Out of the many controversially satirical characters that British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has played, Borat happens to be one of his most memorable ones. Borat, aka Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, happens to be one of those movies that you can love or hate but you can definitely not ignore. The Kazakh reporter, with an outrageous and stereotypical sense of humor, revolutionized not only mockumentary cinema but also mustache styles and mankinis! The comedy film has now acquired a cult following. And while it's politically insightful (in a weird enough way), there are several over-the-top scenes and details of the film that would make you wonder how this movie was really made.
In that context, here are 10 things about Borat that you never knew.
The FBI was after Sacha Baron Cohen
Cohen's antics and outrageous scenes garner controversy from audiences and security agencies alike. In a talk with Marc Macron, the actor revealed that during Borat's shooting, the FBI received several complaints about a "terrorist traveling in an ice cream van." This only goes on to explain the stereotypical or Islamophobic nature that many people might still have.
Anyway, as Cohen explained further, the FBI did compile a file on the film's cast and crew with these complaints. Cohen also had to hire a bodyguard for himself and his wife, Isla Fisher.
The Star-Spangled Banner scene could have turned deadly
Many of the film's scenes were shot with the background crowds unaware of the context. The part where Borat sings a made-up national anthem of Kazakhstan at a rodeo was no exception. Borat starts off by extending his support for the War on Terror in Iraq justifying violence and the Bush regime, making most of his white audience happy. But then he sings the Kazakh national anthem in the tone of the Star-Spangled Banner, they soon realize that all this was some sort of social experiment.
A 2005 news report from the rodeo states how the crowds then started booing and "if he had been out there a minute longer, somebody would have shot him."
Feces for Mr. Baron Cohen
A ridiculous movie such as Borat would surely have its share of ridiculous credits. For instance, one can spot the title of a "Naked Fight Coordinator" in the closing credits. Those who have watched this movie would know which fight is being talked here. Other goofy credits include "Kidnapping Consultant" and even a credit that reads "Feces for Mr. Baron Cohen provided by..."
In the closing credits, it's also declared by the fictional KAZAKH BOARD OF CENSORS that this film is unsuitable for children below the age of 3. Contrary to what this board of censor would feel, it's safe to say that your kids should avoid this film for comedies like Borat take the R-rating to a new extreme.
Borat is based on a Jewish doctor
Believe it or not, the inspiration for Borat came from a Jewish doctor that Sacha Baron Cohen encountered in Southern Russia. The doctor was a merry man who made Cohen laugh and it's just a few mannerisms that inspired Cohen to build this character.
Obviously, the signature sexism, anti-Semitism, and a slew other negative "-isms" came later on. Cohen initially tried developing the character as Alexei Strickler, a journalist from Maltova who tries to understand British culture. In fact, it was some of his footage as Krickler, that got him a spot in The 11 O'Clock Show, a British variety program where he started his career.
Seth Rogen and Patton Oswalt helped in the script
A four-member team (including Sacha Baron Cohen himself) was credited for the film's screenwriting and went on to be nominated for an Academy Award. But many more comedians and writers were involved in the project, mainly Seth Rogen and Patton Oswalt.
Like many other mockumentaries, Borat did follow a borderline-improv approach to its story but the writers did work out an outline to base the shooting on. The outline would have several possibilities depending on how people would react to Borat's questions as he explores America. Depending upon these reactions, some of the scenes had to be edited or improvised by the writers.
A big hit in Israel for its "pseudo-Kazakh" language
Needless to say, the people of Kazakhstan didn't like this inaccurate, goofy portrayal of their country. The film definitely seems to be inaccurate and insensitive on purpose to convey its larger message. In fact, the Kazakh that Sacha Baron Cohen speaks all through the film isn't even Kazakh. Instead, his language was a combination of Hebrew and Israeli.
It's for this reason that the movie was received well in Israel. Cohen, who himself claims to be proud of his Jewish identity has also dabbled in Israeli in his recent Netflix miniseries The Spy.
Not just Pamela Anderson, many other stars could have joined the cast
Even before Borat, Cohen had achieved enough popularity with his British characters like Ali G. So, when Borat was in production, self-professed fans like actors George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Steve Martin reached out to him hoping for a cameo.
The inclusion of such actors in the film would have definitely worked well for its promotion but Sacha Baron Cohen said no. The charm behind most of the gags and stunts in the film was in the fact that most of it was a surprise for the other people featured as extras. Even Pamela Anderson's bodyguards were taken by surprise during some of the scenes! Bringing Clooney and the other actors might not have the desired effect if they knew their scenes beforehand.
The movie continues causing embarrassing international relations
As mentioned earlier, Kazakhstan has heavily criticized the film and so has Romania (it was a Romanian village that was featured as Kazakhstan at the start of the film), along with various other communities. In 2018, the Estonian Ministry of Interior had a conference with Askar Zhumagaliyev, the deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan.
In the slideshow accompanying the meeting, an image of Borat also popped up that made the deputy prime minister turn very quiet, while the other attendees had a laugh. The Estonian ministry did apologize soon after. Such has been Borat's impact that it still continues to make people feel uncomfortable.
'anti-Jew warrior'
Sacha Baron Cohen is notorious for hardly having press appearances where he's himself, as he mostly indulges in appearing as his own characters. Now, he at least appears as himself more than before but after Borat's success, you could see him at every film event in his signature suit and mustache.
One specific appearance that garnered attention was when he received an award by GQ Magazine. He went on to target actor-director Mel Gibson (who's notoriously known for his anti-Semitism) by saying, "It is you, not me, who should receive this GQ award for anti-Jew warrior of the year."
Tourist boom in Kazakhstan
Russia advised its theatres to limit screenings of Borat. Arab countries, Lebanon, and obviously Kazakhstan banned its release. In other countries like aforementioned Israel, the film proved to be a big hit.
But what's ironic is that ever since the mockumentary's release, there has been a huge increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kazakhstan. "I salute Borat for attracting tourists to Kazakhstan," Kazakh foreign minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov was quoted back in 2012.