The idea of alienation has a long and diverse history from antiquity to the present day.
Marx’s adaptation of Hegelian dialectics to the theory of materialism allowed him to articulate the concept of alienation in his Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts in
1844.120 As work (in a Marxian sense) and education have lost their creative meaning for a major part of the Greek population, the country has become stagnant and uncompetitive, and has been especially vulnerable to the spectre of globalisation which has allowed others to take advantage of the unique opportunities it offers, for example, in exporting their products to established and emerging markets.
On an individual level, globalisation has accentuated the feelings of alienation as individuals increasingly realise that their unique identity is becoming less pronounced and is under constant threat and even undermined from within by questions relating to its true essence and characteristics. The old triptych slogan ‘Πατρίς, Θρησκεία, Οικογένεια’ (Country, Religion, Family) has now become a distant memory, even if it still invokes in some people a nostalgic fondness for all things past, though historically heavily tainted with all manner of negative connotations from the way, and by whom, it had been extolled and touted.
With the country in disarray, and organised religion having been found guilty of many crimes in recent years, while taking on very oppressive and fundamentalist tinges in its persistent attempts to maintain its relevance by stealth in modern society, family is the only one of the old values that may still retain some tangible germaneness. It operates, however, under constant threat of attack through many of its intrinsic or extraneous shortcomings, such as geographic distance between family members, vastly different educational levels, patriarchal oppression or lack of understanding of current problems plaguing today’s youth, all of which are major factors in the breakdown of meaningful communication between parents and children.
And this is precisely what plays out in the film Red Hulk when we see Yiorgo at a crossroads; with his resolve wavering, he realises that the only thing still available to
120 “Marx conceptualised alienation as the separation of a worker from the product that was created, the process by which it was created, or from others who are involved in the production or consumption of the product. […] other factors identified originally by Marx act as precursors of alienation that are experienced in the modern workplace, such as lack of meaningful work, not ‘having a say’ over the work process, and the extent to which an individual perceives his or her skills to be utilised in the course of work”. (Shantz, Alfes, and Truss 2014, 2530)
him that could possibly help him pull away from his inescapable predicament is the support of his family. He leaves Athens to visit them at the regional town where they live, but it is only his mother and young brother that are overtly happy to see him, with tensions being rekindled as soon as his intimidating father appears on the scene, with his impenetrable and emotionally overpowering presence hindering any expressions of affection towards Yiorgo by the rest of the family.
Yiorgo’s family proves unable to help him at his time of crisis. His mother and brother live away from him, in a traditionally patriarchal family and in fear of a chauvinistic father, unable to show the older son the affection he and they crave, or to even speak to him openly or unhindered. Any comment they make becomes a constant reminder that it can, and does, lead to an argument that the father always has the last and decisive word over. They need to constantly monitor and temper their reactions in the presence of the father, or risk a reprimand and/or an escalation of conflict.
A question about his studies at the dinner table is all it takes for Yiorgo’s father to seize the opportunity to show his displeasure at his son’s perceived lack of application. The question is charged with an underlying emotional grievance, seething in the background. Parental concern is common in Greek families when it comes to their children’s education. Yiorgo’s instinctive outburst “I’ll do whatever I feel like” (or more literally, I’ll do whatever pleases me) is also a common curt response, revealing his unrestrained emotion, bordering on animosity, at the disapproving remarks directed at him. Modern society has empowered children and young people, especially sons, to speak their minds but, in so doing, they inadvertently risk alienation from familial supports which, albeit, are still functioning under the oppressive rules of an overpowering, misogynistic and unwieldy patriarchy.
Yiorgo, feeling the pressure on him from all sides, storms out, with a breakdown in their relationship looming as an inevitable outcome. The atmosphere of patriarchal oppression and the dynamics of fear over the wife and sons are all too evident. Yiorgo leaves the next morning, much to the chagrin of his repressed mother and brother and,
undoubtedly, his own. The news bulletin121 he overhears in the coach on his journey back, where the police are now blaming the crime on settling old scores within a drug-trafficking ring, is a clear indication that his powerful new friends have exerted their influence over the police122 to protect him and, in so doing, secure his cooperation in planning future attacks.
Yiorgo may not be an enthusiastic student, but he is a dedicated fitness fan as glimpsed by his constant boxing practice against a punching bag when he is not cooking or relaxing at home. Boxing gives him the strength and control he lacks in his everyday life. It creates in him a sense of empowerment and purpose, to counteract the hopelessness of his situation and, by extension, that of many of his peers in the harsh and alienating post-financial crisis urban society they have chosen, by default, for pursuing their studies, finding work, or both.
His physical strength has gained him prominence among his close environment. His prowess is praised by both his friends and colleague/s and that is undoubtedly a contributing factor in his devotion to it. It has also endeared him to the group of neo-Nazis who see in him the physical qualities they lack and wish to possess by proxy when they have clinched his participation into their group.
Soccer provides Yiorgo and his friends with a sense of identity by being a part of a network of people with similar interests. It also gives them the opportunity of an outlet for venting their frustrations, a ‘release valve’ which can at times take an aggressive form against fans of the opposing team in this bleak urban society, plagued by a severe
121“There’s been a new development in the case of the brutal murder of the 30-year-old Pakistani, who was found stabbed last Friday in Nea Ionia. Senior police officials expressed certainty that the murder of the 30-year-old was in fact a death contract to settle old scores, as the 30-year-old was a member of a drug trafficking ring. This dismisses early claims which attributed the murder to racist violence…”
122 The police has always been accused of being slow to investigate crimes perpetrated by ultra-right-wing groups for decades, and even before the dictatorship, with the assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis, the Greek medical doctor, politician and track-and-field athlete in May 1963, the subject of the Costa Gavras film ‘Z’.
financial crisis, where frustration at the failing institutions gives rise to racism, sexism, intolerance, violence and fear.
The stadium is an inclusive arena and attracts fans of every race and gender, but is often used as a battlefield between opposing teams, or opposing ideologies by forces that aim to divide, as is the case with the xenophobic neo-Nazis. The ultimate purpose of their hooliganism is to intimidate, implicate and attack other teams’ fans, but also to promote their agenda of racist violence by involving hapless victims, chosen at random for their race or colour. Times of crisis provide them with an easy opportunity for causing chaos and disorder.