Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Composite Score: 83.89

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell, Pamela Anderson, Bob Barr, Chip Pickering, James Smith, Grace Welch, Alan Keyes, and Ilham Aliyev

Director: Larry Charles

Writers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer

Genres: Comedy, Satire, Mockumentary

MPAA Rating: R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language

Box Office: $262.55 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a 2006 mockumentary about Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Borat Sagdiyev (from his comedy series Da Ali G Show) coming to the United States to learn from the “greatest country in the world” various cultural improvements that he can bring back to his homeland of Kazakhstan. The film acts as a satirical comedy, using Borat’s journey to discover American culture (and marry Pamela Anderson) as the backdrop for a social commentary on discrimination and patriotism in American culture. The film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and actually won Baron Cohen a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. It remains one of the most iconic pieces of 21st century film satire and has mostly stood the test of time.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Borat is a film that walks the fine line of offensive and satirical. (Now, it will certainly offend some audiences, but it’s fairly indiscriminate in its offensiveness.) There is something to offend just about every demographic in this film, and that is by design. People who watch this film at face value will easily see it as a film that promotes antisemitism, makes fun of Kazakhs, encourages stereotypes of the Roma, and is overtly misogynistic, and on the surface, that’s what Borat boils down to. Like the caricature at its center, though, the film has deeper societal critiques that would probably much more deeply offend the people who applaud the film for its “anti-politically correct” humor if they actually understood it. This is a satire that does not have an optimistic stance on American culture, particularly in its treatment of minorities, immigrants, and the poor, and its examples are very real (resulting in a few lawsuits levelled against the filmmakers). Hilarious as the satire is, it’s quite possible that that particular aspect could go over the audience’s head, and they end up leaving either offended or encouraged to continue in their problematic jokes - depending on which end of the spectrum they fall.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                If you go into Borat recognizing its satirical nature, it’s a very solid film. The mockumentary aspect allows it to put real Americans and their quirks, prejudices, and beliefs on display for all to see. This method provides the core of the film’s satire, letting Sacha Baron Cohen simply spur ordinary people into exposing their own flaws and hypocrisies with very little manipulation. As problematic as most of Borat’s rhetoric is, when you realize that he’s faking it but that these other people fully believe what they are saying, it becomes a scathing look at how Americans treat “the Other” both individually and societally. From the opening scenes of New Yorkers threatening violence against the invasive greetings of Borat to the cheering for Borat’s speech at the rodeo to his interactions at his southern dinner party, the biggest flaws of American culture are put on hilarious (and slightly troubling) display.

                Sacha Baron Cohen supplements the film’s social satire with arguably his most iconic character, Borat – who is probably one of the most widely known characters of the century so far, thanks in part to the film’s resurgence on TikTok in recent years. He plays the Kazakh reporter with the most ridiculous accent and social skills, never intending to be a representation of any actual Central Asian culture, rather a caricature of the problematic remnants of the East/West clash that was the Cold War – misogynistic, antisemitic, homophobic, and overly enamored with the United States. The character is a satire in and of itself, played artfully by Baron Cohen in a way that makes him eternally memorable and strangely sympathetic for his complete lack of understanding and struggle to overcome his socially ingrained prejudices. Does the character experience a huge progression from his interactions with American culture? No, but he does improve himself by learning from the glaring flaws of his documentary’s focus, and that helps redeem him to some extent.

                With one of the most iconic characters of the last twenty-five years and some truly scathing satirical commentary on the state of America’s acceptance of others, Borat launches itself into place among the Greatest Films of All Time. Its utilization of offensive and occasionally stereotypical humor to emphasize its own satire might be a drawback for some viewers, but the film remains funny and engaging if you keep its satire at the forefront of your mind during the watch. It is currently streaming on HBO Max if you’re looking for a place to watch it.