How do we compare realistic films within the given categories?
The easiest category of politically rhetorical films is the open documentary or editorial type film. Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and most recent film Sicko along with Errol Morris's Fog of War are in this category. It is in fact the intent of the filmmaker to produce an open political statement in hopes of encouraging audiences to think similarly about certain issues. In other words there is no question that these films are politically argumentative. They also, by the way, are probably not the types of films lots of students would see voluntarily and so might not be useful, but that would depend on the kinds and ages of students you teach.
Within this group are films quite overt in their message but dramatic in their text. One of the best in recent years would be Syriana starring George Clooney and Matt Damon. The film is fictional but there is no mistaking the intended message. It is a criticism of and comment on American foreign policy in the Middle East, the corruptive relationship of oil giants and the federal government, and in so being, a serious indictment of the current administration. Another of these types of films is Crash starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, and Matt Dillon. It is a racially conscious film during which several characters casually and abruptly intersect. The motive of the filmmakers is clear. They ask that the audience reflect on their own prejudices and experiences calling us to wonder if there is ever any justification in promoting or mentally cultivating racial stereotypes. In the end people from all backgrounds must think about how much effort they put into appreciating the multitude of cultures and customs that comprise modern America and how the perpetual ignorance of one another can lead to sometimes tragic misunderstandings.
A stark contrast to the revealing plot in Crash we might find in a movie like Million Dollar Baby. This is a good example of a tragic allegory. It is about a girl from the other side of the tracks who finds her calling in boxing and in being trained by the stoic Clint Eastwood. During the film their relationship flourishes, as does her talent in the ring. Unfortunately, both are interrupted when she is paralyzed after a fiendish blow from a particularly nefarious opponent. She then attempts suicide on multiple occasions but succeeds in stopping her life when her trainer pulls the proverbial plug.
There are many noteworthy issues at play in this one. An issue of feminism since a woman enters a traditionally male-dominated, violent sport. An issue of government entitlements and class struggle permeates the story. The girl's family is a stereotypical bottom-feeding group more interested in staying on welfare than moving beyond it. And of course there is the issue of euthanasia perfectly relevant to Dr. Kevorkian and the right to die movement. Then there is an intertwining and persistent theme that suggests we have somehow lost value for just being alive. The trainer afraid of complications is unwilling to take risks and, the girl wants to kill herself because she can't box and sees nothing else to live for, and her family is not remotely satisfied with anything but material goods. It is a marvelous but intricate film for students to dissect. And any of these political conclusions can work. By the way, the analysis I used for Spider Man 3 in the rationale section would also work in this category.
The entertainment film is the most ubiquitous film in our culture but probably the most complex for this unit. On the surface these films look as if they have no redeemable political qualities. Just as the daytime soap opera seems to lack anything beyond emotional attraction, there are a myriad of messages to be found. Let's try one.
Could Animal House have political content? Well, maybe the writers and directors (Harold Ramis and John Landis the most notable from that crowd) were not overly concerned with proselytizing about any political events of the late 1970s but their characterizations clearly lead us to some socio-political conclusions. There are very clear implications about social class and educational level. Women in the film are objects of men's desires not relevant for their thoughts or concerns. And there is a standard set for teenagers who head to college and the kinds of things they should do to rebel against the established authorities therein. Thomas Jefferson supported the need for rebellions saying, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." I think John Belushi's character Bluto would have agreed with that then smashed a beer bottle over his head. Perhaps this otherwise goofy movie is suggesting to us that it is time for a rebellion and that young adults will take the lead, rise up against their stuffy aristocratic oppressors and make a new more spontaneous America.
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