The Rum Diary에서의 미국 주류 언론에 대한 비판

Abstract

The movie The Rum Diary directed by Bruce Robinson is the adaptation of the novel of the same title by Hunter Thompson. The movie fundamentally based on the life of Thompson himself is an homage to the author who died in 2005. The movie realizes the spirit of gonzo journalism conceptualized by Thompson. Gonzo journalism as part of New Journalism is characterized by the refutation of the dominant mainstream journalism and its aligned socio-political system. In line with the counter-hegemonic content, it incorporates various unconventional styles. Paul Kemp as a mouthpiece of Thompson is a freelancer writer working for San Juan Star, a small magazine in Puerto Rico. Edward Lotterman the chief editor epitomizes what Thompson considers to be the predominating corrupt journalism, which is sardonically called the objective journalism. Lotterman does not allow Kemp to deal with ecological and social matters. He subordinates journalism to the market and ideology of capitalism, with which Kemp disagrees. Hal Sanderson a PR consultant asks Kemp to write an article to advocate the building project of resort. Art Zimburger, a retired colonel aligned with Sanderson, is a representative right-wing figure obsessed with McCarthyism. Zimburger absurdly attacks Liberalists in America, which is a satire of the domineering classes and their ideology. The building project representative of the American capitalism fails, and Sanderson quits the relationships with Kemp and Chenault after her rape accident at a night club. As Chenault is an actress type who symbolizes the American Dream, her fate intertwined with that of Kemp implies the failure of pursuing it. In parallel to the break with Sanderson, Lotterman leaves San Juan deceiving the staff of the bankrupt company. With Bob Sala and Moberg, the counter- hegemonic characters, Kemp tries to publicize the corruption of Lotterman. However, the newspaper company’s press machines are sold and thus they fail to do so. Kemp escapes from Puerto Rico and later becomes a respectable journalist back in New York. His experiences are a process of establishing self-identity and thus being reborn as a respectable journalist. This justifies his subsequent refutation of the mainstream journalism.