The main objectives of the information operation "Matilda"

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

On October 26, the film "Matilda" was released, the scandals around which began in November last year and have not subsided since then, becoming the main informational event in the field of history, culture and cinema in Russia. There was not a day that the news did not make another loud statement regarding the filmmakers or its content.

Dozens of mass protests were held about the picture, hundreds of letters and appeals were sent to the authorities, representatives of the Church, State Duma deputies and personally the Minister of Culture V. Medinsky were involved in the showdown. Not a single Russian film has been discussed so widely and for a long time in the entire history of Russian cinema, especially at the stage of preparation for release. What is so unique about the plot of "Matilda" that provoked such a wave of discontent and publications? And what is the main goal of the unfolded information campaign, in which practically all sectors of society were involved?

The definition of a work of mass culture as "good" or "bad" should always be based on an assessment of the consequences of its broadcast to a wide audience. That is, what changes will take place in society and in the mass consciousness after the creation and demonstration of the film, and where they will lead. In the case of "Matilda" there are many similar consequences, but let's start with the most obvious ones. Firstly, the film is clearly provocative in nature, which is clear from the content of the trailer and the selection of the cast for the main roles. The position of those who, without waiting for a wide release, have already begun to criticize the picture, is quite adequate. It is not necessary to taste any unpleasant-smelling substance to understand that it is inedible. And there is plenty of "unpleasant smell" here: bed scenes, and a foreign actor with, to put it mildly, tarnished reputation, playing Nicholas II, and a free interpretation of historical events, and much more. We will not repeat all those fairly well-grounded claims to the film, which the majority have already heard many times. And let's think about why, in a situation where any high-profile scandal leaves the news headlines and is forgotten after a week or at most a month, the Matilda scandal continues to develop for a whole year, staying on the front pages of newspapers and continuing to involve a mass audience in this performance?

Why did Matilda become the loudest and longest scandal of 2017?

Is the denigration and distortion of Russian history something new for Russian cinema? No, rather, on the contrary, an artistic picture, truthfully and with love for the Motherland, describing historical events is a rare exception in our cinema. Will you surprise someone with a bed scene? Also no, in this regard, Russian cinema has completely adopted Hollywood standards and inserts eroticism even into teenage films, doing it quite officially with money from the Ministry of Culture and the Film Fund. Could it be that discrediting the Church or those whom the Church recognizes as saints is an innovation introduced exclusively by Matilda? Also no, remember at least the recent "Viking", in the content of which all the above points are present. Then why so much noise? Many will say that the purpose of this entire information campaign is to exacerbate contradictions in society, emotionally pump up the crowd and form a wide layer of dissatisfied, especially since the next presidential elections await us ahead, which may become a good reason to destabilize the situation in Russia. Indeed - the picture has already brought about a serious split in society, and emotions in certain circles in connection with the release of "Matilda" managed to heat up to the limit. But this is not the main thing, because there is another very important point that we will put in the first place in terms of importance. What is significant for 2017? First of all, this is the 100th anniversary of the February and October revolutions, which radically changed the course of not only national but also world history. It is this period that is the most controversial today and the main questions related to the determination of the causes and consequences of the events that have occurred remain without a clear answer. We list just a few of them:

• What were the rates of development of the Russian Empire, the economic and political situation on the world stage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
• What was the quality of governing the country during the reign of Nicholas II? What were the objective and subjective reasons for the involvement of the Russian Empire in the First World War?
• How did the Church react to the abdication of Nicholas II and the coming to power of the Provisional Government headed by the freemason Kerensky?
• What role did the monarchists, Marxists, Masonic organizations, Bolsheviks, adherents of the February liberal-bourgeois revolution and other involved forces play in the events of the October Revolution and the Civil War? Which of them did the people support?
• What mistakes in government led to the First World War and the events that followed, and who is responsible for the millions of victims and the fall of the autocracy?
• …

But instead of broad coverage of all these vital issues, which for objective reasons should have come to the fore on the anniversary of the revolution and the correct answers to which can save our country from repeating the scenario of a hundred years ago, the entire 2017th year, the entire public discussion of the era of the reign of Nicholas II thanks to the scandal around the film "Matilda" was reduced exclusively to his personal relationship with the ballerina and to the question "did the tsar sleep with Kshesinskaya or not?" Instead of thinking about the quality of the country's governance, a wide audience was drawn into the discussion of the intimate details of the life of the elite.

This is the main task of the information campaign unfolded around the film - to divert the attention of the mass audience to false landmarks, to fill the space with a discussion of issues of little significance in the historical context, hiding the main themes. Who of the public participants in the unfolding discussion takes a conscious part in it, understanding the goals of the entire operation, and who speaks sincerely - there is no fundamental difference. After all, if an actor has got used to his role so much that he no longer sees the scenery, then it’s even better, the audience will believe more.

The main goal of the information operation "Matilda":

Oblivion to oblivion of the events of the early 20th century (in particular, the events of 1917) by artificially shifting the focus of the discussion of the era of the reign of Nicholas II from vital historical issues to the personal relations of the tsar with the ballerina M. Kshesinskaya

Technology for achieving the goal:

- Creation of the provocative film "Matilda" and the constant maintenance of various news stories of the emotional tension caused by it around the theme of the Tsar's personal life; blocking any attempts to resolve a conflict situation. We will not take on the role of professional historians and give ready-made answers to the questions raised. Everyone must study different points of view, understand the contradictions and seek the truth. In addition, a correctly asked question is already half the answer. Nevertheless, we urge you to distribute this video, as the disclosure of any manipulation dramatically reduces its effectiveness.