Political movies

Is it Godard and Little Soldier, Carabiner or Weekend? Or maybe Žilnik’s early stuff, Makavejev and Mystery Organism?

Gerald Barrett25 said:Look, my argument—that most Americans just don't have the stomach for movies that actually make you think—is a standard reality within the film industry. It’s a fact known by anyone who takes cinema seriously here in the States, and frankly, it's something the executives at major studios like Disney or Warner Bros. know all too well. That's precisely why the market splits into two distinct camps: the massive blockbusters and those more "European-style" indie films. Honestly, it might be worth doing a little reading on the subject; the data is out there if you actually care to look for it.

I'll give you that much 😉. But I have to wonder... what percentage of the general public actually enjoys "serious" cinema?

Quote : Pearl Harbor, U-123, Independence Day

Are you actually sure these movies fit under the political film category?

A little bit of the old, a little bit of the new...

The Quiet American - just enough to get you thinking.
The Contender - maybe a bit too polished, but those liberal perspectives? Definitely worth noting.
Mad City - I honestly don't get why this one gets so little attention; it's a great look at the media, journalism, and the whole pursuit of profit and fame.

David Gale left me completely spinning. It's a fascinating movie—definitely worth a watch.

Wag the dog

Gerald Barrett25 said:😁

Regarding my observation—are you suggesting that I'm mistaken... 😉
If you’re looking for some sort of profound revelation or a sudden burst of clarity, I’m afraid you might be searching in the wrong corner of the internet... unless, of course, you consider my particular brand of skepticism to be a form of enlightenment...

P.S. Just a heads-up, we’re talking political films here...

I have to say, I wasn't particularly fond of Life of Pi, though not because of the underlying message itself... it was simply a poorly executed film...

I’ve always been a genuine fan of Parker, but this particular one just didn't quite land for me...

When it comes to political cinema—take "The Candidate" starring Robert Redford, for instance...

I actually found it quite enjoyable... True Colors...It’s hard to say exactly how much of a political film this really is... it feels more like a story simply set within a political environment...
The same applies to... Another Country...

Speaking of documentaries... War Room...

...Alright then, folks—let me see you all in here...🙂 ...and let me correct myself immediately, because I was actually quite surprised when I stumbled upon a thread with this specific title...🙂
...we’ve discussed all sorts of cinema, but we haven't touched on "political" films in quite some time 😁... do you even like movies where the core theme involves a political event, a certain figure, or anything else that could be labeled as political? What does a "political film" actually mean to you? Is it just those overtly political stories that question the status quo (like Fahrenheit 451 or, more recently, V for Vendetta)? Or maybe the ones that tackle political themes head-on (like Ararat, Good Night, or and Good Luck)? Then there are the ones that address politics indirectly by critiquing specific public policies (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu as a critique of healthcare policy, or Rosetta as a look at employment policy); those that deal directly with political ideologies or movements (Barbarian Invasion, or even Hair and Wolf Time—which is based on Thomas Hobbes); or perhaps the ones that hit us more uncomfortably and indirectly (Dear Wendy, Videodrome, or Caché)? Are they the films that confront us with everyday "global injustices" (Winterbottom, Michael Haneke)? Or do you consider a movie political if it merely alludes to government failures, plays around with concepts of power and authority, shows us their abuse, brazenly twists ideology, and questions our perceptions of order (for instance, a friend of mine thinks Dogville might actually be the most political film of them all...)? Do you think movies have any actual political impact (I always fondly remember how US youth employment policy shifted after Rosetta 🙂 but that feels like a lonely outlier...)?

...actually, do you even think about the political aspects of the movies you watch? Does that dimension even interest you? 🙂

Amanda Lopez50 said:...so, my friends, let me hear you out...🙂
...we've covered all sorts of cinema, but I don't think we've touched on "political" films yet... do you even like movies where the core theme involves a political event, a specific figure, or anything that could be labeled as political? What does a "political film"—one that actually deals with politics—even mean to you? Are we talking about overtly political films that challenge the status quo (like Fahrenheit 451 or, more recently, V for Vendetta)? Or those that tackle political themes head-on (Ararat, Good Night, and Good Luck)? Perhaps they are films that critique specific public policies through a narrative lens (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu as a critique of healthcare policy, or Rosetta as a look at employment policy)? Or maybe they deal directly with political ideologies and movements (Barbarian Invasion, or even Hair and Wolf Time—which draws from Hobbes)? Then there are the ones that do it uncomfortably indirectly (Dear Wendy, Videodrome, Caché)—films that confront us with everyday "global injustices" (Winterbottom, Haneke). Or perhaps you consider a film political if it merely alludes to government failures, plays with concepts of power and authority, or depicts their abuse—shamelessly leaking ideology while questioning our perceptions of order (for instance, a friend of mine thinks Dogville might actually be the most political film of all...)? Do you believe films carry any actual political weight (I always fondly recall how American youth employment policy shifted following Rosetta 🙂, though that seems to be a lonely example...)?

Yes.

...maybe throw in a few more descriptive adjectives, verbs, or nouns alongside that lovely bit of prose—it wouldn't hurt a bit 🙂

Here is my recommendation for some great satire. I recently revisited Bulworth. It’s a sharp, biting look at the political machine that still feels uncomfortably relevant today. That was an excellent documentary. I recently sat down to watch The Fog of War. It is quite a profound piece of filmmaking.

Amanda Lopez50 said:...adding a few descriptive adjectives, verbs, and nouns alongside all that beauty wouldn't hurt 🙂

After that post of yours? I wouldn't dare.

...look, I just threw out a few movies that lean political—in my opinion, anyway—just to get the gears turning. I’m genuinely curious what you all think, plus I'm always hunting for new recommendations to add to my watchlist. 🙂 Personally, though, I can't stand films that try too hard to be "political." Usually, they end up being either one-dimensional stories about the Cold War era or just straight-up monotonous slogs... but if a movie plays with political themes under the radar without making it the whole point? That's where I'm truly in my element. 🙂

Well, I'm no expert... 🤔 Here is what I've watched:
1. A red, tedious movie
2. 2. Mad for Weapons by Michael Moore—actually quite an entertaining documentary
3. 3. Fahrenheit by Michael Moore—boring...
4. Unforgiven—a solid film starring Clint Eastwood.

fail safe..

Amanda Lopez50 said:...
...
;;;
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...honestly, do you guys even think about the political subtext in the movies you watch? Does that dimension even interest you? 🙂

😵 My head is spinning a bit—it's hard to focus on all that right now 😵

I caught 4 Days in September on TV recently—everything there is to know is probably already over on IMDb,

But it was likely the first Brazilian film I've ever seen, and man, it was fantastic right out of the gate 👍

You really learn a ton about that massive country through a movie like that 👍

Anyway, I don't really get this distinction between "political" films and "non-political" ones that just happen to have political elements 😕 I mean, I’d argue that maybe only romantic comedies, cartoons, and certain blockbusters are truly non-political

...noooo...I was actually thinking about movies where politics is the explicit centerpiece (think > or >) versus those that offer a critique of political realities without making them the central plot. Take >, for instance—on the surface, it’s just a story about kids in the US, but really, it’s a biting commentary on the state of the whole country and how it's being run... or >—which presents itself as a film about a dying father, when it's actually a critique of the ideology that drove an entire generation of parents...🙂 and so on... that's why I put "non-political" in quotes 🙂... but whatever, it doesn't matter 🙂
.
...even blockbusters play around with political themes quite often—just look at MI:3 or >... they're clumsy about it, sure, but honestly... 😁

Gregory Garcia said:😵 My head is spinning, I can't even think straight 😵

4 Days in September was on TV recently, but everything about it is already on IMDb

That’s probably the first Brazilian film I've ever seen, and it was great right out of the gate 👍

You actually learn a lot about that massive country from the movie 👍

Anyway, what's this idea of "political" vs "non-political" movies when they all have political elements? 😕 I'd argue that maybe only rom-coms, cartoons, and some blockbusters are truly non-political...

Non-political? Yeah, right. Every single film has a political message, whether the director means to or not.

Forget 'Fail Safe' or those '4 Days...' movies. 👍 To me, the actual situation matters more than the stance taken in a political film. That's why, even if it's not totally realistic, 'Munich' works perfectly as a story...

Watched The Yes Man documentary yesterday. It’s a damn film about anti-globalism and the sheer stupidity of those running the global economy, just viewed through a completely different lens. Worth a watch 👍