J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood

The movie is a docudrama set most of the time in Edgar’s office, where your sight is immediately attracted by the fascinating use of lights and shadows . The camera changes continuously perspective and contributes in making this film incredibly realistic.

“J. Edgar” directed by Clint Eastwood looks inside the complex life of one of the most popular directors of the FBI by focusing on his anger, greediness and on his fragilities.

Mr. Hoover is represented in the movie as a thoughtful, angry and solitary man. A man who adored and was very close to his family, especially to his mum, a strict and conservative woman who never accepted her son’s feelings for Clyde Tolson, close collaborator. Edgar’s mother definitely influenced his way of thinking and acting and made him believe that power and success were the only aims in life. This made Edgar constantly suffer inside and never made him truly accept himself. All the anger was then addressed to the people he was in contact with.

Hoover’s arrogance was a direct consequence of his individualistic moral code, of his personal ambitions and of his selfishness. John Edgar is constantly figured as an arrogant megalomaniac, who never really fought and worked to serve the country, but to become an idol and to create a perfect image of himself. In fact, there was no way somebody could’ve made him realize that the actual facts were always different from his stories and narrations. He was full of bitter and hate towards everyone (especially communists and black civil rights activists) except his really close collaborators, which served him for almost 50 years.

At last, the brave and severe chief appeared to have two different lives. The public life was the one in which he appeared brave, honest and surrounded by loyal and courageous companions. In fact, we must not forget he was the author of the arrests of Ku Klux Klan members, of the authors of the violent Bolshevik rebellions in the U.S.A and of some of the most well known gangsters of those years. Although he maintained a weird and suspect attitude during the investigations on the murder of Kennedy, he was admired by many Americans for the way he innovated and strengthened the Bureau. He was also a suspect for the murders of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Instead, during his private life he outdrew his most sensible side, his weaknesses and fragilities. The docudrama digs into his secret and repressed love story, into his concerns that devour him.

I strongly recommend the vision of the movie “J.Edgar”, for it’s ability to look inside a complex American figure who ruled his country for half-century. Disdain and compassion are the perfect combination transmitted by an authentic director such as Clint Eastwood. Furthermore, the story contained some unique soliloquies that rendered the narration almost didactic. The liberal glance at the homosexual relation and at the power of love in all its forms will surely renovate your current opinions and thoughts.

2012 is coming up

2012 may be a year of changes and challenges. First of all, between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, David Cameron is the only one who will surely remain in power. Elections will occur in the U.S.A and in France. This means that Rick Perry and Marine Le pen may replace Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy. Elections will occur also in China (party congress in October), Russia, where Putin is running again and other countries such as Venezuela, Taiwan, Kenya, Egypt and Mexico.

2012 is probably going to represent a year of difficulties and sufferance for the believers of liberal democracies. Sufferance is due to the financial crisis in act in western society and the rise of an undemocratic country called China. Furthermore, the situation of economic distress may represent a pretext for radical changes. We currently find ourselves in a situation where a great number of urban cities have been occupied for a social and economic global change. This year, two European capital cities have been devastated by riots. As you probably remember, these two cities are Athens and London. Luckily, not only democracies are currently under attack. North Africa was ruled by despotic dictators who have ( and in some cases are still fighting) fought to maintain absolute control and power since the populations have rebelled against them. Furthermore, it is true that China’s infrastructures are efficient, but China is still having a hard time in providing basic services, such as health and education. Two weeks ago I read an article on the New York Times about the high number of school bus accidents that are overcrowded, old and malfunctioning. India and Brazil instead have gained a good amount of wealth through liberalism. This means that liberal democracies can still fight recession.The rise of xenophobia and protectionism over Europe is due to the economic crisis in act. The same happened in the U.S.A before the Great Depression in 1929.

The ECB and the European Financial Stability Facility are struggling in order to restore debt, fight stagnation and reduce the spread. OCSE has declared that by 2013 Italy is going to face recession and the Economist has declared that even larger  powers such as Great Britain and the U.S.A will (probably) follow. Cuts and higher taxes are going to characterize the beginning of the following year. In fact, most rich countries will begin with a GDP growth definitely below its trend rate. Austerity will characterize the governments economic plans for next new coming year and budget tightening will worsen prospects. On the other side of the Atlantic ocean, Barack Obama is struggling to pass a new stimulus plan. The Republicans have opposed themselves to pass the plan, although temporary cuts will expire.

At last, this is the list of the ten top growers of 2012:

1) Macau  GDP: 15.0%

2) Mongolia GDP: 14.8%

3) Libya GDP: 13.6%

4) Iraq GDP: 10.9%

5) Angola GDP: 9.9%

6) Niger GDP: 8.5%

7) China GDP: 8.2%

8 ) Ethiopia GDP: 8.0%

9) Rwanda GDP: 8.0%

10) Laos GDP: 7.9%

Aldo Visibelli

Blog: Il Cacciatore

Sources: The Economist, Corriere della Sera and Ballaro’