I was unaware that The Barbarian Invasions was the second film in a trilogy by Denys Arcand. The first film is The Decline of the American Empire, which I have not seen, and I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed The Barbarian Invasions more if I had. The third film is L’Âge des ténèbres or The Dark Ages or The Days of Darkness, which is not available.
The Barbarian Invasions is set in Montreal and is about a dying academic who is surrounded by family and friends in his final days. Barbarian is defined in many ways: terrorism, socialism, capitalism, corruption in government, devaluation of knowledge. The momentum of The Barbarian Invasions rests on the shoulders of the academic’s son, whom the academic calls the prince of the barbarians. The son is a successful capitalist in London. The Barbarian Invasions embraces the slick ultimate white man trope presented in movies such as The Lincoln Lawyer and Arbitrage without the murder mystery. The son uses money to get what he wants, which includes a perfect death for his formerly estranged father or to recover his Apple laptop which he carelessly leaves unattended in his father’s hospital room, and successfully navigate the bureaucracy and underworld of Montreal. By the end of The Barbarian Invasions, we have entered an end of life fantasy where death becomes an enjoyable dinner party.
I think that I would have enjoyed The Barbarian Invasions more if it had not inadvertently touched on a couple of themes that automatically irritate me. First, I am a black woman in US who lives a life of respectability while knowing that respectability politics is complete garbage and being the perfect person does not mean you cannot be demonized or victimized. I hate when a movie has white people using drugs as a signal that they are open minded, bohemian or tragically psychologically tortured with no legal consequences. It just reminds me of the hypocrisy of the society that I live in. Go on twitter and follow ‪#‎crimingwhilewhite‬. Google black and Latino teens getting arrested for pot related offenses in Colorado where marijuana use is legal. One segment of society gets empathy and help, and another segment gets demonized and punished. The Barbarian Invasions uses heroin, which is legal nowhere, but the heroin addict is seen as a potential love interest and redeemable.
Second, The Barbarian Invasions uses 9/11 footage. 9/11 footage was not necessary to advance plot line. Also in light of the title, it can inadvertently be seen as somewhat prejudiced. Wasn’t the original barbarian invasion by the French invading the Native American territory now called Montreal, but now you’re using a terrorist attack in a different country as a symbol of the further degradation of your society and drawing parallels to the Crusades and Berbers invading Spain. I got a reactionary vibe from The Barbarian Invasions, but to be fair, I could be sensitive because of current events.
I wanted to be carried away by the sophisticated delivery and enjoyable rhythm of The Barbarian Invasions, but felt inadvertently repelled by the innate hypocrisy of their world-an ability to simultaneously complain and enjoy a society they condemn without condemning themselves. The Barbarian Invasions was not for me, but I will probably check out The Decline of the American Empire.