Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
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A fictional Kazakh journalist travels through the United States to document American society and culture.
The story
At the behest of the Kazakh Ministry of Information, reporter Borat Sagdiyev leaves Kazakhstan to make a documentary about American society and culture. Accompanied by his producer Azamat Bagatov and a pet chicken, Borat travels to the United States, which he refers to as the 'Greatest Country in the World'. The film follows his interactions with various Americans who believe he is a foreigner with little understanding of local customs. The journey takes him through various locations, including New York City and the South, as he attempts to navigate American life while filming his documentary.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Borat Sagdiyev travels to the US to film a documentary for the Kazakh Ministry of Information. In New York, he becomes infatuated with Pamela Anderson and decides to travel to California to marry her after hearing a rumor that his wife, Oksana, was killed by a bear. He travels across the country in an ice cream truck with his producer, Azamat. Along the way, he interacts with various people, including politicians, a crowd at a rodeo, and a prostitute named Luenell. After a series of mishaps, including a physical altercation with Azamat and a failed attempt to buy a gun, Borat undergoes a religious conversion at a Pentecostal camp meeting. He eventually finds Pamela Anderson at a book signing in Los Angeles and attempts to abduct her for marriage. The film ends with Borat and Luenell returning to Kazakhstan, where they introduce various American customs and technologies to their village.
- Original title
- Borat
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 84
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; Hebrew; Polish
- Directors
- Larry Charles
- Writers
- Sacha Baron Cohen · screenplay; Anthony Hines · screenplay; Peter Baynham · screenplay; Dan Mazer · screenplay; Sacha Baron Cohen · story; Peter Baynham · story; Anthony Hines · story; Todd Phillips · story
- Cast and characters
- Sacha Baron Cohen · Borat Sagdiyev; Ken Davitian · Azamat Bagatov; Luenell · Luenell the prostitute; Pamela Anderson · herself
- Genres
- mockumentary; black comedy
- Themes
- satire; cultural clash
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; shockumentary
- Premise and plot tags
- mockumentary; satire; road movie
- Content notes
- antisemitism; sexism; antiziganism
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was considered one of the greatest comedy films of the 2000s and 21st century.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · scale: percentage · review count: 219; Metacritic · score: 89 · scale: 100 · review count: 38; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A to F
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win; Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · Golden Globe · nomination; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination; WGA Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was banned in almost all Arab countries except for Lebanon.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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