HALLUCINOGENIC RIEFENSTAHL. Perry de Havilland HALLUCINOGENIC RIEFENSTAHL. Perry de Havilland clarifies the reasons for his admiration of totalitarian sci-fi classics:

Precisely because it is a noxious piece of totalitarian propaganda! It is a wonderful period piece of insanity, sort of like 'Triumph of the Will' on peyote: think of the arrival of Hitler's aircraft in 'TOTW' before he confronts the massed uniformed SS at Nuremberg... then think of Klaatu's arrival, but faced with the ungrateful uniformed American soldiers rather than the adoring Germans, as he brings us the message 'obey collectively or die collectively'. Klaatu even befriends a young boy who he is prepared to kill along with everyone else if his mission fails, sort of like some kindly guard at Belsen. Superb stuff. Totally nightmarish and made even more so by the fact Klaatu is shown as THE GOOD GUY! Truly a classic.

Glad we cleared that up.
Posted by Moira Breen at January 15, 2002 09:17 AM