Netflix’s Money Heist Review – Is it really about Heist? Some days back, my friend and I had a debate on Netflix’s Money Heist / Lacasa de Papel. I asked him “What did you like about the series?” I expected that he would mention some technical aspects like story, direction, screenplay, etc. But he said that he liked “the way people in the series are portrayed and their ideology”. Here begins my problem with Money Heist. There are so many robbery-based movies in all languages but money heist is one of the series though based on a robbery but its goal is not to rob something but to propagate something.
Netflix’s Money Heist Review
First of all, The story of the money heist is very gripping and engaging. Yes, there are many illogical and nonsensical scenes but overall its screenplay was edited to create interest for the next episode.
BUT, WHAT WENT WRONG WITH ME?
1. It’s all about Resistance
The whole plan of robbery was an act of vengeance by the professor for the death of his father during a theft. The professor felt like teaching a lesson to the system. How ironic it is. If robberies are the symbol of resistance, then every crime in this world can be attributed to resistance to injustice or protest against the system. If this philosophy of Money heist is acceptable, then the philosophy of ‘V for Vendetta’ also should be acceptable. But do we advocate V for Vendetta? Definitely not.
2. Sympathy Drama
The creators were very careful while designing the characters of the series. They were designed to create a sense of sympathy towards them with the support of all their melodramatic flashbacks. At the same time the Government, police, and army were shown as villains. The professor himself says that he spent his whole life planning the Heist. If he had spent this time on other things, he would have changed the system in a different way.
3. Dysfunctional Spanish State
Spain has one of the best internal security agencies in the world. But, in the series, it is portrayed as a weak, timid, and cruel agency. Some examples like Tokyo re-entering the bank even though top class snipers are around her, Professor and team escaping to Portugal without even caring for Navy or coast guards, etc. Creators are clearly intended in showing us that the Spanish state is not performing up to the mark in protecting its people.
4. Against Capitalism
The characters like Arturo and Gandia are consciously portrayed in the most irritating and disgusting manner. They were shown as filthy capitalists and opportunists. Whereas Professor, Tokyo, Nairobi are portrayed as liberal social trendsetters. Nairobi asks a baby with a professor where nobody finds it a problem but when Arturo is getting a baby from Monica, it suddenly becomes a problem.
5. Fake emotions
The one thing which took me by surprise is people coming in large numbers and supporting a heist. What kind of society does this? When money gets dropped from the air, the director shows people as desperately going after money and collecting it and in return extending their support to heists and cheering for robbers. What kind of nonsense is this? This sequence questions the fundamental value structure of the Spanish people.
6. Not taking anyone’s money, oh is it?
I think creators failed the Economics exam in school. Printing new money or taking away reserve gold will definitely have an effect(like inflation etc) on each and every individual of the country. So if a professor is giving justification to his heist by saying that he is not taking anyone’s money, don’t believe it.
7. Propagating Communism
Personally I don’t have any problem with communism. But in my observation, this series promotes communism in a lighter way. Some of the instances are:
- Selection of Bella ciao Russian red army version
- Portraying Moscow’s Birthday on labor day
- Dialogues by the professor that he intends to distribute money earned from mint to the working class instead of putting in capitalist pockets.
- Consciously using red in jumpsuits, door colors, Credits, etc..
- Showing false emotions of the crowd in support of robbers.
8. Human rights violation…. Seriously?
Why is the second robbery necessary? Because Rio was tortured? But why was Rio tortured? Is it for robbing mint? If yes, is he not a criminal? If he is a criminal, then arresting him and interrogating him triggers another robbery? If yes, then all the moral ground they established in the first robbery (if any) If Rio’s life and rights are so important to the professor, then what about the lives and Rights of hostages he held during two heists.
You may think that it is just a series and I am overthinking about it. but going by the own confession of creators in a TV interview, Money heist was successful in bringing unity of masses in various protests in Spain. The Dali masks became a symbol of resistance in Spain (in some protests) and creators are proudly saying that some robberies happened by wearing Jumpsuits and Dali masks as in Money Heist. Is this the resistance the creators are looking to bring out? If yes, then money heist is nothing less than toxic.
What is your comment on this? Do let us know in the comment section below.
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Guest Author – Atreya A
I am Ek aam aadmi who likes normalcy. Teaching is my passion and being a teacher I experience a sparkle in my students’ eyes that only a teacher can see. My dream is that someday people study about me.
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These are the thoughts in my mind also. I always think that I had wasted 30 hours of life watching this.