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April 2001, Week 4

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From:
Donald Larsson <[log in to unmask]>
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Date:
Wed, 25 Apr 2001 13:19:02 -0500
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Reagan Ross requests:


> I was wondering if list members have any suggestions of films that directly
> or indirectly critique capitalism. I know this is a broad categorization,
> ranging from Chaplin to Godard, Bunuel to _American Beauty_, but I am not
> looking for some exhaustive, comprehensive list, instead I am looking for
> films that list members think are particularly striking or useful examples
> of this.

A broad request indeed!  And it depends on what aspect of "capitalism"
is being critiqued, but here are a few possibilities.  Some
critique social inequality; some critique working conditions or
other forms of exploitation; some critique the misuse of wealth
and/or power. Some of the critiques are from "radical" positions
(however half-baked), some are "populist" (however vague), and some are
from capitalist positions (such as MY MAN GODFREY, which argues for the
"proper" use of capital by the wealthy).  All of them are, I think,
striking (no pun intended) in one way or another:

Eisenstein's STRIKE
The strike massacre scene in Griffith's INTOLERANCE
MODERN TIMES
A NOUS LA LIBERTE
THE CRIME OF M. LANGE
THE GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
MEET JOHN DOE
THE CROWD
MY MAN GODFREY
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT
DOUBLE SUICIDE
CRUEL STORY OF YOUTH
INSECT WOMAN
BLUE COLLAR
WALL STREET
the entire ALIENS series
the GODFATHER series
XALA
MANDABI
HYENAS
ZAN BOKO
and . . . DePalma's little-known GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT!

Don Larsson
-----------------------------------------------------------
Donald F. Larsson
English Department, AH 230
Minnesota State University
Mankato, MN  56001

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