Politics of Cinema

On this episode, we're leaving the 1960's behind and jumping to South Korea in 1980. In Jang Hoon's A Taxi Driver (2017) we get a wild sampling of genres in a remarkably well balanced film. It's an action film. A single father supporting his daughter story. It’s dramatic and also quite goofy. It’s based on a actual events, but it’s also highly fictionalized. It documents political history while being oddly apolitical at times. And it's a journalism film too.  International treasure Song Kang-ho stars as a Seoul cabbie who's transporting a German journalist to cover what is rumored to be a student protest. They both become unlikely witnesses and participants in the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and the massacre at the hands of governemnt forces.  If you're up for a marathon of South Korean films, here is the five film lineup Aaron mentions that covers the politics and events from 1979-1981: The Man Standing Next (2020) The President’s Last Bang (2005) 12.12: The Day (2023) A Taxi Driver (2017) The Attorney (2013) Follow us at: Patreon / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

On this episode, we're staying in the late sixties for one more film as we watch Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows (1969). A haunting portrayal of the French Resistance during the early days of World War II that serves as an existential reflection on what it really takes to fight an occupying force. Melville's muted color palette and precise framing underscore the suffocating atmosphere of occupied France, while also highlighting the moral complexity faced by those fighting fascism. The film presents a sobering look at the personal costs of opposing tyranny and forces the viewer to confront the often futile nature of resistance in the face of overwhelming oppression.  The film was dismissed as Gaullist propaganda (which is fair) when it was first released in 1969, but received a much warmer welcome when it was restored and rereleased in 2006. It hits even harder in 2025 America. Follow us at: Patreon / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

On this episode, we're staying in the late sixties as we watch Luchino Visconti's The Damned (1969). Following our exploration rising authoritarianism in Costa-Gavras' Z (1969) and reactionary Brazilian politics in Glauber Rocha's Entranced Earth (1967), we're heading right into the Nazi den that is the von Essenbeck family in late 1930's Germany. A scathing critique of the German industrial elite's seduction by (and complicity in) the rise of Nazism, Visconti shows how a wealthy family's greed and moral corruption lead them to embrace fascism in order to maintain their social and economic status.  Watching the family's willful, strategic cruelty, we see how the wealthy can easily transition from aristocratic privilege to supporting authoritarian rule. It's quite an illustration of how capitalism and fascism intertwine. If it's been a while since you've seen it, The Damned will resonate deeply with a revisit.   On a lighter note, by watching some Visconti, Aaron finally understands how Isaac feels about Godard. Follow us at: Patreon / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

On this episode, we're heading to Brazil and discussing Glauber Rocha's Entranced Earth (1967), a pivotal work of the Cinema Novo movement. Following our exploration of Costa-Gavras' Z (1969), we're delving into the turbulent world of Brazilian filmmaking in the wake of the 1964 military coup. Entranced Earth isn't just a film; it's a cinematic rebellion against political corruption and authoritarianism. Rocha's work, along with the broader Cinema Novo movement, redefined Brazilian cinema with its raw, politically charged narratives and innovative film techniques. We discuss how Rocha and the other Cinema Novo filmmakers, inspired by Italian Neorealism and the French New Wave, crafted a uniquely Brazilian cinematic language to confront social inequalities and spark critical discourse. Join us as we examine Rocha's "Aesthetic of Hunger" manifesto and discuss how Entranced Earth continues to resonate in our ongoing struggle against rising fascism and authoritarianism in the US and worldwide. Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

Given the results of the US elections, we thought it would be a good idea to look at a great work of art to help with context and see how filmmakers can play a role in confronting state repression. It's a film we should have discussed at some point over the last four years: Costa-Gavras's political thriller Z (1969).  To state the obvious, this depiction of government conspiracies, assassination attempts, rising authoritarianism, the deep state, and a sprawling cover-up feels quite prescient. However, unlike your favorite YouTube channel, we discuss what the deep state actually is and how the true definition of corporatism is used in this film (and in real life). Our discussion wouldn't be complete without Yves Montand's magnetic performance in this film and in the recording booth. Montand's illustrious career was at its peak as both actor and singer when he starred in this certified masterpiece of leftist cinema. Bella Ciao! Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook   

For the last three years we've observed the month long celebration know as Noirvember, and this year is no exception. In 2021 we recorded an episode called Film Noir & Capitalism. For 2022 we went over to Japan and did two episodes looking at Yakuza Noir via Tokyo Drifter (1966) and A Colt is My Passport (1967). Last year we focused in on Neo-Noir with and episode on Killing them Softly (2012) and the roll of the 2008 economic crisis on modern American crime.  This year, we're returning to the well of Film Noir & Capitalism by discussing Abraham Polonsky's Force of Evil (1948). Written and directed by an eventual victim of the Hollywood Blacklist, this film perfectly encapulate Polonky's own statement that "all films about crime are about capitalism, because capitalism is about crime".  Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

October has arrived and as we are wont to do here at The Politics of Cinema, we are diving into an approiate theme within the horror genre to celebrate. In the past we've looked at; Fascism in Green Room (2015), Humans Hunting Humans, Art House Horror, and the career of George Romero. This year we are heading into the thick of the woods to explore Folk Horror.  We discuss a few classics of the genre, such as Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), The Wicker Man (1973), and Ganja & Hess (1973). We also connect the themes in those early films to those explored in modern folk horror like The Witch (2015), It Follows (2014), Hereditary (2018), and Midsommar (2019)—before Isaac reins us in so we don't include every single horror film in this genre. Our main focus is also on one classic and one modern example: Penda's Fen (1974) and La Llorona (2019). These two striking examples of folk horror delve into the complexities of identity, history, and the landscapes that shape us. In Penda's Fen, we find a pagan anarchist manifesto within a coming-of-age story set in rural 1970s England. With La Llorona, we see how the ghosts of the past exact revenge on the Guatemalan General who orchestrated an Indigenous genocide. Both films yield surprisingly upbeat results within their narratives—at least to us. If folk horror piques your interest, we would also highly recommend watching Keir-La Janisse's documentary, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

It's our 100th episode and to celebrate we're doing something a little different. This is a syncable commentary of one of the films that inspired this podcast - Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You (2018).  Sync up this episode with the film to watch along and hang out with us while we geek out over this brilliant directorial debut and biting social satire.  Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

American cinema of the 1970's is generally known as the golden age of the paranoid thirller. Specifically, the paranoid political thriller. The genearl idealism of the 1960's was met with increasing cynicism by the 1970's, but do these films actually go for the politics of the era or are they just dealing with vibes?  In this episode, we focus on two films of the era; The Parallax View (1974) and Good Guys Wear Black (1978). Is it possible that an early Chuck Norris film has more to say about American politics than a Warren Beatty film that was made during the Watergate hearings?  We also briefly discuss a number of other films from the era, just to see if they're providing vibes or real content. Films discussed include; The Day of the Jackel (1973), The Spook Who Sat By The Door (1973) [see our previous episode], Marathon Man (1976), All the President's Men (1976), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Domino Principle (1977), The China Syndrome (1979), and Cutters Way (1981). This era also saw a proliferation of Biker films after the box office success of Easy Rider (1969). Two that we discuss because of their Vietnam War connection are The Losers (1970) and Brotherhood of Death (1976). We also discuss two European examples just to see how the comparison works; Revolver (1973) and The Assassination (1972). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook 

When it comes to great political films, subtlety is vastly overrated. Why not go all in and express a point of view? Or better yet, throw in a bunch of competing viewpoints and see how they bounce off each other. Sounds like the recipe for conflict, insight, drama, action-packed set pieces, and maybe a few killer needle drops.  Alex Garland's Civil War (2024) teeters on the edge of greatness, and it’s maddening becasue it's so close. On this episode, we argue that this films was just one screenplay draft away from delivering full-on, grimy, 1970s exploitation gold. If only the writers of How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) could have done a polish - or even better, let them direct. But don’t get us wrong, we both enjoyed Civil War. The mere fact that it even nods to an American left (albeit off-screen) is telling; it shows that leftist ideas are creeping back into the cultural consciousness. It's just a bummer that the Portland Maoists and the New People's Army weren’t part of the narrative. Other recommended viewing: Sleeping Dogs (1977) and War Photographer (2001) Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook