Political Analysis of The Purge Anarchy

Political Analysis of The Purge: Anarchy (2014) 1. What is your film about? Summarize the basic plot. The Purge: Anarchy is a horror and action movie that takes place in a future America where the government allows all crime, including murder, for 12 hours every year. The government claims that this helps keep crime rates low and gives people a way to release their anger. Basically, for one night, the police and emergency services are out of the picture, and people are on their own. The movie follows a few different people trying to survive Purge Night. Leo Barnes is a police sergeant who goes into the streets with plans to get revenge on the person responsible for his son's death. Along the way, he meets Eva and her daughter Cali, along with a couple named Shane and Liz, who get stranded outside when the Purge begins. The group ends up sticking together to survive the night, even though they all have different problems and reasons for being out there. As the night goes on, they discover that the Purge is not just about random people committing crimes. Wealthy people and powerful groups are also using the night to hunt down people who are poor and less able to defend themselves. Leo eventually has to decide whether he wants to focus on revenge or help people who are in danger. Overall, the movie is about survival, revenge, and how messed up society can get when the government makes violence legal. 2. What kind of politics are in the film? Implicit or explicit? The movie has both explicit and implicit politics. The explicit politics are pretty obvious because the government literally creates a law that allows people to kill each other for one night. The government claims that the Purge makes America stronger, but the movie shows that the system is unfair and benefits certain people more than others. The implicit politics are more about money, social class, and how people treat each other. The wealthy have more resources to protect themselves, while poorer people are left struggling to survive. It shows how people who already have less money and fewer opportunities can end up being the ones who suffer the most. I think the movie is basically saying that just because the government claims something is good for society does not mean it actually is. The Purge is advertised as a way to improve the country, but it gives people with money and power an advantage over everyone else. It also shows how people can use politics as an excuse to do terrible things. The movie takes an extreme idea, but it makes you think about real-world problems like inequality, crime, and whether the government always has people's best interests in mind. 3. How important are the politics to the film? Are they crucial to the story or understanding? How subtle are they? The politics are extremely important to the movie because the entire story depends on the Purge being legal. Without that law, none of the events would happen the way they do. The characters are not just trying to survive random criminals; they are trying to survive a system that basically allows violence against innocent people. The political message is also important because it explains why some people are in more danger than others. The movie shows that having money, weapons, and protection makes a huge difference when society falls apart. People who do not have those things are much easier targets. This makes the Purge seem less like an equal opportunity for everyone and more like a system that takes advantage of people who are already struggling. The politics are not very subtle, though. The movie makes it pretty clear that the government is doing something wrong, especially when the group discovers that poor people are being targeted. Sometimes the action and violence take over, but the political message is still there throughout the movie. I think the politics are what make the movie more interesting than just another horror movie about people running away from killers. 4. How popular was this film? Consider reviews, box office numbers, awards, and controversies. The Purge: Anarchy was pretty successful financially, especially considering how much it cost to make. According to The Numbers, the movie made approximately $111.5 million worldwide, while its estimated production budget was around $9 million. That is a pretty big return, even before considering marketing and other expenses. Its success also helped keep the Purge franchise going with more movies and other projects. The reviews were more mixed. Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a critics' score of around 58%, meaning critics were divided about how good it was. Some people liked the action, suspense, and bigger story compared to the first movie, while others thought the writing and political messages could have been better. Personally, I can understand both sides because the concept is interesting, but some scenes focus more on violence than on developing the story. The movie was not a major awards-season hit, and I am not aware of any major award controversy specifically connected to it. Its bigger controversy comes from its violent subject matter and the political ideas behind the story. Some viewers might see it as an exaggerated horror movie, while others might focus more on its criticism of inequality and government power. Overall, I would say the movie was popular with audiences, even if critics did not all agree on its quality. 5. Does the film contain multiple points of view or a balanced look at the political issue? Did it introduce you to any new points of view or ideas? The movie does show different points of view through its characters. Leo starts out wanting revenge, while Eva and Cali are just trying to stay alive. Shane and Liz are regular people who get caught in a dangerous situation they never wanted to be part of. Other characters see Purge Night as an opportunity to make money, hurt people, or do whatever they want without consequences. I think this helps show that people can react very differently depending on their situation. Someone with money and protection might see the Purge differently from someone who has to worry about getting attacked just because they are outside. However, I would not call the movie completely balanced because it clearly takes a negative view of the Purge and the government behind it. It does not spend much time seriously explaining why someone might support the system. One idea that stood out to me is that a policy can be advertised as helping everybody while actually hurting certain groups more than others. The movie also shows how money can determine whether someone has a chance to survive a dangerous situation. It made me think about how people who are already struggling can end up facing even bigger problems when a system is designed without protecting them. I think that is one of the most interesting political ideas in the movie. 6. What did you like about the film? What didn't you like? One thing I liked about The Purge: Anarchy was that it showed what happens outside instead of keeping most of the story inside one house. Seeing the streets, different groups of people, and all the chaos made the world feel bigger and more dangerous. I also liked Leo as a character because he starts out focused on revenge but ends up helping other people survive. That gave the story more meaning than just watching people fight for two hours. I also liked the political message because it gave me something to think about besides the action. The idea that rich people could use the Purge to take advantage of poor people is pretty messed up, but it makes the fictional world more interesting. At the same time, I thought some parts were a little over the top. There were moments where it felt like the movie was trying too hard to shock the audience with violence instead of focusing on the characters. I also think the movie could have explained the government's side a little more. Even though I understand that the movie wants us to see the Purge as wrong, it could have explored more about why regular people would support it in the first place. Overall, I liked the action and the concept, but I think the movie could have done more with its political ideas. 7. Did analyzing politics from this film make you change your opinion on the film? Looking at the politics behind The Purge: Anarchy made me appreciate the movie more. At first, it is easy to watch it as just an action and horror movie about people trying to survive a crazy night. But when you pay attention to the government, the wealth differences, and the way poor people are treated, you realize there is more going on than just violence. The movie made me think about how people in power can make something sound good for the country even when it hurts certain people. It also shows that having money and resources can make a huge difference in how someone experiences the same situation. I still think the movie sometimes goes overboard with the violence, and some of the political ideas could have been explained better, but I understand its message more now. Overall, analyzing the politics did change my opinion a little. I see the movie as more than just entertainment now because it brings up questions about fairness, power, and how society treats people who are less fortunate. I would not say it is the deepest political movie ever made, but I think it does a good job of making people think while still being entertaining. Sources ●​ The Numbers: https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Purge-Anarchy-The ●​ Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thepurgeanarchy_2014 ●​ IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975578/