The story of Gaston Glock is woven into this intriguing survey of modern firearms culture.
Every day we are confronted with stories about guns, whether they are in the news, on social media or at the cinema. Weapon of Choice is a new film which aims to open up the discussion around our love affair with firearms. Austrian filmmakers Fritz Ofner and Eva Hausberger provide a fresh and powerful perspective on the legacy of the Glock, one of the biggest and most iconic gun brands in the world.
The film is split into three main subjects, each of which are driven by a narration from Oftner: the first offers a study of the effect that US gun culture has on the brand; the second looks at the inventor of the gun, Gaston Glock, and the corruption within his company; and finally, the part the Glock plays in the political problems of today.
The film delivers many powerful and shocking quotes from subjects describing what their Glock means to them. One compares it his to a friend he has known for years, while another claims she is so used to carrying it that it feels like an extension of her body. We are presented with a wide variety of interviewees, from an ex-gang member and a gun collector, to a family recently bereaved by gun crime and a soldier who was instrumental in the capture of Saddam Hussein. There is no shortage of information, and Ofner and Hausberger study the issues from all angles.
The documentary is potent without being dogmatic. It is a genuinely educational investigation which attempts to expose some of the problems that arise when these deadly branded items fall into the wrong hands. The film exposes the way the Glock has, for some, almost become a fashion accessory. Weapon of Choice presents us with examples of the gun being used in mass-shootings and in ISIS recruitment videos, with an ISIS soldier bragging that he is “in the land of the Jihad at the moment, with a Glock 19”.
Not a minute is wasted and information whizzes at the screen, addressing those who believe in their right to own a firearm, and those whose lives have been irrevocably altered because of them.
Published 13 Sep 2018
Another documentary about gun culture, great, but will it stand out from the rest?
A fresh take on the subject. Zoning in on a specific brand provides a unique perspective.
What you learn sticks in your mind. The power of the gun industry never ceases to amaze.
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