Virus - the movie from the past about the future?
The Japanese movie Virus from the 1980s directed by Kinji Fukasaku is possibly more actual than in the time of its filming. It’s based on a novel by Sakyo Komatsu from 1964, and it’s notable as being the most expensive Japanese movie till that time. In the 80s, the vaccine propaganda wasn’t, like today, basically everywhere. Therefore the dialogues relating to vaccines in the movie are fascinatingly interesting. ‘They had a vaccine, but they really hadn’t any vaccine - at least not effective one.’
Here’s the excerpt of the dialogue from the movie from 33.12 and on.
“Voice from a reporter on TV: “The raging epidemic of the Italian flu so inseeds fear and panic throughout the globe. A severe shortage of vaccine of everykind is reported in almost all countries. Everywhere there are ugly confrontations. Martial law is the order of the day, civil disorder has escalated with widespread damage to private and public property, and rising death toll in a number of countries. In the United Kingdom, Spain, France, West Germany and Japan. The United States is no exception. For the past several days on Capitol Hill in Washington DC mass demonstrations of tens of thousands of people are daily events. This morning the national guard and the police attempted to restore order, only to inflame the angry move of the vast crowd demanding efective vaccines. Reports of bloody encountes continue to stream in. President Richardson’s television appeal to the nation asking for calm and restraint has appeciable effect. No one dares to say when order can be restored. Even now in Washington, authorities cannot maintain the order.”
President: “That’s enough.”
It’s still possible to hear the reporter’s voice: “Everywhere in the country there is confusion, chaos…”
President: “Turn it off!” (i.e. the TV) He continues: “What vaccine?” And after a little pause: “All right, how long will it take you to manufacture this vaccine in quantity?”
Politician no.1: “Mr. President, we were not even able to isolate the cause. The virus, if it is a virus, it is like a common cold, it’s everywhere and it’s nowhere.”
/…/
Politician no.2: “What do you mean, there is no vaccine? Then what it is that we are giving to the police and the fire department personnel, the essential services, the military alert crew, if not a vaccine? It’s just that we don’t have enough for the general populace. Isn’t that right?”
Politician no.3: “We have a vaccine of sorts. We put together a soup of every flu-related vaccine we know. Its effect leaves something to be desired, uhm, in fact, it’s more a placebo than anything else.“
Politician no.4 yells: “You gave me a god-damn placebo?”
Politician no.3 yells back: “We are doing our best!” …”
Also:
