What *is* a "politics movie"? or My 9 Favorite Movies about Government
May 06 '01 (Updated Jan 02 '05)
The Bottom Line Go rent a movie, get out the popcorn and have a fun night in front of the vcr.
I've been wanting to write about this topic for a while but I keep getting sidetracked. What constitutes a "politics movie"? Is it a film dealing with the actual functions of government or is it a film with a political message? I even took a class titled "Politics in Film" as an undergraduate and I still don't have the answer to that question.
According to my professor, a film is considered political if it has:
1. Explicit political content
2. Content about issues that were salient during the era that the film was produced
3. Indirect references to political themes (even if the film isn't about political themes)
According to these definitions, just about every film is a "political movie". I can think of dozens of films off the top of my head that have definite political messages but I wouldn't necessarily say that they are "about" politics.
So, I'm going to neglect a number of films that are excellent movies with definite political messages. These include: Casablanca, Do the Right Thing, The Deer Hunter, The Great Dictator, Patton, One, Two, Three, Paths of Glory and Dr. Strangelove. All of these are great movies that I recommend seeing but I'm going to stick to some films that deal with the workings of the three major branches of government (I am not including the bureaucracy here) in the United States as seen by Hollywood. I am not listing any foreign films here and these are in posted in order of release dates.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
When people talk about politics in film, this is normally one of the movies that most people mention. Viewed through today's cynicism, it's easy to laugh at Jimmy Stewart's naiveté and at the bad dialogue from Jean Arthur. But, Frank Capra had a touch as director that made it all come out okay without seeming trite or cliched. The plot is quite simple: Stewart is appointed to fill out a dead senator's term and discovers that there is corruption in Washington. It's too bad that this film was released in 1939 along with Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and dozens of the best films ever to come out of Hollywood because it would have won more than just one of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for (best original story) in any other year. If you are only going to watch one movie from this list, make it this one.
Meet John Doe (1941)
This is the second of three Frank Capra films on my list. It stars Gary Cooper as an unemployed man who is hired by a newspaper to impersonate the fabricated "John Doe" who has threatened to kill himself if social problems are not addressed. The political convention scene near the end in the rain is quite memorable. This 1941 film received an Academy Award nomination for best original story.
State of the Union (1948)
This is the third and final Frank Capra film on my list. Spencer Tracy plays an aircraft tycoon running for president who is having an affair with his campaign manager (Angela Lansbury). His wife is portrayed by Katharine Hepburn so you know you've got a great film. This is one of the few films I've come across where a specific political party is mentioned.
All the Kings Men (1949)
There's a saying that "absolute power corrupts absolutely". If you have any familiarity with Governor Huey Long in Louisiana (or Robert Penn Warren's novel with the same title), you'll recognize Broderick Crawford's character. That's the basic theme of this film. It won Oscars for best picture, best actor and best supporting actress. It's a shame that they don't make pictures like this one today because it's absolutely riveting.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
This movie disappeared from circulation for over 25 years. The reasons for that differ depending upon whose account you read. Some say that Frank Sinatra was upset about fuzzy math while others say it had to do with Kennedy's assassination the year after the film was released. It has everything you could want in a political movie. You've got brain washing, espionage, assassination, conspiracy, Communism, the Cold War and McCarthyism. In a nutshell, you have a brain washed soldier who becomes a presidential assassin. Angela Lansbury is just incredible in this film.
Fail Safe (1964)
What would you do if you were the President and you found out that there were Air Force planes about to drop nuclear bombs on Moscow because of a computer malfunction and there was no way you could call the planes back? That's the dilemma that faces Henry Fonda in this absolutely gripping drama set filmed near the height of the Cold War. This was remade in 2000 as a live television event but the original is far more compelling.
The Candidate (1972)
Aside from the dated wardrobe, this film is just as relevant today as it was two decades ago. Robert Redford stars in this mock documentary about the son of a popular governor who is running for a U.S. Senate seat against an incumbent who is certain to win. Since Redford is assured of losing, he is told that he can espouse his own platforms without having to worry about the party. As his poll numbers change in his favor, all of a sudden party pressure and political consultants step in and things start to change. The most telling moment is at the end of the film when Redford says "What do we do now?" This film won an Oscar for best original screenplay.
Dave (1993)
I really wanted to put a comedy on this list. While many of the other films have comedic aspects, this is the only one that is a real comedy. It's all about what happens when the White House staff replaces the President with a stand-in who looks an awful lot like the real President. When something happens to the President, the stand-in takes his place and before long, starts acting like the President, despite the wishes of the real President's aides.
Wag the Dog (1997)
Some people may call this a comedy, but I think it's more satirical. Some people may also comment about this film being released right about the same time that the country was learning about President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. The film was made before any of that came to light but was released about the same time making it ever so much more popular. The movie is about a president manufacturing a war to cover up a sex scandal and in real life, well, the President was manufacturing a war to cover up a sex scandal.
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