Misunderstood Monsters | ‘Starship Troopers’ and Fascism’s Dehumanization of the “Enemy”
By Matt Konopka
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Welcome fellow monster kids to Misunderstood Monsters. This is where I, Matt Konopka, sink my fangs into all sorts of beasts, ghouls, and creatures from above while I search for the humanity behind their frightening exteriors. From monster favorites such as The Wolf Man to obscure monsters like the whistling Shadmock, there is more to these fiends than bad hair days and gooey tentacles. Within them all is a piece of ourselves.
If you’re as online as I am — I don’t recommend it — then you might’ve seen the recent discourse surrounding Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997). Thirty years later, it seems audiences still misunderstand the satire of the film. To be fair to them, many major critics did as well upon release, calling it fascist propaganda, so I guess some things never change. Normally, I’d roll my eyes at yet another day of futile arguing on Twitter.com, but then I observed comments claiming the giant bugs in the film deserved to be squashed due to their hideous appearance. Considering the current climate we’re in, it feels like now is as good a time as any to revisit the choice of pitting a fascist world against intergalactic insects.
Would you like to know more?
For the uninitiated, Starship Troopers was adapted from Robert A. Heinlein’s novel of the same name by Edward Neumeier (who had worked with Verhoeven before on Robocop). A far different approach than the book, the film follows Johnny, a young man living in a world controlled by a fascist government dubbed The Federation. He decides to follow love interest, Carmen (Denise Richards), into the military, claiming he wants to be a citizen — you can only become a citizen by serving — but unsure why he’s really joining. When a meteor hits his hometown, sent from a planet occupied by the Bugs, The Federation declares war on the giant insects, sending Johnny and his fellow soldiers into an impossible battle where death is a near certainty.
Shot to have the feel of a WWII propaganda film, Verhoeven litters Starship Troopers with clips featuring soldiers claiming, “I’m doing my part,” handing rifles to excited kids, mothers cheering as their children squash bugs. All designed to make the audience feel as if Johnny and the humans are the heroes. This is Johnny’s story, after all, a rather dark one about an impressionable young man who is brainwashed by his government into believing violence is “the supreme force from which all stability is resolved,” as claims his teacher, Mr. Rasczak (Michael Ironside). The director’s unflinching attitude towards gruesome gore, including the corpse of a dog killed by that meteor, encourages you to hate the bugs. Basil Poledouris’ score instills a heroic spirit into battle scenes that leave you cheering Johnny and co. By the end, once Johnny has forgotten all other aspirations and devoted his life to squashing every last bug, perhaps you’re on his side. But Johnny isn’t the hero. He’s the villain. All the humans are.
Verhoeven’s intent with Starship Troopers was to mock fascism, as well as point out how easy it is to become a victim of its manipulation. The director knows well the threat it poses, having grown up in Holland during the Nazi occupation there. What he accomplishes with the bugs is what fascist dictators attempt with virtually anyone who stands against them: they are made to be seen as inhuman enemies, undeserving of life, something to be smooshed beneath your boot. One of the first scenes in the film has Johnny and Carmen dissecting bugs in class. To the humans, the bug race is no different than a frog, inequal, beneath us. All throughout, we hear lines like, “the only good bug is a dead bug,” or “frankly I find the idea of a bug that thinks offensive.” Over and over again, the humans treat the bugs as “other,” appalled by the mere suggestion that they could in any way be similar to them. Hitler used the same language in reference to Jews, calling them “vermin.” This is what fascist societies do, what they have always done. Make people believe that a fellow human being is no more than an insect, and they won’t care what happens to that person.
We as the audience see the bugs as monstrous. We are shown how dangerous they are. How ugly they are. How ruthless they are. We are told repeatedly that they should and must be killed. Take a moment to think of the bugs as human, however, and suddenly Starship Troopers becomes a very different film. At one point, it’s hinted that the bugs are the ones being invaded, having attacked a “Mormon extremist” settlement that has moved in on their planet. The suggestion that the bugs have been provoked is made by a reporter, but Johnny quickly sweeps that under the rug. By the time Johnny’s friend Carl (Neil Patrick Harris) shows up dressed in a uniform reminiscent of what the Gestapo wore, the reality becomes clear. The humans are committing genocide. We aren’t supposed to enjoy the massacring of the bugs. But we do. That’s what The Federation wants. The genius of Verhoeven’s film is that, once you understand the bugs are the victims here, you feel guilty for having ever thought otherwise. Maybe even sickened.
Knowledge is the greatest enemy there is to fascism, which brings us to the Brain Bug. A giant creature composed of mostly brain matter that sucks the brains from its victims to learn from them, it is perhaps the most hideous of all the bugs in the film, and yes, that’s on purpose. Capturing the Brain and dragging it out of its home in a net as Carl declares “it’s afraid” to cheers signifies a victorious moment. For the humans. For the fascists. See, fascism only survives when it can discredit fact, vanquish intelligence, burn the books of history. Without information, it’s easier to convince people of a lie, to manipulate them into believing someone is an enemy when they are not. The Brain Bug symbolizes that knowledge. To these fascist humans, there is no greater victory than eliminating the source of intelligence for the bugs. Take it away, and their society crumbles.
Verhoeven viewed Starship Troopers as a reflection of America when it was made, a country that often forces itself upon others through death and destruction. Yet I’m not sure even he could have imagined then how much more relevant his film would be today. Everywhere you look, there are signs of fascist propaganda spreading. Judges referring to Trans people as “demonic.” Politicians referring to immigrants as “vermin.” The dehumanization of the Palestinian people. We’re being made to see fellow humans as the “other.” This is not normal. It cannot be normal. Fascists win when they convince you to see your fellow human beings as bugs. In whatever small way we can, we must do our part to keep that from happening. 🩸
About
Matt is a writer and wannabe werewolf who began his love of horror at the ripe old age of 3 with Carpenter’s Christine. He has a horror podcast called Killer Horror Critic which he does with his wonderful wife and has previously been published on Bloody Disgusting, Shudder’s The Bite, and Daily Grindhouse. You can also find more of his reviews and ramblings at his blog, KillerHorrorCritic.com.
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