The world's No. 1 movie is getting attention for more than its "cinematic genius."
Raking in more than $107 million worldwide since its Nov. 3 release, "Borat" is angering some Americans because of the way British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen presents minority groups.
But ASU students have mixed opinions about the film.
"Sacha Cohen isn't a bad guy," said Suzanne Solomon, a member of ASU's Chabad Jewish student group. "And it was a hysterical movie."
In the partially scripted film, titled in full, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," Cohen sets people up to believe he is a Kazakh television journalist.
He travels across the U.S. filming Americans talking about minority groups by bringing up his character's prejudices.
Though Cohen addresses several minority groups, anti-Semitic comments seem to be creating most of the controversy.
Cohen had a right to use comedy to make fun of Jews, especially because he is Jewish, said Solomon, a nursing junior.
"People tend to do that," she said. "Like if people do it to other people, then it could be offensive, but if you do it to yourself, it's OK. He's a practicing Jew and in the movie he was actually speaking in Hebrew."
"Borat" is also getting attention from the Anti-Defamation League, which released a statement criticizing the film.
While the filmmakers intended to unmask anti-Semitism, this may not be apparent to all audiences, the statement said.
"The audience may not always be sophisticated enough to get the joke, and that some may even find it reinforcing their bigotry," the league added.
"Borat" has also caused conflict with the Kazakh government, because Cohen portrays the country as one of misogynists, racists and anti-Semites.
The government threatened to sue Cohen, but the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Rakhat Aliyev invited Cohen to visit Kazakhstan instead.
"It's useless to offend an artist and threaten to sue him," Aliyev told the British Broadcasting Corp. "It will only further damage the country's reputation and make 'Borat' even more popular."
Kazakh student Ulybek Kimanov said his home country is "absolutely different" than how "Borat" portrayed it.
"I don't want to say we don't have any problems, but I've never heard of some of the things he mentioned," said Kimanov, a housing and urban development freshman who has been in the U.S. for three months.
"I don't want to say that people shouldn't see it," Kimanov said. "It's funny and people like to have fun. Just one thing - don't take it seriously."
Solomon said that should be obvious to viewers.
"The movie shouldn't have to come with a disclaimer," she said. "It's comedy and when we watch comedy, it's not about real life."
Reach the reporter at Meghan.keck@asu.edu
