Mr. Paul Kemp:
What you like most of Puerto Rico?”
Walt (tourist): “the
bowling alley and the casinos”
Kemp: “Have you
seen a lot of the island?”
Walt’s wife (Tourist):
“We don’t leave the hotel, it’s not safe”
Kemp: “But you
are having fun?”
Walt (Tourist): “Oh
yeah, a lot of fun”
- The Rum Diary
In this short chat that Kemp had with a couple in a
bowling alley, we could see clearly how this couple were being really ignorant
about anything that implicate Puerto Rico. They were just having a fun time as
ignorant tourists. Kemp is a guy that came to Puerto Rico to take a job as
reporter. Nevertheless we can see how Kemp is interested in knowing better the
place, knowing the culture, live in places near the people. A completely
different attitude if we compare it with Sanderson, the guy that had a turtle
with color stones on the turtle’s shell and a private house with his private
beach. The movie shows us clearly how Americans saw Puerto Rico: as a gold
mine, as the perfect place to invest and to just take all they can of the land,
and then go to a different place. However the strike at the beginning of the
movie gave us at least a sense that Puerto Ricans don't necessary do everything
that Americans told them to do. But it also shows the aggressiveness of Puerto
Ricans and the government. Another thing that call my attention was the
explicit way the newspaper hide the reality of Puerto Rico and how they want it
to present it as the "American dream", a thing that continuous to
happen in the present even though The Rum Diary is a movie about the 60’. How Kemp
want to present the reality of the kids in Puerto Rico, that they are starving
in some parts of it, but instead the news want to present it as the perfect, is
something that just make me angry.
The
way of being of some North Americans, “gringos”, in the island gives a bad
reputation to any other North American visiting the island. Therefore the clear
aggressiveness that some Puerto Ricans shows to the “gringos”. The movie shows
clearly how some Americans thinks that they own the island, the laws, and the
people. How they feel superior to the locals, the Puerto Ricans, the same way
English feels about Antigua's citizens in Jamaica Kincaid's book. Kemp want to
be the voice of the silent ones and the voice of the subordinates, by his
writings. Just the way Kincaid was the voice of the Antigua's citizens. “They knew the
price of everything but no the value of nothing.” - Paul Kemp
I love the quotes you used at the beginning of your post. I also chose the same quote. It is very original the way you used to describe the idea of a tourist and the situation presented in the film about the relationship between the Americans and the Puerto Ricans. I am totally agreed with you about the role of Kemp’s character. Kemp really transforms into the voice of subordinates.
ReplyDeleteWonderful analysis. I think the same as you, in the way that not only this film allow viewers to understand the political and social problems that Puerto Ricans were facing, but also allow us to understand how it is presented the dispute between the Americans and the Puerto Ricans.
ReplyDeleteVery good analysis Claudia. It is a harsh reality that we have to experience not only in movies but in our daily life. I really liked the pictures you picked out for your blog post!
ReplyDeleteI like a lot you analysis of the movie because the movie show all that thing you mention of our social and political issues. Is very sad that a movie shows that wrong views the persons have about our island.
ReplyDelete