Listen to the article
Jude Law and Justin Kurzel explore the dangerous legacy of white supremacy in The Order at the Venice Film Festival.
At the Venice Film Festival, Jude Law stars in The Order, a gripping film by Australian director Justin Kurzel. The movie, based on real events, portrays a splinter group of the Aryan Nations in the Pacific Northwest, plotting a race war against the American government. Jude Law plays a rugged FBI agent tasked with infiltrating and dismantling this dangerous militia.
The relevance of The Order feels particularly pressing in today’s sociopolitical climate, a point emphasized by Jude Law ahead of the film’s premiere. He remarked, “Sadly, the relevance I think speaks for itself,” highlighting how this story from the early 1980s resonates with current global challenges.
Photo Credit: Marco Bertorello / AFP
The Order is one of 21 films vying for the coveted Golden Lion prize at the prestigious festival. The narrative is drawn from the true story of a white supremacist group that operated in Washington and Idaho from 1983 to 1984 under the leadership of Robert Mathews. This group sought to wage war on the American government, an ideology that continues to pose threats today.
Jude Law, known for his roles in The Young Pope and The Talented Mr. Ripley, expressed his astonishment at the obscurity of this historical event, admitting that it was a story he had never encountered before.
Photo Credit: Marco Bertorello / AFP
Director Justin Kurzel, renowned for his previous works Nitram and Macbeth, emphasized the film’s contemporary relevance. He noted the unsettling parallels between the film’s events and current extremist movements, reflecting on how dangerous ideologies can take root and thrive. Justin Kurzel’s portrayal of Mathews, who died in a standoff with law enforcement in 1984, underscores the timeless nature of such extremist rhetoric.
With recent political unrest, The Order offers a timely reflection on how history continues to influence the present. Justin Kurzel’s film prompts a conversation about the dangers of disenfranchisement and the exploitation of vulnerability, themes that remain as relevant now as they were four decades ago.
With AFP
