight, The problem then becomes if there is an enemy to overcome then there must be a de facto final battle and then an era of peace. But if there is peace then there is no need for a Fascist Regime built on the military industrialist complex of Hero worship and permanent war. So an enemy must necessarily be both stronger than the government to require defense of it (the government regime) but simultaneously weaker than it to facilitate the lie of a superior fascist state. It is a problem no fascist leader has yet been able to square satisfactorily and thus why they are usually doomed to lose wars. This film is a fantastic example of that contradiction.
I don't know if it's 'only' the military can reproduce because Johnny's parents are both civilians
very good vid and also great film, minor extra note, the federation is even more aggressive and in the wrong, when they launch the first offensive on Klendathu they mention that the fleet is mustering at a spaceport 'deep within the arachnid quarantine zone'. The shot of this station shows that it is massive, must have taken years to build and its presence so keep in 'bug' territory suggests the federation had been planning an invasion for a very long time prior to the destruction of Buenos Aires
I noticed a resemblance to ancient Athens really, where to become a πολίτης ( a citizen that can vote) one had to be an οπλίτης (a soldier who fought for the city state of Athens) and those who did not serve as οπλίτες were seen as lesser members of society, a step above women and slaves. The first democracy wasn't that democratic after all.
And references to Sparta are made whenever selective breeding is mentioned, just like in ancient Spartan society where they wanted only the Spartan worthy to breed, not the unworthy "everyone else" every non spartan really, who they tolerated because they saw them as kind of useful.
And both city states had a war culture that was supported through propaganda and was the whole point of their existence because it "proved" their success.
As it was then,so it is now because human war (culture) never changes.
and thanks for the Bergman recommendations.
I'm living on the border of east (Russia) and west (Europe) and read media of both sides in their native languages (that are targeting domestic readers). You wouldn't believe how topical this movie is again, mostly for eastern part (luckilly, so far). Dehumanization of others, military fetishization, you can just start ticking boxes off the list.
Thanks for the video. Starship Troopers is so much overanalyzed by now that I didn't think that I'm able to see something new. Glad I was wrong.
Being a westerner I'd say that both over do it. I can't say for Russia but given how unnervingly reminiscent to the Soviet Union it seems it's wouldn't surprise me. As for the US well, to say that saying a word against the military is unpatriotic is about right. Doesn't help that American patriotism feels more like nationalism, the belief that the US is never wrong and anyone saying otherwise is a "godless commie." Basically I'm saying that from what I've seen being a patriot in the US is the only way to be accepted in American society. It may be a little unfair given I'm British but you don't see this sort of thing anywhere near as much Kingdom-side.
@@rockacraig5653
No, you are right about the US pretty much. If you are against the war you are against the troops and are Un-American and should move to "Socialist" Venezuela. Patriotism in the US is Nationalism and also reinforces American Exceptionalism etc etc.
Have you seen the US media? No war is a bad war
Great analysis!
I think this is one of the most glorious example of dystopia done right on a visual medium. Instead of putting the viewer outside of the society and just labelling it as bad (which is the most common choice by far) it puts you inside of it and refrains from an explicit moral judgement. First of all, this lets the viewer feel what being part of this society is like, as you said, in every aspect.
If I might dare, I'd like to add that the movie also gives more insight on what kind of culture the Federation has. In the beginning of the movie we see Rico and his friends (Carl Jenkins, the psychic and Carmen Ibanez, the pilot) graduating from high school and from there we start to realize what kind of people are grown in the Federation.
First, Rico: it's true, he is depicted as brave and dutiful, but he is also ruthless. When he gets one of his comrades killed during the training, he shows great honor in enduring the punishment, but doesn't seem to me he suffers at all for having killed one of his comrades. One more thing: in high school he is shown being the top player in a violent sport where seems like brute force is the most important skill.
Second, Ibanez. I think she might be seen as manipulative: first, she engages with Rico, which is kinda like the "alpha male" in the school, only to go with the other guy and forgetting about Rico. When in the end the pilot guy sacrifices himself to save Ibanez, she goes right back with Rico as if nothing happened. No emotion shown, nothing.
Third, and most interesting, Jenkins. He doesn't have Rico's strength and can't use seduction like Ibanez, but he is even more prone to attack everyone in their weak spots. First, we see him using his psychic powers to manipulate his pet to harass his mom. Yeah, it might be seen as an innocent prank, but at the same time, mind controlling your pet is kinda cruel. Later, he humiliates Rico, his friend, by showing everyone his poor math results.
It makes me think the Federation is a society built on strength, which not only endorses using it to subdue aliens, but also to subdue everyone around you. In this society Rico becomes a brute, Ibanez a social climber and Jenkins a sadist, everyone using their advantages to trample others for themselves.
good points!
Excellent points. I never thought of the elements you mentioned!
Outstanding assessment!
Yup. This is a society that explicitly endorses violence (I mean, listen to the first class in the film, don't look at Rico and Carmen and their flirting, but listen to what the teacher is saying) and considers violence a good thing. Everything is violent, and in the end the only thing we know for sure is that the violence will continue in a politically advantageous never ending war.
Leonardo Rossi RICO was punished. He was given 10 lashes in front of everyone at the recruit training depot. Also, not to mention that he was stripped of his squad leader status. His superiors let him stay, however he chose to leave the Mobile Infantry because he did feel remorse for leaving his parents and going into Federal Service. Saying he’s a brute is just pure inappropriate just because he plays a physical sport and is good at fighting. Point is, Rico did suffer the consequences of his actions, but they allowed him to stay because they saw hope in him.
Yeah, even Casper van Dien has the "Aryan features." Blonde, blue-ish eyes.
STRONG jaw
Blonde?
Although I knew that both Robocop and Starship Troopers were directed by Paul Verhoven, at the time I saw ST, I totally failed to see the connection between Media Break and Federal Network. I can see the similarities now. LOL
Hard to believe that the same author who wrote "Starship Troopers" is the same author who wrote "Stranger in a Strange Land". Heinlein is one of my favorite authors, but he had some seriously weird ideas. I'd love to see someone try to make a movie out of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress".
i was glad to hear the movie was intentional satire. I remember watching it and thinking, "are they serious?" the entire time.
We need to convince Verhoeven to remake the Purge. The concept is taylor made for him!
I'm glad to see this one back up. This is one of my favorite of your reviews. It led me to re-watch it for the first time since I was in middle school, and really helped me to appreciate its satire.
I was too young when I first saw this movie. I've seen it 50 times and I still love it.
Really interesting. Perhaps you could have done a "Do you want to know more" with a link to your projects. Just a thought.
I'm binging your stuff so will probably get to it.
Great video, I really doubt we'll ever get a big budget movie as subtle and intelligent as this
I saw this first when I was in 8th grade or so and at the time I saw absolutely NONE of the satire. I was more interested in the badass war story and how hot Denise Richards looked. I think I watched it a few times over two or three years, and played a really bad videogame knockoff that came out.. I didn't see it again for another 15 years, but in that time the feeling that there was something more there served to not make me question the movie so much as give me a strange feeling of unease that somehow deepened the experience for me. I used to tell people it was one of my favorite movies but it wasn't until I finally re-watched it that all the more "nuanced" themes became apparent. I think because of this it remains one of my favorite films. Now that I think about it, the way this film's ideas subtly invaded my mind may have been why I fell in love with the Warhammer 40k universe: The themes are so similar: Only those that make war and oppress their fellow humans are given any amount of power and respect although the human Imperium of 40k is the polar opposite of a utopia.
"It would be like if today we could only choose between a conservative Republican and a *very* conservative Republican." Yikes. That line was pretty fucking prescient.
"…choosing between a conservative republican and a very conservative republican"
Well… That's pretty much how american politics already looks, at least for many of us europeans. The democrats are liberal flag-waving religious militaristic pro-capitalists and the republicans are conservative flag-waving religious militaristic pro-capitalists. There's really no actual left wing to american politics, and the "two parties" are very, very similar
I always laught at the fact that the USA really thinks their parties has that much of a difference. The US has a far right (now a day borderline nazi) party and a somewhat normal right wing party for international average. Even politicians like Bernie Sanders or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that a lot of people take as far left lunatics are BARELY cestrists in any other developed country.
In regards to having children in the movie and book, the recruit said is easier to be allowed to have children. Rico's parents weren't citizens yet they had a son.
My dude, please read the comments first. Asked, answered, discussed and dismissed ad nauseam for the past few years.
5:05 that's not super far off in the US tho. We have to choose between center/center right Democrats and rightwing/far right Republicans both capitalist and Imperialist to varying degrees
I remember my little half-brother got a CD of this when he was at his mom’s house. He then took it over to our Dad’s house during Dad’s weekend and we watched this twice. Mind you, we were 6 and 7 year olds.
The movie didn’t really faze me, and I found it funny by the way it satirized Fascism.
But it was different with my brother. Every time we went outside to play, I heard him spouting cheezy lines from the movie as dialogue between his plastic army men. It was funny hearing it. And then he watched Braveheart. And then not only would I hear things like “Move it Rico, let’s take that hill” “I’m from Buenos Aires and I say kill ‘em all!” I would also hear things like “They May take our lives, but they will never take our freedom! *Men cheering sounds*”. Eventually he grew out of it and several years later, this movie is on Netflix. One really fun thanksgiving at my cousin’s house when we were teenagers, I’m scrolling through Netflix with my cousins and my brother, and after about 20 minutes of searching, I saw Starship Troopers. We watched it and had some laughs. Fun times.
11:25 Never thought about it that way, high possibility they sent him to report directly from the frontline because he said that.
Woah. This was really thought provoking. Although I just watched Starship Troopers just for the awesome aliens and action. :P
It's full metal jacket for Star Wars/Trek fans.
This film is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago when it was released. Such a great film.
That scene when the lady says she wants to be a citizen to have babies, she said its easier to get a licence if your a citizen, she didn't say reproducing was banned for civilians. Remember Rico's parents weren't citizens so civilians can reproduce in this world.
I've read lots of comments, elsewhere, from people who really don't understand this film and dislike it because of it's camp styling. Others have explained that it is actually clever and anti-fascist, but even these commentators fail to understand that it is far more specifically a treatise on American hegemonization and militarism. It does seem that many Americans have a real blind spot when it comes to criticism of American culture.
Oh man, such a fun movie. Even at a young age, I still picked up on the satirical tone of the film almost immediately within the first propaganda scene.
Perfect analysis. You extrapolated the core. The military propaganda. All the false advertising for war and all the rights centered to citizenship after your military service. In the book it's even more drastic. Anyway it's a pup cult classic especially in Germany and on of the movies I can watch all the time. It doesn't age because the effects are still so superb and Verhoeven is just a perfectionist when it comes to this federation network television clips. So many great ideas and shots from actual politics. This movie is relevant even today and will be as long as fascist nations are present.
And as a bonus, it works pretty well as a dumb action movie too! Something for everyone!
to choose from a regular party to a very conservative party, isn't something what people actually have nowdays?
"Two of the three most recent presidents had no military training, and the other only in the Air National Guard whose service was not without controversy."
You meant Clinton, Bush (the ex-pilot), and Obama, but this could've been Bush, Obama, and Trump too. Accidentally prescient? :P
Just rewatched the film last night and your essay holds up well! I knew you'd have something insightful to say about this film and searched your channel for it on a whim. I think it's one of my favorites from you. Love the work!
Glad your video is back!
Excellent video. This movie just keeps giving the more I learn about it.
A blend of thought-provoking sociopolitical commentary and sci-fi /action-adventure. Brilliant! BTW, the video was outstanding. Very informative; makes me want to see the movie again to check out all the stuff I missed.
Great analysis! Starship Troopers is one of my all-time favourite films for a number of reasons.
another great insightful vid, thank you
It would be as if today we can only choose between a conservative republican and very conservative republican. Hmm thats some impressive foresight
Never forget Klendathu!
Great episode!
One of my favourite films.
Great analysis!
dude, this video is good, i mean REALLY good!
Nice to see this episode again! I hope I get to see this movie, eventually; I desperately want to.
NPH's roll in this film changed my life!!!!!
Even when I was a kid seeing this for the first time, I appreciated the satirical propaganda as well as the over the top violence. It was and still is one of my favorites, and I really appreciate all the attention and criticism it's received over the years. This is one of the movies that makes you really think about the way society is moving... spookily similar to another ridiculous movie that I love: Idiocracy.
This was great, and thanks for including a clip from Futurama!
"Starship Trooper" by British prog rock band YES, released 1971. Fantastic song!
Great vid dude
Always fun to hear "Verhoeven" pronounced by English speaking people.
I'm pretty sure Verhoeven himself is already used to this.
I like to think Starship Trooper's human civilisation is actually the future Empire of Man from Warhammer 40k before the Emperor takes power
Well they are both over the top!
But the Imperium is waaaaay more flamboyant!XD
MORE FLYING HEADS FOR THE POWER OF LOVE
It also had AWESOME MUSIC!
There's one thing I've always wondered about Starship Troopers. In a news report about the destruction of Beuni=os Aries, they show Earth and the planet of the bugs in relation to each other-- ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GALAXY. It would be impossible for the bugs to send plasma over that great of a distance (thousands of light years). At first I thought it was just bad science. Then I asked myself-- what if the bugs didn't redirect the asteroids toward BA? What if Earth did it to justify an invasion of the bug's territory?
Guess I missed the message then. I always walk away from the film thinking 'we'd probably be a more united and peaceful species, if we had a common exo-planetary enemy.'
8:00 DUDE, It's Gabriel from the 'Walking dead"!!
It also has great commentary on the dvd.
Thank you for this
5:13 Dean Norris! I forgot you were in this movie.
the film's best review so far, congrats
One of the most underrated films ever measured on return on investment. Great film music, great cgi for that time, great message and fitting (bad) actors.
3:51 what backround music are you using?
4:49 Amazing quote
I knew something was up in the film when there was a night time raid on an enemy that the military had little or no information on . A gulf of tonkin incident to get the people of earth to sacrifice there children for the war effort .
one of the more on the nose examples of how it's propaganda is that the casualty numbers are heavily manipulated.
it's also amusing how utterly innept the humans are. they're trying to zerg rush the zergs.
I’m glad that someone else also thought this was a good movie, but not for the reasons many people think. If anything, Starship Troopers was thinking about the September 11 attacks before they really happened. There’s a lot of irony in the film in that this movie has news segments that are much like you’d see today on the Internet with the repeated question, “Would you like to know more?” although that is never chosen during the videos in the film. The bugs are evil, but we don’t know why. The bugs have destroyed Buenos Aires, but we don’t know why. All we know is that the bugs are bad and must all be destroyed, and the only solution is more and more war.
It was pure blind bad luck.Rico's father is on a biz trip out of town in the novel & ends up joining MI as Rico graduates from officer training program.It ends w/a parting salute on the way to the next offensive.
I initially thought it was a shit, cheezy film...MST3K Worthy!!! Then I realized it was brilliant satire. I always rooted for the B-U-G-S!!!!
Well done, I just subscribed. I would like to know more.
I thought one of the most sinister aspects of the society Paul and Ed depicted and one of the sickest jokes in the movie is that it depicts Buenos Aires being populated by a bunch of soap-opera superficial white kids. Also, when I first saw the movie I thought there was something very feminist about its depiction of women as combat equals to men, only now I realise that’s based entirely on their ability and willingness to wield violence.
@Albert Whisker That's precisely the point. All teenage character are vapid beautiful people, and all the adults are mutilated by perpetual war.
Dumb Rico wants smart beautiful Carmen (which he doesnt deserve, she is way outta his league and she goes for a collegue pilot, a much better match) and canonfodder Dizz wants cannonfodder Rico (he ignores here). Nobody gets their true love, they all die.
The movie is also perfect propaganda for the film's fascist universe. A dark gritty subject (the foreverwar) is shot on film with beautiful people and is exceptionally well lit, it looks like Beverly Hills 90210 in Space, this is all on purpose, isn't war fun, Kids?!
I like the analysis, but at 6:40. you say only veterans can have children. But Rico's parents are civilians, So I guess they had to pay to have the right to their son. So I guess it is not entirely exclusive to citizens
Rico's parents being allowed to have kids is also commentary/satire. Rico's parents are obviously wealthy, they are able to afford a license to breed. One character comments that its easier to get a license if you serve, she doesn't have the means to get to that end. In the aristocratic world of Starship Troopers there is A LOT of inequality, "earning" citizenship is one kind, financial inequality is another, and having the privilege to have kids is another as well. That's a comment/satire on eugenics, that only a certain kind of people can have kids.
I thin his parents even say something along the lines of "we are rich enough you don't have to go to the military". And normally one probably wouldn't go to the military then but he does it for love reasons and not for rights of citizenship.
My favorite scene is when an Aryan looking Jew from Argentina (remember the stories of SS officers fleeing there after the war, disguising themselves as Jews?) picks up a green plastic fiddle and start playing Dixie (yes, THAT Dixie) and a black guy starts dancing to the tune with a big smile on his face. Oh boy, it cracks me up every time I re-watch this movie.
As a women the MOST PAINFUL part of that movie was the end when they shoved that thing in the bugs Well Private parts I guess It would of been.
I'm a Marine Corps vet. And have watched this movie before, after and during enlistment. Every time I came away with a different feeling dependent of my world view at the time.
Hey man, round about 3:15 you've got a really nice piece of familiar music playing in the background. Can you tell me what that is please? Thanks
Have you considered doing a CATCH 22 review?
We need so much more subversive mainstream movies.
Although I have met too many people taking the film at face value.
I thought you left Channel Awesome, why do you still have the end-slate? was this just part of a back-log from when you were still part of the site?
I love this movie so much
really good vídeo! ;)
The name "Starship Troopers" discouraged me. Now I kinda want to watch it.
The question is, what is your personal definition of a utopia to the people of the Starship Troopers definition of a utopia. To us, we see the vote open to all and the people to be in charge of our government, military service or not. We also see war as a waste of life and to be more open-minded. We look into there's and see only the romanticized version of a complete authoritarian run world.
While in this universe. The people see the military-run government as the next best thing from the failed "experiment" of democracy. By earning the right to vote through military service. You are both serving your race in killing the bugs and earning your place as a citizen. To them looking into our world, they may only see evil politicians who's greed outweighs "duty" to the whole of humankind. And in that destorying freedom.
When the film debuted people misunderstood the satire bit jave since understood the message, hearing this as i watch this 7 year old video about a over two decade old movie that has recently popped back up in the public conscienceness and is once again being misunderstood is certainly a mood.
How about taking crack at the world of Seijun Suzuki buddy !? Can't complain on this episode, but you get into so deep.
"It would be like if your only choice was between a conservative Republican and a very conservative Republican"
is that not what we have already?
What a hilariously epic movie!
Anime series named Blue gender asked a question, what happens to a military when it no longer has his enemy to fight against and a whole society is so used to war they don't know peace.
No one except the Federation !
Good vid changed my view of the movie drasticaly (not in a bad wat).
This movie, even though it was so bad, was incredibly deep.