Movie: The Rum Diary

The movie “The Rum Diary” is based on a novel written by Hunter S. Thompson in the early 1960s. After he had discovered booze, but before he had stumbled across drugs, the author got an unknown start in journalism. He moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, seeking a job on the San Juan Star, where he was turned down.

In the movie, the main character, Paul Kemp, applies for a reporting job at the Star in Puerto Rico and lands it. It doesn't appear to be the kind of paper that attracted the ambitious in those days, but he needed it. During the entire movie, Kemp is in constant search of his voice in the world and we can see how his perspective living in Puerto Rico changes due to some external journey experiences. For example, in the interview with the editor, Lotterman says “This is America” and Kemp responds, “This is Puerto Rico”. This shows us that Kemp really did new his place and were he stands. The location theme is based mainly in San Juan; which in those days appear to have been an active little metropolis. The location, I might say, was very well presented in the movie and brings out the real feeling of what Puerto Rico was back then. For example, the chicken fights and the different neighborhoods.                                                                                                              
Opening Scene
One of Kemp's stories concerns Sanderson, a property developer who has grown rich through questionable deals, and occupies a beach home where he entertains local investors. From this character, we can see how he others the Puerto Rican people from him and the Americans in the entire movie. For example, when he tells Kemp to help him get the Puerto Ricans off his private island before the meeting with the investors. Kemp fights the corruption in the form of American money being used to trick Puerto Ricans. This is his purpose, but his mind is so confused, and his drinking problems often seem to be drifting toward a vaguely seen destination. We can see how he others himself apart from this corruption and tries to reveal the truth about the “bastards” as he says. Like he says, “Human beings are the only creatures that have a God and act like doesn’t have one”. This really shows us Kemp’s perspective of the true world.

At the end, Kemp went to New York and became a respected journalist. The voice he found was his own and he would be a “formidable” enemy to those who are “bastards”. He would make the voice of the readers, who are Kemp’s in-group for they share the same feeling, on ink.