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TechnoratiSanity from the Silver Screen
When President Bush responded to 9/11 and the subsequent economic downturn by ordering us to go shopping, many ignored him and instead went to the movies. That's the reaction Hollywood depends on to make its pile - and the escapist impulse is nothing if not reliable. In five of the last seven recessions, box office sales have jumped. When the going gets tough, the tough watch films.
Today is no exception. Theaters are packed, as there is more craziness to flee from than ever. Not only do we face societal emergencies, but our culture is now consumed by a painfully grating and absurdly vapid election addressing none of them - a campaign of trivial non-sequiturs that fetishizes flag pins, middle names and (most recently) Ludacris lyrics. Watching the kabuki dance between reporters and candidates that now passes for "news" evokes an understandable urge to take a shower, a gun to one's head or a trip to the movies.
Those looking for some comic relief this week will probably go see Kevin Costner's just-released "Swing Vote." But heed the advice I recently posted on the Film in Focus website (www.filminfocus.com): Rather than spend your dwindling paycheck on gas and a theater ticket, stay home, hit up Netflix or TNT, and watch these five classics.
- "Wag the Dog": This dark comedy's over-the-top machinations are both funny and sad because they parody what actually happens inside campaigns. In a political world where style trumps substance, visuals outweigh policy and mercenary consultants are celebrated as intellectual luminaries, writer/director David Mamet gives us characters like the Fad King and strategist Conrad Brean; manufactured sob stories created with blue screens; and songs like "Good Old Shoe". This is satire at its most vicious - and accurate.
- "The Distinguished Gentleman": From the moment Florida huckster Thomas Jefferson Johnson runs for Congress pretending to be a recently deceased incumbent with the same name, this movie is ridiculing Washington. Johnson wins his race solely on name recognition, and then puts his skills as a professional con man to work inside Congress. The story, though billed as fiction, could be relabeled "based on true stories" in the Jack Abramoff era.
- "Brewster's Millions": To inherit $300 million, Montgomery Brewster is charged with the near-impossible task of spending $30 million in 30 days without accruing an asset. How does he do it? He runs for office. The message that big-time elections have become a monumental waste of cash may be a subtext in this slapstick production, but Brewster's outraged motto asking citizens to vote "none of the above" effectively harangues today's money politics.
- "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?": Twenty-nine-year-old neophyte Jeff Smith has a radical idea: He's going to run for Congress in St. Louis against a machine politician backed by Missouri's entire political Establishment. In this documentary of Smith's 2004 campaign, we see how despite today's idealistic rhetoric, corruption still runs both parties.
- "The Candidate": The final line in this tale makes it a gem. After senate candidate Bill McKay goes punchy parroting a meaningless (and eerily Obama-esque) "there's got to be a better way" slogan, he wins in an upset. Standing among his exuberant supporters, the newly minted lawmaker is shown in the last seconds of the film asking his political guru, "What do we do now?"
Admittedly, there's something grotesque about a nation immersing itself in celluloid during crises - something reminiscent of Rome's fire-ignoring fiddlers or the Titanic's iceberg-oblivious deckchair arrangers. But the real tragedy is that these films present more hard-edged political reality than most of today's "reporting." In that sense, the uptick in movie interest is altogether healthy. Amid the overpowering media noise and propaganda, the silver screen has become the nostrum keeping us sane.
David Sirota is a Denver-based political strategist and journalist, whose nationally syndicated newspaper columnist is based at the Denver Post, Seattle Times and San Francisco Chronicle. He is a fellow at the Campaign for America's Future, a senior editor at In These Times magazine, and a NY Times bestselling author who appears regularly on national television and radio. He is also a former top Capitol Hill aide and longtime Democratic campaign strategist.
© 2008 In These Times
26 Comments so far
Show AllThere was an early 1970's series of independently-produced "Billy Jack" movies, that challenged the John Wayne image of the hero with this peaceful warrior who woulkd fight if and when forced to. He was a departure from the stereotypical Hollywood male hero of that era. In today's Hollywood hero fare, he would seem like very strange abberation and probably not be a popular anti-hero type. Today, audiences flock to the uber-violent, socoiopathic hero/heroine.
The producers and stars of these movies, Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor tried to forge a niuche into uncharted movie territory. One movie they made in 1976 was never released theatrically. Twenty-five years later it made its debut on the small screen as a DVD. "Billy Jack Goes to Washington" was a bicentennial year David versus Goliath political tale, in the immediate aftermath of Watergate and Nixon's resignation. Everything it deals with is as relevant today as it was in 1976: corruption, scandal, intrigue, murder. Like Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" from the 1940's, the film tells the story of a corrupt Congress and a naive young idealist trying to navigate his way through that corporate-corrupted quagmire. It is deja-vu to watch how the 1976 Tom Laughlin film updated Henry Fonda's "Jefferson Smith" chracter of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington."
PF-Flyer,
Years ago when I was a graduate student I knew a philosophy graduate student who was an unashamed fascist and who shocked me by revealing he loved the Batman idea as a symbol of the fascist ideal -- the wealthy elite through pure altruism battle secretly, utilizing the best of expensive and exotic high tech devices, against the truly evil forces in society that the little people are (because of their limited reasoning powers and limited knowledge) and should be (for their own good) completely oblivious to.
"Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control"
What about DEATH WISH IV and V ?
If we all were VIGILANTES, Washington would be shit-scared of us and would actually behave themselves as well as kick out the corporate, military, and religious lobbyists.
We live in a time when the US is the richest nation in the world, and has too many high-tech weapons for their own good, resorts to lies, wiretapping, and other covert acts, exercising world-wide vigilante-tactics in order to have its way.
- We're told that our enemies (radical Islam) have nothing to gain, but simply hate our freedoms.
- Our watch-lists and law enforcement have resorted to a kind of racial profiling, and as a nation, we're trained to fear that which is "other" or strange, different from "us."
- Our leaders break laws and perform their covert acts, often, with the knowledge and help of various other parts of our government, telling us that we should just trust that they are doing what is right and have our best interests at heart.
Consider the political subtext/message of the current top boxoffice hit:
In the current installment (The Dark Knight), Batman is the ultra-rich man who has too many high-tech weapons for his own good, resorts to lies, wiretapping, and other covert acts, exercising vigilante-tactics in order to have his way.
- We're told that Batman's main enemy acts not because he will profit personally, but because he simply takes pleasure in causing pain (like hating freedom).
- The film resorts to a kind of moral-ethical profiling, and trains viewers to think that the darkest evils don't wear "normal" faces such as those of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove or Condi Rice, but instead, trains us to fear that which is "other" or strange, grotesque, different from "us," an over-the-top caricature of evil.
- Batman performs his covert acts, often, with the knowledge and help of various parts Gotham's government, including the chief of police.
- The movie tells us that all is not as it seems, and perhaps Batman only appears to be evil, but this is his cover, so that he can do good, and we (the movie viewers) should just trust that Batman is doing what is right and has Gotham City's best interests at heart.
Yeah, right. It should sound familiar. Wouldn't it all be simple if this were the case. "The Dark Knight" functions not as harmless escapism, but as carefully crafted propaganda.
Instead of, or besides, the list of elite intellectual and topically-appropriate (yet still escapist) films, maybe we should pay more attention to the political subtexts of what the masses are flocking to see.
"Gimme a break."
No.
run to the movies and forget real life is what they are talking about
no healthcare
no job
no house
that is what millions of Americans wake up to every morning
Movies have always been an escape and always will be. Political movies I have some problem with since the Gov in the US case is the problem so why have a wish it was better with different people and a different system running it type movie?
I recommend listening to more music. Though I'm 66-I find Evanescence's "Open Door" to be inspirational.Amy Lee's voice is fantastic.
"Between Bush World and Islamofascism World, I'm thinking opening the door for Death might be a good idea."
Gimme a break.
That's an insult to Europe and Latin America, to the 79% of Americans who reject BushCo, to the hundreds of millions of Muslim women & men who despise bin Laden and his infantile holy war.
Join the Resistance.
Embrace life, warts and all.
Drink a glass of red wine.
Listen to Dylan's rediscovered song "I'm Not There".
"If death on your doorstep, the climate crisis, doesn't motivate people to change, then a few movies sure won't make any difference. People are going to watch any movie they want to, shop till they drop at Wal Mart, vote against their best interests, and accept American Fascism as a normal part of life. Wake up to Bush World."
Between Bush World and Islamofascism World, I'm thinking opening the door for Death might be a good idea.
Grab Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole" (Criterion DVD) if you want a totally prophetic and scary look at American media greed.
Masterpiece, with a freaking brilliant young Kirk Douglas.
Take a look at "War, Inc." Its new, with John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd, and others you'll recognize. The first totally outsourced war, handled by Tamarlane, Inc.
V and Dave were good.
For a classic thats fits the thought...Elia Kazan's "A Face in the Crowd" with Andy Griffith.
"Threads" was great, but "Survivors" may be closer to the mark.
I would like to add to the list "Elmer Gentry". Now there's a film that reminds me of Obama. (Sorry, couldn't resist, I haven't bashed him in like 3 weeks.)
"The Candidate" is AWESOME ! But it is by no means Obama-esque. Obama was self-selected, and from the very beginning of his political aspirations he carefully crafted a persona and a resume to achieve his #1 goal, to be elected President. If he could run for "God", he would.
Oh yeah ... just watch V again the other night .... Brilliant!!!
Wag the Dog is a classic. Anytime anyone starts to believe what's on TV, they should watch that one.
I'd add Warren Beatty's "Bulworth" to the list.
Oh, and not to forget the terrific "V for Vendetta".
One of the best political satires is the mid-60s dark British film "The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer", with Peter Cook and the Monty Python team. Not on DVD, and hard to find on VHS. Like many close-to-the-bone British films (e.g., "War Games", "Threads"), it received zero or very limited distribution in the US.
I urge everyone to see "Beyond the War", the extraordinary documentary about Timothy Young. Also, "The Namesake", which is truly one of the most astonishing movies ever (not political per se but worth watching over and over again). I just watched "Network" again, and it's always worth watching...
Hi David,
Keep up the great work.
I wanted to plug two other political black comedy classics -- "Bob Roberts" with Tim Robbins and "Being There" with Shirley McClaine and Peter Sellers.
No thanks
I would love to see Batman on a big screen, but I currently have a couple of books I need to polish off.
They are non-fiction, and they relate to current concerns of Human Kind.
And I can never get enough of "Being and Time"
Gosh - Denver is breaking the record of most consecutive 90F days everyday.
Byt 10+ degrees.
I would like it to be 20+ degrees. And have the power go off. That will be a great eyeopener for the Jesus Freaks 60 miles south.
If death on your doorstep, the climate crisis, doesn't motivate people to change, then a few movies sure won't make any difference. People are going to watch any movie they want to, shop till they drop at Wal Mart, vote against their best interests, and accept American Fascism as a normal part of life. Wake up to Bush World.
Then there are those movies where someone becomes a viable presidential candidate by eschewing the usual political rhetoric and trash talking "truth" like Warren Beatty did in "Bullworth" or Robin Williams did in "Man of the Year". This is a favorite delusion of Hollywood filmmakers, and it sometimes causes the actors to believe (usually briefly, e.g., Beatty) that they could run for president. After all, they give persuasive speeches.
Wish fulfilment at its mightiest.
And then there's "Rambo"
And all of the John Claude VanDamme and Steven Segal movies glorifying mercinaries
Not to mention the relentless uber-feminization of actresses in Film and Television. Ever notice how many actresses have recently developed that simpering voice that men seem to love. Now that I am on the subject, what about the shaved vagina fixation. Do men want their women to look like pre-pubescent girls?
AGGGGGHHHHHHH It's one of those days folks
Grrrrr