The comparison between Catalan independence and nationalism with the film has long been used as a joke. Life of BrianFrom Monty Python. Specifically, everyone remembers the scene where the People's Front of Judea and the Judean People's Front clash, two fringe groups, difficult to distinguish at first glance, yet who hate each other with a ferocious intensity. "We hate the Romans, but above all we hate the People's Front of Judea." Monty Python aimed their satirical capacity in two directions. On the one hand, against the abuses of power of imperialism and closed systems of thought, such as religions. On the other, against the ineffectiveness and internal miseries (often linked to the egos of the leaders) of movements that aspire to be alternative and transformative. Terry Gilliam is right when he says that, today, a film like Life of Brian It would be met with great hostility: both sides would be caricatured, and immediately both sides would accuse the comics of working for the enemy.
The fact is that, in addition to the one already mentioned, in the years following the Catalan independence process, Catalan separatism has been imitating other scenes of Life of BrianThe interminable assemblies to decide trivial matters, or to postpone decisions, or to ultimately confirm decisions already made beforehand by management, for example. Or the false preachers and charlatans, who predict disasters and apocalypses perched on ridiculous pedestals with absurd and outlandish rhetoric. Now we have reached the culminating scene: that of the suicide squad. A group of individuals who, when poor Brian is already nailed to the cross, appear before him supposedly to save him. However, instead, they remove their swords and impale themselves. Brian, crucified, can only look at them helplessly, crossing himself (excuse me) at such ineptitude. Solemn ineptitude, though, because the suicide squad imbues their suicidal actions with pomp and gravity.
Little by little, Catalan separatism has become a rather unfunny version of a great comedy film. Anyone who gets angry thinking the comparison is directed at Junts and their actions this week is only half right, because it actually applies to this and so many other episodes in recent years, involving Junts and ERC, and on some (less frequent) occasions, the CUP. This is related to a phenomenon that isn't unique to Catalan separatism, but rather affects Western politics as a whole, and which we can suspect is also linked to the rise of populism and the far right: the abuse of public opinion polling, the subordination of decision-making to the constant and obsessive consultation of surveys, are trackingsWith polling firms transformed into the new soothsayers shuffling chicken entrails. If we want to look on the bright side, the suicide squad scene is at least the film's finale: afterwards, during the credits, they start singing and whistling the wonderful Always look on the bright side of life.
