BS: Your Favorite Political Films?

Subject: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:53 PM

Well, thinking about the whole 'F 9/11' phenomenon made me start to think, what are some of my other favorite political films?

Barbara Kopple's films, especially 'Harlan County' and 'American Dream'.

John Sayles' films, but especially 'Matewan'.

'Z'.

'Local Hero'.

'Sarafina' - LOVED those kids!

Kubrick's 'Dr Strangelove' and 'Clockwork Orange'.

Several films with Laura Dern connected to all of them: 'Bastard Out of Carolina', 'Citizen Ruth', and 'Down Came a Blackbird' (Raul Julia's last film).

And Raul Julia's films: the above mentioned, and the delicious 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' (one of all time faves), and he absolutely channeled the man in 'Romero'!

'Before Night Falls'. Beautiful film.

'Cradle Will Rock' - brilliant!

'Elizabeth' - w/the wonderful Cate Blanchett

'Julia'-Vanessa Redgrave & Jane Fonda, and a Haskell Wexler cinematography masterpiece.

Spike Lee's films, but especially 'Four Little Girls', 'Do the Right Thing' and 'Bamboozled'.

So many great ones! And so many stinkers! I can think of LOTS of those I've seen over the years too!

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Teresa
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:33 PM

Yep, love "Matewan".


Also, "Reds", "Land and Freedom", "Our Daily Bread" "The North Star", (1941 I believe) and a Soviet film about WW2 called "Come and See", at least that's the english translation. It's horrific, and tells war like it is.

teresa

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:58 PM

This isn't a film at all, but a British comedy TV series: "Yes, Minister," which was followed by "Yes, Prime Minister." It was done 25 years ago in Britain and was shown a couple of years later on American public TV. Imagine "The West Wing" transferred to Britain and done as a satirical comedy. Beautiful!

I just found this wonderful web site which I plan to peruse.

I also loved a British miniseries called (if I remember correctly) "A Very British Revolution" – but I am unable to find anything about it on the Internet. Am I remembering the title incorrectly? It was about a radical-Labor leader becoming Prime Minister, and how the Conservatives use dirty tricks to try to undermine him. In some ways it presaged the Clinton impeachment. Totally fiction, but realistic, I thought.

There was another British miniseries whose title totally escapes me—about a totally evil and ruthless Prime Minister, who resembled Richard III.

Then there's the original Richard III, and of course, Macbeth, Julius Caesar…

I can't help but feel the Brits do it better than Americans. (And I'm American myself, in case you didn't know.)

But then there was "Dr. Strangelove."

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Once Famous
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 10:08 PM

I hate political films.

Except of course Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with Jimmy Stewart.

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Cluin
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:15 AM

I second "Mr. Smith".

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST,heric
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:35 AM

Babe

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Peace
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:41 AM

Animal Farm (cartoon)

Watership Down (cartoon, with a beautiful song, "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkle)--not political, per se, but it speaks to totalitarianism, corporate greed, etc.)

The Great Dictator

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Teresa
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:44 AM

Oh, Brucie, was that the Charlie chaplain one? I loved all the names of the dictators, though I can't remember them anymore. I just remember the line: "send Garbage [Goebels] in". And that long nonsensical fake German tirade. :)

Teresa

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Cluin
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 02:08 AM

You Nazty Spy

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: open mike
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 02:41 AM

salt of the earth--
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/salt.html

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Teresa
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 03:22 AM

Cluin, OM, I didn't know about these films. Thanks for posting the pages about them. More for my list. :)

Who woulda thunk it? The Stooges? :)

Teresa

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 06:00 AM

A Man For All Seasons

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 07:20 AM

Duck Soup. 'Hail, Hail Freedonia...'

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST,brucie
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 11:05 AM

The Mouse That Roared

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: GUEST,Wesley S
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 11:28 AM

"Bob Roberts"

"Wag the Dog"

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 12:06 PM

Jim Dixon,

The richard III like PM you're thinking of Is Francis Urquart, in "To play the King", from a Michiel Dobbs book of the same name.

Other Political films....

Any Sergi Eisenstein film, especially the ones where Prokofief did the scores.

Much of Kubrick stuff, as above.

And if you watch an Elvis Movie backwards, it gains political significance. Only the early ones mind......


Bunnahabhain

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 12:46 PM

Right! Ian Richardson played PM Francis Urquhart first in "House of Cards," 1990; then "To Play the King," 1993, then "The Final Cut," 1995, in Britain. They ran as successive weekly installments when they were shown on American public TV, so that I had forgotten they were actually 3 separate series. Great role, great performance. I didn't know about the book(s), though. Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:05 PM

Brazil

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: pdq
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 01:37 PM

I really like Hatari! with John Wayne.   

The multi-level plot covers sex, drugs, race relations, freedom, democracy. Almost all of the great questions asked my mankind are explored.

How about the scene where Red Buttons, a Jewish comedian, sets off para-military explosives to launch a net over a tree in the African savannah, ensnaring and a band of free and happy monkeys.

Profound I say. Real deep stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: tarheel
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 05:29 PM

i can't believe no one has mentioned,"ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN"..the watergate story...
it starred dustin hoffman and robert redford, as the two investigative reporters of the washinton post!
woodward and bernstien...
it was a good flick!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: *Laura*
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 06:08 PM

Pocahontis

Subject: RE: BS: Your Favorite Political Films?
From: Chris Green
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 06:18 PM

Anyone seen Whoops Apocalypse (1986)? Peter Cook plays a prime minister who leads Britain into a meaningless war to defend a far-flung territory that no-one's ever heard of and in doing so plunges the world into nuclear Armageddon. Grim synopsis, but god, it's funny! My favourite scene is the bit where terrorists have spiked his bath with industrial-strength acid which liquifies his hand when he dips it in to test the temperature of the water. There is an ominous bubbling sound and then it cuts to him in hospital with a hook on the end of his arm saying "British surgery is the finest in the world!"