New Adam Curtis - on iPlayer 13/10/22

[Part 2]

His most recent offerings haven't been great imo but this one sounds like it might be slightly different so I might give it a chance.

Upside is none of his narration, downside, no dancing videos.

‘They are stealing Russia’: Adam Curtis on how hyper-capitalism wrecked a nation – and why Liz Truss must take heed

In the 1990s, Russia embraced an extreme economics that led to chaos and corruption. Now, writes the maker of explosive new series TraumaZone, Liz Truss is taking Britain down the same toxic path

www.theguardian.com

 

[Flavour]

If there's no random clips of dancing I'm out

 

[paulhackett]

His most recent offerings haven't been great imo but this one sounds like it might be slightly different so I might give it a chance.

Upside is none of his narration, downside, no dancing videos.

‘They are stealing Russia’: Adam Curtis on how hyper-capitalism wrecked a nation – and why Liz Truss must take heed

In the 1990s, Russia embraced an extreme economics that led to chaos and corruption. Now, writes the maker of explosive new series TraumaZone, Liz Truss is taking Britain down the same toxic path

www.theguardian.com

The trailer looks magnificent. Brings back a lot of memories.

 

[Dom Traynor]

His most recent offerings haven't been great imo but this one sounds like it might be slightly different so I might give it a chance.

Upside is none of his narration, downside, no dancing videos.

‘They are stealing Russia’: Adam Curtis on how hyper-capitalism wrecked a nation – and why Liz Truss must take heed

In the 1990s, Russia embraced an extreme economics that led to chaos and corruption. Now, writes the maker of explosive new series TraumaZone, Liz Truss is taking Britain down the same toxic path

www.theguardian.com

I'd pay for a redub of his films narrated by Pauly Shore or Rob Schneider with the original script. Literally just reading his words.

 

[not-bono-ever]

But they were wrong

 

[elbows]

The more recent ones have still been useful for tipping me off about certain events, movements and themes that I hadnt stumbled upon elsewhere, but yeah the wide-eyed naive narrative and stretched dot joining drives me crazy at times. Aspects of the style are still entertaining but it doesnt have quite the same appeal as it had to me in my 20s.

Of his older stufff I seem to remember liking the Mayfair Set, so I might hope that Hayek and the fucking Road To Serfdom shit might prove to be fertile material for him to savage this time. I can only hope that the occasions where he says something that makes me groan will be fewer, but Im not banking on it. But maybe Truss has done such a good job of undermining the economics that she professes to support that Curtis taking the piss out of the Austrian school of economics right now is obsolete.

 

[Griff]

Watched the first one last night and was instantly gripped by it.

Missed the narration at first, but the fact it was so fascinating quickly made up for that.

Looking forward to watching more.

 

[xenon]

I'll give this a go. I've found a lot of his older stuff frustrating to watch. I'm not a big fan of the cinematic documentry style, with cut aways to archival footage and ambient music. Just give me the story man, talk, interview someone, give me more words basically.

 

[elbows]

I'm nearly half way through.

I think I'm a bit frustrated by the story its telling because the most striking thing so far is the extent to which the rot had set in well before the period this series covers, a phenomenon that then continues well before the stuff he mentioned in that Guardian article has even kicked in.

The absence of narration and his usual attempts via narrative to weave a story from many disparate things, coupled with focus on one country rather than leaping around all over the world does allow far more time for the people in the archive footages stories to be dwelt upon, and is less exhausting. Its not a complete success though because there are plenty of occasions where stuff he would have needed to explain via voiceover has to be printed on the screen in text instead. And when trying to tell a straight story of the events/politics in this way, it shows up even more clearly the extent to which there is a lack of depth and detail in certain aspects of the story and its participants backgrounds, intentions and beliefs. He also indulges his own fascination with certain footage he found ages ago and already dwelt on via his blog some years ago, eg the Kim Philby funeral footage where he was moved by the behaviour of Philbys widow, regardless of the possibility that doesnt seem to add anything to the story being told in this series.

 

[paulhackett]

I was around camera free for some of the times shown so it's a real memory jogger. Not so much the story he's covering but bits of my story that are only in my head, impossible to share.

 

[paulhackett]

I'm nearly half way through.

I think I'm a bit frustrated by the story its telling because the most striking thing so far is the extent to which the rot had set in well before the period this series covers, a phenomenon that then continues well before the stuff he mentioned in that Guardian article has even kicked in.

The absence of narration and his usual attempts via narrative to weave a story from many disparate things, coupled with focus on one country rather than leaping around all over the world does allow far more time for the people in the archive footages stories to be dwelt upon, and is less exhausting. Its not a complete success though because there are plenty of occasions where stuff he would have needed to explain via voiceover has to be printed on the screen in text instead. And when trying to tell a straight story of the events/politics in this way, it shows up even more clearly the extent to which there is a lack of depth and detail in certain aspects of the story and its participants backgrounds, intentions and beliefs. He also indulges his own fascination with certain footage he found ages ago and already dwelt on via his blog some years ago, eg the Kim Philby funeral footage where he was moved by the behaviour of Philbys widow, regardless of the possibility that doesnt seem to add anything to the story being told in this series.

I was going to say I'd love to see something on zastoinost or however you spell it but imagine that would be a turgid tale to tell

 

[not-bono-ever]

this is very good actually. Its still story Curtis telling but the meshing of individual stories within the films work well. Though some of them so ring a bell with other AC stuff, so IM sure he has used them before. I have had to turn my head away at some points tho. Its not exactly uplifting

 

[sojourner]

We're loving it. Tons of stuff we didn't know in there.

 

[[62]]

Yeah, I was aware that 'the Communist system was collapsing' but this has brought detail of the misery and absurdity that I was not aware of. Really fascinating.

 

[Cloo]

I'd like to see this. Will also point out to my dad - he was working as a business consultant in Russian from 1992-early 2000s and observed a lot of the utter madness first-hand.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

If there's no random clips of dancing I'm out

Taliban playing in bumper cars with somber Burial landscape track playing in background.

Burmese woman livestreaming workout video to dance music as tanks roll in to Naypyidaw to install military rule.

If these don’t feature. I’m out

 

[Brainaddict]

After one episode it's better than recent stuff and good not to have the strained narratives that have got increasingly strained over the years. But it is slow, and my god, seven hours of it. I will never watch it all.

 

[Part 2]

After one episode it's better than recent stuff and good not to have the strained narratives that have got increasingly strained over the years. But it is slow, and my god, seven hours of it. I will never watch it all.

Same here. I watched the first one but I'm in little doubt I'll find plenty of things to watch before returning to it.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

I loved it, I’m a sucker for archive future. Could’ve watched 16 hours of it.

 

[bimble]

I loved it, learnt loads from it, big stuff I had no idea about.
Watched whilst a bit ill with the covid, which was perfect, made me less impatient I think, happy to let the little fractal stories unfurl in their own time, let the loose ends float away.
Why do those 7 episodes go by "series one" where is series two or is that bbc doing a weird mistake?

 

[ska invita]

am listening to this - might say something about it when i get to the end - its interesting though as its an interview recorded a few days ago and links traumazone with current uk politics - not a long way in but some interesting insights i think, even though i dont agree with it all


ETA: scrap that, he's annoyingly wrong on basic stuff here IMO - hes no fool but i dont think he understands the real material reasons behind the problems of the world.

 

[oryx]

Finding it fascinating. The narrative is more linear than some of his other stuff and the footage is amazing.

Can anyone recommend a good book about this period?

 

[Brainaddict]

am listening to this - might say something about it when i get to the end - its interesting though as its an interview recorded a few days ago and links traumazone with current uk politics - not a long way in but some interesting insights i think, even though i dont agree with it all


ETA: scrap that, he's annoyingly wrong on basic stuff here IMO - hes no fool but i dont think he understands the real material reasons behind the problems of the world.

He particularly seems resistant to seeing that the reason alternatives are difficult to imagine is that those in charge have spent a lot of time and energy attempting to block every route to something different, often with violence. Wasn't it Graeber who described a lot of what the ruling class do as being about crushing hopes of anything different.

 

[ska invita]

He particularly seems resistant to seeing that the reason alternatives are difficult to imagine is that those in charge have spent a lot of time and energy attempting to block every route to something different, often with violence. Wasn't it Graeber who described a lot of what the ruling class do as being about crushing hopes of anything different.

That was the bit that made me switch off
He gave some psychoanalytical reason.

Also talks in annoying generalisations, in this case about what The Left think, and what Brexit was. Shit reductionism

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Yeah, its always been the problem with his analysis, he sees 'bad ideas' as the cause of the world's problems but doesn't seem to have any account of why certain ideas become predominant or who they benefit.

 

[elbows]

Yeah, its always been the problem with his analysis, he sees 'bad ideas' as the cause of the world's problems but doesn't seem to have any account of why certain ideas become predominant or who they benefit.

And there is loads of related naive shit in other recent series such as the one in 2021 which was full of 'Putin didnt believe in anything' and 'politicians had no idea how to stop the corruption'.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Finding it fascinating. The narrative is more linear than some of his other stuff and the footage is amazing.

Can anyone recommend a good book about this period?

The last empire is a decent read. Delves a bit into the machinations of Russia in attempting to recreate a revamped Sov Blok group and tempt the ‘stans back into the fold - only to see them scupper the plans and the former communist regional leaders secure their own power land grab

 

[oryx]

The last empire is a decent read. Delves a bit into the machinations of Russia in attempting to recreate a revamped Sov Blok group and tempt the ‘stans back into the fold - only to see them scupper the plans and the former communist regional leaders secure their own power land grab

Thanks! It's only £5.99 on Kindle so shall be downloading a sample to see how I get on with it. Sounds promising.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Thanks! It's only £5.99 on Kindle so shall be downloading a sample to see how I get on with it. Sounds promising.

I’ll send you a copy if I can find mine

 

[oryx]

I’ll send you a copy if I can find mine

Thank you!