From the other side of the (theater) aisle
February 16th, 2009 at 09:04am Will Pfeifer
Courtesy of my fellow rrstar.com blogger Pat Cunningham, here’s a list from the NATIONAL REVIEW’s online site of the 25 “Best Conservative Movies.”
It’s tough to argue with some of the picks — FORREST GUMP, 300, RED DAWN (of course!) and TEAM AMERICA, but it seems like a stretch to label a movie like GROUNDHOG DAY ”conservative.” I’d say it embraces something more along the lines of a Buddhist philosophy, which doesn’t exactly follow a conservative, religious, god-centered belief system. I’m glad we both agree it’s a great movie, though.
And I’d especially disagree with BRAZIL, a movie where the government keeps the populace under a constant state of fear, watches them nonstop, encourages paranoia and — it is strongly suggested — uses fake terrorist attacks to justify ever-escalating losses of freedom. I’m sure the staff of the NATIONAL REVIEW sees this as a portrait of what happens in communist countries, but I’d wager writer/director Terry Gilliam (a free-thinking ex-hippie type) would say his inspiration came from this side of the Iron Curtain.
Entry Filed under: Lists
2 Comments Add your own
1. LD | February 16th, 2009 at 9:34 am
No mention of Rorschach and The Comedian? Oh wait that movie’s not out yet.
2. echo4charlie | February 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I do love the 300, and Watchmen will join the list of greatest movies ever made.
“And I’d especially disagree with BRAZIL, a movie where the government keeps the populace under a constant state of fear, watches them nonstop, encourages paranoia and — it is strongly suggested — uses fake terrorist attacks to justify ever-escalating losses of freedom.”
Who’s to say it can’t, and doesn’t happen. I think that eventually our 2nd Amendment rights, although they won’t vanish altogether, will diminish greatly.
If there were masked vigilantes, or superheroes (as such), there would be some form of (the earlier offered for view) “Keene Act”.
There is a lot of deep thought to be provoked from some of the movies listed. No control mechanism, or tool, is more powerful than ignorance, and the oppression of free thought and speech.
Very interesting to me.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed