Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Spring 2014
THE UNITED STATES OF HOLLYWOOD: POLITICS IN AMERICAN FILM
Since the early 1930s, American political films have constituted an important part of Hollywood's production. They have also served as a constant and pervasive mirror for American society, reflecting the ideals, aspirations, and crises of the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. In this course, we will examine the movie capital's treatment of American politics, politicians, and political institutions through the films themselves, which promote an "ideology of America" over a variety of film genres: MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939) is a political melodrama which bolstered its late-Depression audience's confidence in their government's basic principles; ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949) lifts the veil on the rise to power of corrupt politicians; THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) is a conspiracy thriller about the manipulation of the political process from within; DR. STRANGELOVE (1964), a scathingly satirical black comedy, tackles the horror of nuclear holocaust; ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976) shows how the truth behind the Watergate scandal was uncovered; PRIMARY COLORS (1998), a comedy-drama, is the barely fictionalized account of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential run. We'll discuss and watch these and many other political films in this course, looking at their historical, cultural, and cinematic foundations; their impact on the filmgoing public and beyond; and their relevance to our 21st-century world.
Political DVDs in Class Portable Library
Preston Sturges / Robert Rossen