The Interview is the new hot-button movie. Causing an international incident between the United States and North Korea, with the same sort of hacking and spying that one would expect in a Mission: Impossible novel. All this coming from the creators of Pineapple Express and Knocked Up. Why would this be, what nerve could this film have that would make Kim Jong-un and his leadership so angry?
First of all, I think one must put politics into perspective. North Korea is one of the last absolute dictatorships–don’t let the DPRK’s name fool you. And with any absolute power there is fear from all sides, especially in such a global society. It’s difficult to keep your people insulated, although the North Korean leadership has tried. When you try to make your people believe that you are a God and that you come from Gods, and these American comedians make a comedy lambasting your God, well it can’t be that way.
Now, some countries might just make a public statement denouncing a film and that would be the end of it, but not North Korea, a group called Guardians of Peace hacked into the Sony Database releasing private information and memos. The FBI believes it to be North Korea, other experts disagree. North Korea praises these hackers. This hacking caused Sony to initially say they were pulling The Interview but then they changed their minds and the film was released Christmas day.
North Korea responded, condemning President Obama for allowing the film to be released saying, “Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest.”
North Korea is fearful for its own future, and it shows by the way that it reacts to a film. I just hope that there aren’t more temper tantrums from North Korea–they have nuclear bombs.
