Y200 Politics and Film

Polf01 January 11, 2011 Check out the course web page at http://www.indiana.edu/~polfilm

Questions we will try to answer: <ul><li>What makes a film political? </li></ul><ul><li>What makes a political film a good film? </li></ul><ul><li>What is the place of film in society generally? </li></ul><ul><li>What are the factors that explain the rise of Hollywood as a cultural institution? </li></ul> Questions we will try to answer: <ul><li>What makes a film political? </li></ul><ul><li>What makes a political film a good film? </li></ul><ul><li>What is the place of film in society generally? </li></ul><ul><li>What are the factors that explain the rise of Hollywood as a cultural institution? </li></ul>

What is Politics? <ul><li>Something to do with governments ( too vague and too limited ). </li></ul><ul><li>Deals with issues of power and authority ( better but still not quite right ). </li></ul><ul><li>Deals with issues of self-definition and collective identity ( perhaps too broad but this is where ideology comes in most centrally ). </li></ul> What is Politics? <ul><li>Something to do with governments ( too vague and too limited ). </li></ul><ul><li>Deals with issues of power and authority ( better but still not quite right ). </li></ul><ul><li>Deals with issues of self-definition and collective identity ( perhaps too broad but this is where ideology comes in most centrally ). </li></ul>

Basic Concepts of Politics and Political Science <ul><li>Power </li></ul><ul><li>Legitimacy </li></ul><ul><li>Justice/Fairness </li></ul><ul><li>Political Regimes </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Democratic </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Authoritarian </li></ul></ul> Basic Concepts of Politics and Political Science <ul><li>Power </li></ul><ul><li>Legitimacy </li></ul><ul><li>Justice/Fairness </li></ul><ul><li>Political Regimes </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Democratic </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Authoritarian </li></ul></ul>

What is Ideology? <ul><li>A system of more or less coherent beliefs held by individuals but often shared by groups of individuals and even by entire societies. </li></ul><ul><li>In Marxist thinking, ideology “operates to enlist the oppressed in their own subjugation…without the exercise of force.” [Ryan and Kellner, Camera Politica , p. 14] </li></ul><ul><li>In Liberal thinking, ideology exists purely as a function of the aggregation of individual belief systems and cannot or should not be imposed from above. </li></ul> What is Ideology? <ul><li>A system of more or less coherent beliefs held by individuals but often shared by groups of individuals and even by entire societies. </li></ul><ul><li>In Marxist thinking, ideology “operates to enlist the oppressed in their own subjugation…without the exercise of force.” [Ryan and Kellner, Camera Politica , p. 14] </li></ul><ul><li>In Liberal thinking, ideology exists purely as a function of the aggregation of individual belief systems and cannot or should not be imposed from above. </li></ul>

Films are political if they: <ul><li>Contain explicit political content </li></ul><ul><li>Indirectly refer to political themes even if the film itself appears to be mainly about nonpolitical themes (e.g. satirical films) </li></ul> Films are political if they: <ul><li>Contain explicit political content </li></ul><ul><li>Indirectly refer to political themes even if the film itself appears to be mainly about nonpolitical themes (e.g. satirical films) </li></ul>

Example: Ideology and the Cold War <ul><li>The Cold War (1947 to about 1991) was a struggle between the ideologies of capitalism (or liberal democracy) and communism. </li></ul> Example: Ideology and the Cold War <ul><li>The Cold War (1947 to about 1991) was a struggle between the ideologies of capitalism (or liberal democracy) and communism. </li></ul>

Theories about Films are Themselves Ideological <ul><li>Elitists argue that popular culture is inferior to high culture and that popular culture merely panders to large audiences at the expense of higher values. </li></ul><ul><li>Marxists argue that films support capitalism by glorifying consumerism & individualism. </li></ul><ul><li>Post-modernists say that films reflect our post-modern sensibilities and that post-modernism is an essential response to the ideological struggles of the 20 th century. </li></ul> Theories about Films are Themselves Ideological <ul><li>Elitists argue that popular culture is inferior to high culture and that popular culture merely panders to large audiences at the expense of higher values. </li></ul><ul><li>Marxists argue that films support capitalism by glorifying consumerism & individualism. </li></ul><ul><li>Post-modernists say that films reflect our post-modern sensibilities and that post-modernism is an essential response to the ideological struggles of the 20 th century. </li></ul>

Conclusion <ul><li>Since theories about film are themselves ideological, then the question of the political content of a specific film is partly a function of what particular film theory you are applying. </li></ul><ul><li>We will discuss films that are both overtly and covertly political from a variety of theoretical perspectives. </li></ul> Conclusion <ul><li>Since theories about film are themselves ideological, then the question of the political content of a specific film is partly a function of what particular film theory you are applying. </li></ul><ul><li>We will discuss films that are both overtly and covertly political from a variety of theoretical perspectives. </li></ul>

Y200 Politics and Film