Favorite Political Films

Some of my favorite political films, in no particular order, include:

• Wag the Dog
  
• Bob Roberts
  
• Nixon
  
• Election
  
• Henry V
  
• The War Room
  
• The Candidate
  
• All the President's Men
  
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  
• The Manchurian Candidate

What are your favorite political films?

Comments

[Pete]

excellent choices, although never been keen on
'The Manchurian Candidate'

I'd add

Seven Days in May.
Dr. Strangelove.
Defense of the Realm.
Casablanca.

And whilst not politically correct nowadays, But as an exercise in film making and/or propaganda
you should see at least once.
Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" and her
documentary of the 1936 Olympics.

[Eric Rice]

Primary Colors!

The whole reason I joined an active congressional campaign in 2000.

[kim]

Yes, you've got the most important ones.

There's a couple of popular films that were meant to be political, but in the tradition they were made that point was subtle. I'm thinking of "My Dinner with Andre," and "Koyanaskatsi."

One that I'd add to your list is "Dry White Season." In the Reagan years, Apartheid was looked at pretty innocently. That film changed the perception totally. Also, you might want to add "The Cradle Will Rock"

Also, while "Brazil" is not overtly political, it cuts to the bone of oppression by power. And I wouldn't throw "Being There" out of the political category either. Or "The Mouse that Roared" for that matter.

[Eli]

I think the Grisham movies are very political, particularly The Pelican Brief.

[Jamie]

Primary Colors and The Pelican Brief

[Cass]

I think you're all leaving out the biggest and most recent political movie in history: Fahrenhiet 9/11 (i'm pretty sure i spelled that right).

[Jim Sharpe]

Additions from my list of great political films:
Domestic Politics:
Advise and Consent - The Senate playing it's role in a Presidential Nomination.
All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren's American story of corruption and how we become what we campaign against when we win. Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director?
Bulworth - Liberal politician becomes disillusioned with politics and suicidal, puts a contract out on himself and tells voters the exact truth about everything. They vote for him which almost moves this to the fantasy category, since when did voters vote for the truth?
Citizen Kane - Orson Well's masterpiece. Turns out the press hasn't been neutral for a while.
Coming Home - The American consequences of our Southeast Asia foreign policy.
The Contender - Joan Allen as a vice presidential nominee who is viciously attacked by press leaks and disinformation from a slimy GOP chairman (Gary Oldman doing an impression of a classed-up Tom Delay). Joan Allen is great - check her out as Pat Nixon in Oliver Stone's Nixon.
The Insider - Based on the true story of corporate interests stopping 60 Minutes from taking on the tobacco industry.
Primary Colors - On the campaign trail things are frequently not black and white, the press is not the beacon of truth, and the best may not be brought out in people. But sometimes the good guys win anyway - especially if we accept that they are human, just like us.

Foreign Politics / Policy:
Cry Freedom - Richard Attenborough's film of apartheid in south Africa staring Kevin Klein as a white newspaper editor and Denzil Washington as Steven Bilko.
Hotel Rwanda - What can happen if you close your eyes when you know you shouldn't. If we can just keep 'em shut, we can make it through Darfur.
The Killing Fields - American Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia had a few consequences.
Men with Guns - A Latin American doctor who institutes a program to train young doctors to help Indians finds out why his program doesn't work.
No Man's Land - An examination of the Bosnian War where one incident provides an illustration of the world's actions toward Bosnia. How screwed up can it get?
The Quiet American - There might have been a few problems with American Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia; Gene Hackman discovers some of them. Shot on location in Vietnam.
Salvadore - James Woods plays himself in a critical look at American policy in El Salvadore.
Under Fire - The Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua with Gene Hackman and Nick Nolte. Hard to believe this film came out of Hollywood.
The Year of Living Dangerously - Why Indonesia sucks and Communists are sometimes welcome.

Documentaries:
The Control Room - Al-Jazeera's coverage of the Iraq War. Could it be that there is a news station in the world that believes in honest debate? Did the US really bomb them?
The Corporation - We have created a whole category of artificial individuals who happen to be, by definition, sociopaths. We've taxed them with the task of running the world. Hmmm.
Fahrenheit 9/11- Michael Moore's take on 9/11, staring George Bush, the Secret Service protection of the Saudi Embassy, and Congress. Almost as Fair and Balanced as Fox News.
The Fog of War - Interviews with Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense in the early sixties escalation of Vietnam. As his eyes fill with tears, we can see the regrets of an intelligent man forced to hard (and likely wrong) moral choices.
Roger and Me - Michael Moore's tribute to American capitalism.

Fantasy:
The American President - A film to make Frank Capra proud, about how all American Presidents should be. The ending speech is great. Can't we just give Michael Douglas a script and let him run?
Being There - Satirical fantasy where an idiot gardener becomes President. If it was about an actor it couldn't be in the fantasy category.
Dave - A look-a-like is hired to stand in for an incapacitated President.