Best Films For Progress and Learning
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(2007) In the Valley of Elah Our plotline: Painful look at the effects of the foreign war here at home. The Iraq war has left soldiers at home confused and in pain. One of them is brutally murdered and its up to his father to investigate since the Army has made little effort to look into the matter in any detail. |
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(1979) Being There Our plotline: Is Chauncy Gardener George Bush or what? Under the covers, as usual, are the real people in control. | |
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(2008) Che: Parts 1 and 2 Our plotline: Excellent depiction of one of the greatest revolutionaries of the 20th century. Che was a doctor who gave up his life to help those in need. His popularity is much deserved and this film is an excellent reminder of his service and legacy. | |
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(1971) A Clockwork Orange IMDb plotline: The adventures of a young man who loved a bit of the old ultra-violence, went to jail, was brainwashed and came out cured, or was he? |
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(2003) The Corporation Plot from the film's website: Today, [a corporation] is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party, the corporation is today’s dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first to defy history. |
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(2004) Control Room IMDb plotline: A documentary on perception of the United States's war with Iraq, with an emphasis on Al Jazeera's coverage. |
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(1985) The Color Purple IMDb plotline: This film follows the life of Celie, a young black girl growing up in the early 1900's. The first time we see Celie, she is 14 - and pregnant - by her father. We stay with her for the next 30 years of her tough life. |
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(2004) Super Size Me IMDb plotline: An irreverent look at obesity in America and one of its sources - fast food corporations. | |
| (2004) Fahrenheit 9/11 Our plotline: A step by step look at how a major terrorist attack on America was used by the power elite to further their agenda. |
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(1989) Glory IMDb plotline: Robert Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates. |
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(1979) Apocalypse Now IMDb plotline: Based on Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, this is a controversial addition to the multitude of Vietnam war movies in existence. We follow Captain Willard on his mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe. Notes taken by Coppola's wife have recently been used to create "Hearts Of Darkness" - a fascinating and revealing account of the making of this movie. |
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(1969) Easy Rider IMDb plotline: Two counterculture bikers travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of America. |
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(1956) The Burmese Harp IMDb plotline: July, 1945: Japan's army is on the run. A platoon in Burma sings to keep its spirit up. Inspiration comes from their self-taught lute player, Mizushima. At war's end, while they await repatriation at Mudon prison camp, Mizushima is sent to convince a Japanese company dug into a mountain that it must surrender. |
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(1998) The Siege IMDb plotline: The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York that lead to the declaration of martial law. |
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(2003) Orwell Rolls in his Grave Our plotline: Describes the effects of corporate consolidation of the media. For instance, why would the war profiteer General Electric allow it's company NBC to report anything that is anti-war? This film is an important tool in learning why our media is part of the problem and how that happened. |
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(1999) Three Kings IMDb plotline: In the aftermath of the Gulf War, 4 soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who need their help. |
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(2000) Traffic IMDb plotline: A conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a heroin addict. |
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(1989) Do the Right Thing IMDb plotline: On a hot day on a New York City street, everyone's hate and bigotry smoulders and builds until it explodes into violence. |
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(1992) Manufacturing Consent IMDb plotline: A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda. |
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(1972) The Candidate Our plotline: Bill McKay runs for Senator as a principled person trying to give a voice to those that are seldom heard. Then you watch as he gradually becomes just another useless, but successful, candidate. |
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(1982) Gandhi Our plotline: This is an inspirational film because it shows how peaceful resistance can defeat a brutal regime like the British Empire. Mohandas Gandhi starts out as an English educated lawyer, who after racist treatment in South Africa, begins his path of non-violent resistance. He understood that the British Empire was too powerful to fight violently. He also knew British law (such as unlawful imprisonment) and used it anytime he could. One striking scene is when he and his peace marchers are attacked by soldiers on horseback, and so they peacefully lie down, knowing the horses by instinct would not trample them. |
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(1982) Missing Our plotline: Based on a true story about US involvement in the coup of a Latin American country. Jack Lemmon gives his usual exceptional performance as the father of a journalist who goes missing. He has believed in his government his whole life, but this experience makes him all too aware of how US foreign policy really works. |
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(1976) Network Our plotline: This is the film where we get the line: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" Great film about television/media, and the speech by Ned Beatty's character near the end is maybe the most memorable in any film I've seen. |