15 Great Political Films

(note: excluding war films unless they are predominately politics-orientated, so no Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima here. Lawrence of Arabia also has some brilliant political plot elements in it but I want to talk about that film at some later point in more detail, so I'll leave it off...for now.)

Hon. Mention: Bridge of Spies

 

This is a case of recently watching a film, really liking it, but needing some time to ruminate over where exactly I'd put it on a list of the akin. Anyway it's a great example of something very old-fashioned and traditional in terms of plot and characters being brought to life so well by excellent direction by Steven Speilberg, a great score and production design that hits all the old-fashioned sweet spots. Of course there's also two great leading turns in Tom Hanks' charismatic everyman reactive performance, and Mark Rylance's deservedly Oscar-winning supporting turn as the spy who's not all he seems.

15. The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Imperfect film that's a bit slow in parts and certainly not for everyone, I still think this is a great film for the emotional punch and interest it holds for me. It tells the story of two brothers and their participation in the IRA before and after the controversial Anglo-Irish treaty well enough, but in all honesty in quite a straightforward fashion, almost documentary-like. What makes it a recommended watch for me is the excellent writing behind it that never takes a side, but presents the conflict as morally conflicted as it should be.

14. Conspiracy

A well-made film about the Wannsee Conference of 1942, where Nazi officials discussed the 'Final Solution'. As far as films set in one room go, this isn't quite 12 Angry Men as it certainly does lag in some parts, but it does work as an almost subversion of that sort of 'one man convinces others to take a course of action' plotline through Heydrich's (Kenneth Branagh) blunt decision to enter into perhaps the darkest period in Germany's history, and the subsequent reaction of the other 14 participants in the conference. All performances range from good to excellent, with Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci being particular standouts (Kenneth Branagh is good too but I need a re-watch for him).

13. Scandal

The intriguing Profumo Affair is brought to life vividly here by director Michael Caton-Jones who evokes the 1960's vibe of crude, exotic lasciviousness among the political elite and their mistresses. He is well-watched by John Hurt giving one of his greatest performances as Stephen Ward, the quirky, hedonistic osteopath who brings together the key players of the titular scandal, particularly Joanne Whalley and Bridget Fonda giving two very sultry and surprisingly depthful performances as the showgirls drawn into his list of political contacts and lustful men. Though perhaps a bit more focus could've been given to the political players themselves (especially Profumo since, well, he's played by Ian McKellen), it makes for a very interesting take on the politics of the time from an outsider's point of view.

12. JFK

Historically inaccurate to the extreme it's nevertheless an incredibly entertaining film that, while lacking in depth, makes up for it with a strong acting ensemble (Kevin Costner giving a very effective performance in the lead role of Jim Garrison, although I think he could've done even more with the real-life character as opposed to the Jimmy Stewart-esque idealist the film takes, and Gary Oldman, Donald Sutherland and Joe Pesci being other highlights), its brilliant editing and its flowing script. I certainly need a re-watch as it could easily go well up the list.

11. In the Name of the Father

One that hits the emotional spots very hard. The story of Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his wrongful imprisonment for supposed IRA terrorist bombings he did not commit is a great one, and while I do think the film peaks in the prsion scenes with him and his father (Pete Postlethwaite), the direction and acting in all other scenes are good too as My Left Foot director Jim Sheridan shows an aptitude for making our potentially unsympathetic lead character's plight a sympathetic one.

10. The Manchurian Candidate

A tough film to watch definitely, but it's well worth a perusal for many reasons. One, it features two great performances by actors I'm usually not very fond of at all, the usually stiff and uninteresting Laurence Harvey and the usually overacting Frank Sinatra, playing respectively a 'war hero' who's secretly being used as a political tool by his mother (a magnificent Angela Lansbury) to gain power within the U.S. government, and the cynical Major who's out to stop him. The film is directed in a very blunt yet stylized manner that works perfectly in showing this cold, unforgiving universe of deceit and conspiracy. More importantly there's always a humanity lurking within all the darkness, making the ending of the film surprisingly heartfelt and moving.

9. The Lives of Others/Goodbye, Lenin!

A quiet, intimately powerful film about surveillance agents and the secret police in East Berlin (which with Bridge of Spies I can now confidently say is one of my favourite film settings in the world), and the gradual progression of one of its spies (Ulrich Mühe, brilliant) from strict authoritarian to a good man; and a lovely, heartwarming but also very moving comedy about a young man (Daniel Bruhl)  and his attempts to keep his weak-hearted mother away from news of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Both films act as great companion pieces to one another and though I need a re-watch for both, rest assured I highly recommend both of them.


8. V for Vendetta

A film with some dull spots but also some brilliant ones, it's a mixed bag but definitely more on the positive than negative side, the visual elements are so well done and it carries each scene's tension beautifully, also the script is underrated, as I've always thought it's a very deceptively intelligent film in terms of the political aspect. What's best about the film is that it never loses the human element among all these mind games and action sequences through Stephen Fry, John Hurt and of course Hugo Weaving's deliviously manipulative performances (seriously, Weaving's vocal delivery of some of those speeches would be worth analysing in a whole post themselves). Natalie Portman's lead performance has been criticized by many and while I do think her accent is most certainly imperfect, everything else is perfect as she, alongside the underrated Stephen Rea as a policeman on her and V's tail, navigates this dystopian political stratosphere.

7. Lincoln

A film I am very, very fond of for a multitude of reasons. Again, far from a faultless film as with many of these sort of motion pictures, a little trimming here and there of superfluous material (including the slightly forced father-son subplot, although Joseph Gordon-Levitt's presence is always more welcome than not) would do it favours. Regardless however, this is one film I will quite comfortably call a spectacle, and a bloody well made one at that. It's quite underrated in terms of how much detail it goes into Lincoln's efforts to have the 13th Amendment passed. The sets are great and the dialogue flows wonderfully, and of course at the centre of a strong ensemble resides the incredible work of Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. Watch for a great history lesson and entertainment bundled in one.

6. Downfall

An absolutely brilliant depiction of the Nazi regime's waning days, fascinating in both a historical sense, and from a filmmaking perspective. It's filmed in a very harsh, unflinching manner as it never shies away from the ugliest happenings in these final days in the bunker (one scene, involving the taking of cyanide pills, is particularly heart-breaking to watch). What's great about it is that though presenting certain members of the regime as not entirely evil and human, it never sugar-coats just how deluded the majority of them are. Bruno Ganz's lead performance as Adolf Hitler is a marvellous example of how to merge both mannerisms and mimicry, and genuine depth behind these tics, into an unforgettable portrayal of a real-life character, and is ably supported by a great ensemble including Alexandra Maria Lara's very underrated reactive performance as one of the sole spots of humanity.

5. Mr Smith Goes to Washington

It's wide-eyed American idealism at its most obvious, but can I complain when it's in the hands of James Stewart and Frank Capra? This is a case in which obviousness works in a film's favour as it captures the untainted innocence of Jimmy Stewart's Mr Smith so incredibly well. It's a film that just gets better and better on re-watches as the feel-good moments never fail to entertain me, the confrontational scenes between effectively good and evil in the courtroom settings never fail to send chills down my spine, and though it's all very patriotic, it's universal themes of honour in the face of insurmountable odds is for everyone. One of those films which is definitely in everyone's ballpark.

4. The Crying Game

The definition of a film that is so much more than what it's known for. People always know it for THE TWIST, which is well done, but personally what I find most fascinating about the film is how it mergest THE TWIST so seamlessly along it's discussion of politics, race, and morality. It's basically the story of an IRA soldier, Fergus (Stephen Rea) and his life-changing experience with firstly a British soldier (Forest Whittaker, dodgy accent but still very moving) and successively, the soldier's girlfriend (Jaye Davidson). Rea's performance in this is something to behold, as he plays such a listless, insignificant and quite frankly, normal man but infuses him with such nuanced depth that makes Fergus' transition from mindless soldier to a man following his heart and morals, incredibly moving. His performance drives the film from tone to tone, whether it be the deliciously malicious IRA plotting scenes where Miranda Richardson's deliciously evil Jude takes over, to the more tender and heartfelt scenes with Davidson. A film I am most annoyed how some people use as a punchline to jokes, or THE TWIST being the sole discussed factor, as it's so much more than that.

3. Z

A splendid political thriller that succeeds in espousing its political messages without ever seeming forceful at all about it, as it's all streamlined so well into the plot and characters' speeches that aren't just randomly jammed into the plot, but rather help move it along. It's a film that just does the job amazingly well in terms of flowing along nicely with great pace, and is praise-worthy enough in this respect already.  Just to add to this, it creates such a vividly oppressive atmosphere for its story of firstly the political situation, and than the procedural investigation into a political assassination, bolstered even more by a uniformly superb ensemble, a great score, and one hell of an ending that completely shatters and surprises you. Highly recommended.

2. Dr Strangelove: or, How I Learnt to Stop Worrying, and Love the Bomb

The greatest black comedy of all time. An absurd, off-the-walls, daring (perhaps the most daring, which is saying something for him) effort by Stanley Kubrick to convey the Cold War tensions of the time through dark satire pushed to its limits is attained, and boy how it is attained. Firstly, the performances. It can be argued that Strangelove is essentially a series of skits centered around oddball politicians and military men. Peter Sellers plays the American President, a nervous and neurotic English officer, and the titular bonkers and sexually frustrated German nuclear war expert, and it's marvellous how he disappears into each role. George C. Scott may be my favourite of the ensemble with his deliciously unhinged work as Buck Turgidson, one of the most delightfully idiotic characters ever to grace the silver screen, Sterling Hayden gives a magnificent show of his unique talents in the role of the even crazier, though oddly compelling, Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper,and all the soldiers on the plane that's about to bring humanity to evisceration are great too, especially Slim Pickens as a rootin', hootin' cowboy. Just the performances themselves are worthy of such in-depth discussion but there's even more. The war room itself is an underrated landmark in production design, there's so much enjoyably yet subtly naughty imagery to be explored in through re-watches, the script is the apex of deadpan comedy, and it also manages to even have a heartfelt moment or two in between all the uproarious laughter. Quite possibly the greatest comedy of all-time, I'd say.

1. All the President's Men

A great film I talk about in more detail here (http://actorvsactor.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/looking-back-at-all-presidents-men.html). A must-watch, can't recommend it enough, and makes for a very interesting contrast with this year's Spotlight.

Next Up: 3 Great Political Telveision Series to watch.