The Barbarian Invasion

I just watched the Barbarian Invasions, the Quebec film about a man who's coming to terms with death. He lived a colorful, hedonistic life, and now faces death with dignity and scathing wit while coming to terms with everyone close to him during his life. The film begins with scathing satire against the Canadian health care system, beauracracy, Unions and even narcotics, which punctures our rosy stereotype of Canada being the socialist Shangro-la. While I myself am a socialist, I must admit these are scenes that are well done. Then we see the man, who was a history professor, try to put in perspective his terminal illness by lecturing about 230 million people's death in the 20th century from massacres. The film flashes through vignittes where we encounter philosophy through leftist politics, and we catch glimmers of the man's life. The film also reminds me of Wit, with Emma Thompson, who is also a professor who has to deal with terminal illness. They can expound a witty and literate tyraid, and at the end of it, bleakly admit that they are afraid, that they are not prepared, and can admit they have not done anything worthwhile in life.