Quote:
Originally Posted by noctuary
Once again, I'll explain the reason that I hated it so much. In order for a movie (especially a horror movie, it can be argued) to make a personal connection with the audience, we must be able to empathize with the characters. This was impossible with the repellent Ugly American stereotypes Hostel presented us with. Before the halfway point, I wanted all of those fuckers to die. If this was actually Roth's intention, I'd say he pulled it off admirably. Somehow though, I don't think it was.
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You see, to me it was exactly what Roth was aiming for, and in that aspect he succeeded very well. Sure, the boys are rude, obnoxious and impossible to root for, but that is how many people abroad are picturing americans in general, whether that reputation is deserved or not. Perhaps some people in the US have problems understanding how bad the reputation of american tourists is abroad, but its really there, so for me the way the boys acted and the europeans reacted was dead on accurate. Hell, even in Canada, which is probably the country that is closest to the US, most people are not overly fond on Americans. And I know some people working in the Hotel industry in Montréal that cringe when you mention american tourists.
So to me, Hostel was a big metaphor on how the world sees the US : as a society where debauchery runs rampant (hence the T&A scenes) and where people think they are the center of the world and should be put in their place. Remember when the businessman says in the dressing room that people pay more to torture americans? I can garantee you that if such things exist, it probably truly is the case...