Last weekend I decided to take a break from the everyday grind of summer living to see a movie; the third "Purge" to be exact. I was excited to have a carefree night spent cuddled up in a cold leather chair watching utterly fictitious and brutal situations play out. However, and this did not come as an unpleasant surprise, that was not the case. When the credits started rolling, I sat back in my chair not only captivated by the film's message, but also blown away at the lack of grease around the theater, seeing as the producers, directors and writers of this trilogy were so slick in the way they went about connecting to American audiences and throwing shade at the entire political system.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
One female candidate, one male candidate. The idea of making a country pure, or Great Again™️, if you will. A f***ed-up socioeconomic caste system. An ablest, racist, sexist sense of morals, most frighteningly seen in figures of authority. Power rests within the hands of the elite. Sound familiar? Am I describing the traits of a fictitious "utopian" society that was saved by the annual Purge, or Fox News? (OK, Republicans, don't get your panties in a wad. Any news source will substitute just fine.)
I intend to do more in-depth research regarding the motives behind the creation of this film; I see an entire annotation and stripping of the film in my future, because these "coincidences" are too coincidental to be a coincidence.
Here's the jist: the female candidate wants to end the annual Purge for personal reasons and because it's a f***ed-up holiday in general. (Painting the female candidate as an angel was an angle for the film. I'm not saying Hillary is going to save this country, nor is the "Purge" franchise.) The male candidate wants to use the annual Purge to take out his competition, "Purge and Purify," and by golly, Make America Great Again. Beginning with the introduction of the All-American corner store run by a black man, "The Purge: Election Year centers the plot around everyday citizens such as Lanie and her store-family, forcing the forerunner criminals to take a back seat. Marcos, a young Latino that helps out at the store has been an American citizen for three years. The fact that this piece of information is brought up multiple times throughout the movie only works to elevate the idea of "The American Dream." Marcos came to America for a better life, and if the annual Purge were to continue he may lose that opportunity (thus his support for the female Senator throughout the movie).
Speaking of coming from America, there is a segment in the film where "murder tourism" is reported on. People from countries around the world dress patriotically and come to America simply to purge. The violence and apathy that this promotes is a warning label -- other countries look toward the USA for leadership. What happens after this real-life election? As one of part of a "nation reborn," I am afraid of the answer.
And, because I don't want to totally ruin it, you'll have to snag yourself a date (to keep up with that hegemonic patriarchal system) and see the movie yourself. The final scene is what cinches the entirety of the metaphor together, garnished with a delicate shot of the American flag waving in the wind.
