On Film and Politics

Is it just me or are people overreacting over their movies as of late? All this murmuring I hear about Star Wars and liberal propaganda? What's this about? One minute I'm hearing it's fantastic and the next thing I know I get rumors that liberals need to stop politicking in movies. I haven't seen Star Wars yet, but I think it's safe to say the movie's a lot less propagandized than we think. Or is it? I suppose the message is in the eyes of the beholder. We'll get to that.

First, you have to consider where this is coming from. Hollywood is no fan of the current administration. I think I've heard Meryl Streep's stump speech more than Paul Ryan. Not all Hollywood royalty side with the democrats. Celebrities like Rob Schneider (that's right Deuce Bigalow: American Gigolo), Kid Rock, and Gary Busey stood up for the GOP. Some played both sides (re: Harvey Weinstein), hedging their bet. Still, the movie industry from it's Producers to it's Boom Ops skew liberal. So we have to acknowledge the movies coming our way are created by elite liberals.

Second, there's more basic elements to consider. I never studied art history, but I know there's a belief that: after an artist exhibits a work the interpretation belongs solely to the audience. In that sense people are up in arms over 'propaganda' because that's what they want to see. It's a form of really elaborate confirmation bias.

I am a young twenty-something. I do lean liberal. It makes sense that I see my movies in the context of the current social climate. I didn't always do this, but I only recently invested in politics.

I saw the Shape of Water earlier this week, and it made my heart sing. A mute woman, a homosexual man, and an African American woman (all played by incredible actors) undermine the authority of a christian, white, heterosexual man by helping a fish-man (the metaphorical 'other') escape captivity. It's hard not to read into that.

Or what about Downsizing? A story where man solves his scarcity problem by shrinking down in size. Matt Damon downsizes only to discover the underbelly to his shiny future. Or the Post? Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks as Washington Post executives who to decide to leak government papers on the Vietnam War. Or maybe even The Disaster Artist: an outsider, trying to make it a star, decides to buck the system by making his own movie. The sheer mental gymnastics he has to perform to convince himself he's never wrong shocks and amazes you.

But what about Paddington Two? Or that one movie where Ed Helms and Owen Wilson try to find their long lost Dad? Or whatever the hell the Mummy was... Not all of these films merit a political analysis. It might even be fair to say the skill level of the craftsman is commensurate with the message they're trying to spread.

What was the point of this movie?

I'll confess I definitely read into it. I see it as my prerogative to engage art the way I know how. I like to be challenged by art, forced to see a different perspective.  I want to grapple with ideas and to say "I didn't like this _____ because _____ and I think ______ . " Art should make you feel things, but we need to reverse-engineer those feelings to find the thoughts that's got us started there.

Whether or not you see politics in your movies you have the choice to endorse or reject it. I prefer to settle on more middle ground. I despise binary systems of 'good' and 'bad.' Tell me what you didn't like, tell me what you did like, and hold these two in your head. That's called a cognitive dissonance. They help you grow and mature.

We can choose how we want to see our movies. I understand that others see a political side to it. The author(s) might have wanted to share that message so congratulations to you for being receptive. Either way, message or not, I don't want audiences to reject or accept anything wholeheartedly. You should struggle with it. Engage with these movies. Try and see the world in a different light. You may find your perspective widening ever-so-slightly.