*Spoiler Alert*
Here is a portrayal of a middle aged man (Frank) who has become acutely aware of the conspicuous superficiality and inconsideration of people in our world. Frank walks by his boss one morning and overhears him repeating verbatim the mocking and shallow joke Frank had just heard on the radio. Yet his boss was pretentiously acting as if he was speaking his own words as himself, and the three employees gathered around him all laughed and doted on the boss in stereo-typical ass-kissing fashion. Surely they had heard the radio announcers joke themselves, but preferred to 'save face' in the presence of their boss.
Frank overhears co-workers gossiping about celebrities and superficially laughing together over trivial things. He tries to explain to his co-worker how Americans have become such a mockery, bereft of any real consideration, but his co-worker 'just doesn't get it' because he 'thinks everything is funny' in his own self-interest.
Frank's neighbor is clearly oblivious to Frank, and does not even consider him in the slightest, preferring to worship his car, god forbid there is a scratch in the paint.
Frank then loses his job through a ridiculous system non-tolerance policy. He is told that he has a brain tumor and realizes that his own daughter has become utterly ostensible, preferring to play her digital games than spend time with her father.
Frank, through his utter dismay with a false world, is left with nothing but indignation within himself. So he sets off to kill what he sees as the representation of the epitome of falseness in a rich and snobby high school girl.
After killing the girl, Frank decides to commit suicide, but before he pulls the trigger - he meets a young girl who has also seen through the veil of shallowness. And so together, they devise a plan to eradicate what they see as the infected scum of society.
After some murders and laughs together, they develop a kinship and at times come face to face with their own mind limitations and differences of opinion, yet they choose to resolve their issues for the sake of their admiration for eachother and common purpose.
There is one scene where they realize the media is falsely blaming the 'violent nature of the movie' for the murders they committed - Frank shuts off the TV and points out the lack of SELF-RESPONSIBILITY by the media.
Here is the fascinating part of the movie.
Franks' main allegation against society - is that people 'ridicule' and 'belittle' people who appear to be 'less talented'. At the end of the movie, Frank holds the 'American Superstar' show hostage in the midst of them showcasing an untalented performer - whom Frank had thought to be a victim of society. Yet Frank realizes that this apparent 'victim' was actually every bit as selfish and avaricious as all the people Frank was willing to kill! Frank then, having lost all sympathy, kills the performer, and himself and the girl unload all their retributions on the judges and the audience while being shot to death by police, in a bitter ending of poetic justice.
Summary
This movie depicts both the anger/frustration that we exist as, as well as the deep desire by those that have seen the true nature of ourselves as slaves to an abusive system - for change. Change that is real. Change that would ultimately end all superficiality and mockery of Life. It is evident that while reading some of the reviews, many of the reviewers fail to see the point of the movie - and so completely miss the palpable message behind it.
The mans name is 'Frank'. Frank is another word for upfront, to-the-point, and HONEST. Frank just wants everyone to be honest. Yet he realizes his powerlessness, and sees no way out but to vent his anger and frustration through killing people. Franks realizations were real, yet his solution was in spite of himself because he did not consider how he can impact society through his own living participation and taking self-responsibility himself to change. Frank did not realize that he was the one who accepted and allowed it all through not considering all life Equally.
The irony of the title 'God Bless America' reflects how we have debased ourselves through the belief in a false God. Frank becomes 'God' in his mind and delivers his 'blessing' to America as a judgment of releasing Americans from their self-created, self-inflicted miserable lives.
Why is it that people prefer superficiality and refuse to see the heart of Life? How long will we endure an existence of self-torture and self-denial in the reverence of fear and blame? How long will we continue to mock ourselves in spite and self-dishonesty? How long will we deny that the only solution to the problems in this world is to stop all abuse and delusions and realize we must all agree to stand as Equals in supporting Life?
There is another poignant message within the movie regarding morality that I will not divulge here, perhaps you can find it for yourself. The point is, if we place morality above what is best for all Life, that type of morality is ignorance, dishonest and spiteful.
