Movie Question for the Agora
What’s the most American movie you can think of? We’re doing movie nights here where each country screens a film. This past week the Brazilians chose City of God, a fantastic movie directed by Fernando Meirelles (The Constant Gardener, Blindness) about crime in Rio de Janeiro. I’ve heard that the Germans might be showing The Lives of Others, another great movie about surveillance in East Berlin toward the end of the Cold War. It’s a little more difficult for the Americans, since we make so many movies. Some of us were thinking a movie about American politics would be fitting (something like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), or because it’s a legal program a legal drama (e.g., 12 Angry Men), or because it’s an international legal program something like Judgment at Nuremberg. But there are also certain movies about American culture – roadtrip movies, or movies about suburban malaise, or movies that are made or take place during a particular pivotal era in American history. There have been a bunch of ideas floated, but I thought I’d open it up to you guys: if you could choose only one movie to sum up American life and culture, what movie would you choose?
Comment by Segen on 25 January 2009 at 10:55 am:
forrest gump
Comment by Tom Trumpinski on 25 January 2009 at 1:10 pm:
If you’re looking at what it means to be an American, I’d say Rick in Casablanca is as American as anyone ever portrayed in a film–harried, harassed, pretending he doesn’t want to get involved, but once he does pivotal and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Spielberg is a good example of the American mythos, too. Saving Private Ryan is about the mystery of sacrifice, too.
See, I think the most important characteristic of Americans, the one that makes up for all of our numerous flaws, is our tendency to throw ourselves under a train in order to save a child that no one else wants. Your European friends are free today because of that tendency–possibly the British, but certainly the French, the Germans, Italians, Australians, and the Eastern Europeans.
Silverado, by Lawrence Kasdan, is another good one about who we are in spirit–again, another one about people coming together to help the underdog.
One thing I admire about Obama was his talking of himself as a mongrel. Maybe being a mutt ourselves makes us more prone to help a dog who’s being kicked.
Any John Wayne movie–and if they laugh at the lack of sophistication, smile at them knowingly.
Comment by the magic bullet on 25 January 2009 at 2:34 pm:
Forrest Gump gets my vote.
Comment by James Prescott on 25 January 2009 at 2:38 pm:
The Blues Brothers.
First of all the music is sensational and is representative of the American contribution to the form. Hilarious as hell (”What kind of music do you normally have here?” “Oh we play both kinds, country AND western”). It deals with the interesting relationship most americans have with religion; we go when we must and try to comply with the general themes, but we tend to ignore it unless we need it (”Our lady of Blessed Acceleration, don’t fail us now.”). It discusses political themes. (”Illinois Nazis.” “I hate Illinois Nazis.”) It deals with American commerce. (”How much [for the piano]?” “2000 bucks and its yours. You can take it home with you. As a matter of fact, I’ll throw in the black keys for free.”) The relationship between men and women in American relationships. (Aretha Franklin singing Respect. Nuff said.) Combine that with the fact that it is set in the greatest city in the United States, Chicago, and you got all of the key elements.
But more importantly, it shows how Americans do things. The reluctant heroes, much like Casablanca’s Rick, the Blues do what they know is right out of loyalty and duty in an incredibly unconventional way. (Really? Save an orphanage by getting a Gin Joint Band back together? Really?) At the end of the day, they get the job done. Granted its messy, and results in 125 police cars being totalled, the National Guard being mobilized, and the Blues thrown in jail, but whatever works.
Comment by Gordon the Gnome on 25 January 2009 at 3:27 pm:
Forrest Gump is a great suggestion, spanning a good range of American history and hitting considerable cultural and political elements along the way.
For similar reasons I’d also like to offer Back to the Future: it’s multigenerational, incorporates 50s and 80s culture (as well as “pop future” and “pop western” elements, if you include BttF 2 and 3), romantic subplots and car chase scenes, and in the end, doesn’t take itself too seriously…a must for any truly American movie.
Comment by leon on 25 January 2009 at 8:40 pm:
hoosiers or cutters
Comment by Pat on 26 January 2009 at 10:37 pm:
Man if you are going American films, Forrest Gump is a nice movie who takes you through the American experience of the late 20th Century. But it really doesn’t discuss any aspect of what it meant to be an American during that time. If that is what you’re going for, then go for it.
But if you are looking at doing something truly interesting, and timely, go Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. It’s hilarious. And very American, although made by a Euro. Which is rather appropriate. Second, you can’t go wrong with To Kill A Mockingbird. That is one of the most American movies ever made.
Just my two cents. Cheers.
Comment by the magic bullet on 26 January 2009 at 11:32 pm:
I don’t know if To Kill A Mockingbird captures ‘America’ in the way the original post envisioned. At first glance, it’s a great movie and very appropriate (so far as the influence of Atticus Finch on the American legal profession goes) as it seems the audience will be made up of law students. Maybe I am not giving them enough credit, but I think the audience would not be familiar enough with the American experience to get past the racism in the story. The story is not about racism. It is about a lot of things, and one of those things is racism. I wouldn’t trust young, self-righteous Europeans to discern the distinction, no matter how smart they think they are.
Comment by Brian Pierce on 27 January 2009 at 9:22 am:
First: these are all excellent suggestions, everybody, so thanks. (I’m particularly fond of the rationale outlined for the Blues Brothers.)
Second, in response to the general sentiment regarding the European students, I regret the impression I’ve given as a result of my previous post. These people aren’t self-righteous, and the “no matter how smart they think they are” remark is particularly misplaced. If anything, most of the European students are self-conscious about not being native English speakers and are impressed by how rigorous American legal education is as compared to their own systems. The participatory, Socratic method that professors employ in the US is quite foreign to them and most of the students have been very admiring of it. They were expressing a different viewpoint about religious expression regarding the inauguration, but that doesn’t make them a bunch of obnoxious snobs.