The Long Goodbye

One reviewer said: When was the last time you heard about a group of radical right-wing fascists walking the streets, destroying doors, getting everybody outside, forcing them to kneel down and then shoot them all in the head?

Ukraine 2022 after being invaded by Russian troops.

Riz Ahmed might claim, the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. It was the Muslims that faced genocide. The rest of the European nations stood by and did nothing.

A UN protection force consisting of Russian and Ukrainians instead of protecting Muslims in Sarajevo, helped the Serbs to bomb the city.

The Long Goodbye is an Oscar winning short with a simple message. You must always be on your guard, especially when you have populist governments that turn a blind eye on the rule of law.

The Conservative government in Britain fits the bill. What is more they like nothing better than to appoint asian heritage home secretaries to pass even more draconian immigration laws. They like to pretend racism doesn't exist.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Jemima would be a better label for these politicians.

The film starts off with an Asian Muslim family getting ready for a family wedding. Everything seems normal but Riz feels panicky.

Later a group of paramilitary fascists burst in and spoil the party. They take the Muslim men outside and shoot them. The police stand by and watch.

It might look unreal. Then again I would had said back in January 2021 that a group of fascists would storm the Capitol building in the USA to stop the confirmation of a new president as absurd. It actually happened.

Riz Khan and Aneil Karia have made an agitprop polemic. It ties in with Khan's music career. It is an attempt to shock and create debate.

A manifesto against racist hate and against complicity of authorities to a form of encouragement of brutal expressions of exclusion.

A confession, in same measure.

A recapitulation of an attitude of fear and vulnerability and abuse against the other.

A large family and its prepaires for a happy event. Paramilitary in neighborhood. And brutal intervantions against people . Pure racism at the first sight.

But the final part is a good demonstration about little more . Riz Ahmed proposes a large - precise portrait of the relations, source of hate, integration in British society , history of U. K. and the premises of global society, out of race or origin of ancesters.

In short, just a powerful film.

It is a shame that allegory is wasted on so many people - IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE REAL!

The words are easy to understand if you pay attention.

A great short that gets its TRUE message over very well. You may have experienced this message, or must know those who have, or may be one for whom the message is aimed.

Riz Ahmed gives a deeply felt depth.

These kind of politically charged short films are getting old. And by "these kind" I mean the ones that hyperbolize very real social conflicts with nothing new to say.

It's a well made short film though... Well acted, well shot, well edited, well graded... Also kinda murky on the Sound Design but not too distracting.

But yea, overall... 5/10.

A great short film, really worthy of an Oscar, full of small details that to the most inattentive eyes the construction of the narrative goes unnoticed, which seems distant and absurd, but very real in several countries (especially the rich ones who explored several other countries in Africa and South America). The final speech that brings a strong message, against racism, xenophobia and all kinds of prejudice is the highlight of this short.

Happy that Riz Ahmed won his first Oscar, he deserved it, the short film is really impactful, even for me who is Brazilian and in our country this xenophobia against people from other countries is not so strong.