Hot Fuzz versus A Modest Proposal

The (almost) first thing that comes to mind when I think of Hot Fuzz is Jonathan Swift’s satire “A Modest Proposal.” Both the movie and the essay have the major theme of “the greater good.” Both are also incredibly twisted in their ways of going about it. The NWA in Hot Fuzz has the goal of winning the “Village of the Year” award, again, and thus murders anyone who disrupts the small town-ness of Sandford. Disruption in this case could mean having an ugly house, being an appalling actor, having an annoying laugh, moving away, or ruining a newspaper with “tabloid journalism” and bad spelling. In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift illustrates an idea for solving the hunger crisis in Ireland. People starve to death on a daily basis, women and children beg on the streets, and no one knows what to do about it. Swift, after a long lead-up, suggests that children be eaten. He argues that it would solve the problem of starvation, that the poor would have a source of income, and that it would induce marriage and stop husbands from hurting their wives for fear of a miscarriage. Though both are technically for the “greater good,” they are warped. The achievement of goals is gone about in an improper way. The Neighborhood Watch Alliance is serious in its intent, while Swift is merely putting forth a ludicrous proposal in order to make people do something about a crisis. The NWA has a grave goal, while Swift is simply aiming for the shock factor.

Both Hot Fuzz and “A Modest Proposal” have a sudden turn of events that changes the story immediately. In the movie, Nicolas Angel is a prime cop that makes his coworkers look bad, so he is sent to a small town. A series of accidents happens, which he suspects are murders. In his investigation, he finds connections that could easily lead to murder, and is instead told, at the confrontation of the NWA, that people are merely being killed because they upset the village’s image.  While Swift’s version of a sudden plot twist is not so action-filled, it still suits the definition. As you read through the essay, he leads up to his idea with the problem at hand: babies are frequently aborted, that a child is of no use until working age (just money deposits), and that past the age of one, a child can no longer solely survive upon the milk of his or her mother and must instead be fed. Swift insists that an American friend of his said that infant flesh is tender and nourishing. Infant meat should therefore be used to feed the millions, to bring money to their parents. Cannibalism is therefore normal and necessary. Both have the theme of if you can’t think of anything else to do, kill off the problem people!

While an essay cannot have much of a genre, it still (hopefully) gives the reader a feeling of horror or shock. In this way, it can be considered a thriller or a horror movie.  If the proposal was carried out, a psychological thriller would indeed ensue. The movie, unlike the essay, has many genres. Action was obvious, as, toward the end, gun fights and car chases riddled the screen, and a man was even caught in a bear trap. Comedy was also obvious, with the two opposite partners clashing over a swan, and the huge, funny twist near the conclusion. There is a sense of romance, though “bromance” should probably be used instead. In one scene, “let’s make love” music plays steadily louder in the background as the buddy cops talk about their feelings and bond over action movies. There is a definite air of mystery: people keep having accidents and dying. Connections can be made to a land ownership scandal and to people who know too much. An air of drama is also present, as the partners struggle to become friends, while Nicolas is unable to separate his work from his personal life, and ruins his relationships. Horror and thrills also accompany this, with blood scattered generously throughout. The viewer tends to not know what to think, as so many genres are mushed together. Therefore, both essay and movie have trouble in the categorizing department.

So, while “A Modest Proposal” and Hot Fuzz have nothing whatsoever in common, they actually have some things that can be connected. The unexpected and genre peculiarity are common occurrences in these, and in other literature and movies.