The Top 25 Conservative Movies

uncleoswald · 05-06-2009 11:03AM #1

http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=YWQ4MDlhMWRkZDQ5YmViMDM1Yzc0MTE3ZTllY2E3MGM=

This was brought up in another thread but thought it might be worthy of its own. Its a list by the American conservative journal The National Review that they claim contain the best example of film making from the right-wing perspective.

Some are fair enough: Red Dawn, We Were Soldiers, Narnia etc. Some you can see where they got the idea from certain themes/plots in the films even though I don't think the film makers would necessarily agree that they are rightwing flicks: Juno, The Dark Knight, Ghostbusters, The Incredibles, Brazil. But some are just plain odd: Lord of the Rings, A Simple Plan.

So do people agree with the list? Anyone angry to see a favourite film on the list that they now feel is tainted by been associated with the American right? Or will anyone have new found respect for a movie they thought was worthless but now see some social value in?

And what's missing? Dirty Harry? Easy Rider? Conan the Barbarian? Brokeback Mountain?

senordingdong · 05-06-2009 11:52AM

I wouldn't read too much into it.

Any Tom, Dick or Harry can form their own skewed preception of a film (or anything else) to make it representative of their views.

Fysh · 05-06-2009 01:29PM

It seems to be a very American thing to be so fixated on one's political views that you can only enjoy entertaimnent if it confirms those views...and TBH, I get the feeling with that list that they're trying quite hard to suggest that popular films are conservative thus *gasp* there's really a silent majority of conservatives in the world!

Sounds like a load of old bollocks, frankly.

uncleoswald · 05-06-2009 01:38PM

senordingdong wrote: »

I wouldn't read too much into it.

Any Tom, Dick or Harry can form their own skewed preception of a film (or anything else) to make it representative of their views.

Originally posted by Fy****
seems to be a very American thing to be so fixated on one's political views that you can only enjoy entertaimnent if it confirms those views...and TBH, I get the feeling with that list that they're trying quite hard to suggest that popular films are conservative thus *gasp* there's really a silent majority of conservatives in the world!

Sounds like a load of old bollocks, frankly.

Oh I completely agree, I just think its interesting the way someone will hold up a piece of entertainment/art as confirmation of their values even if the filmmakers have a completely different set of values. I was reading about Forrest Gump and how pretty much everyone sees that as a conservative film except the filmmakers. And as someone else pointed out to me no film in which a mother has to offer sexual favours to a school principal just to get her son an education can be seen as "conservative" in outlook.

Running Bing · 05-06-2009 01:51PM

It seems to be a very American thing to be so fixated on one's political views that you can only enjoy entertaimnent if it confirms those views...and TBH, I get the feeling with that list that they're trying quite hard to suggest that popular films are conservative thus *gasp* there's really a silent majority of conservatives in the world!

I think your reading far too much into it, I dont think thats the case at all.

Its obviously just a list of films the magazine feels are rooted in the conservative ideals of traditional values/patriotism/belief in law and order etc.

Its art. Different people will take different things from it. No difference between this and a film scholar analysing the depth of a horror film that the director only intended to be scary. Sometimes we can get more out of things than what was originally intended.

mike65 · 05-06-2009 02:09PM

Must read the logic behind Brazil being a conservative movie, that it looks like a skewed version of Soviet Russia doesn't mean Gilliam is attacking the commies!.

senordingdong · 05-06-2009 02:13PM

Running Bing wrote: »

Its art. Different people will take different things from it.

Art and politics really should be kept at arms length of one another at all times.

Fysh · 05-06-2009 02:14PM

Running Bing wrote: »

I think your reading far too much into it, I dont think thats the case at all.

Its obviously just a list of films the magazine feels are rooted in the conservative ideals of traditional values/patriotism/belief in law and order etc.

Its art. Different people will take different things from it. No difference between this and a film scholar analysing the depth of a horror film that the director only intended to be scary. Sometimes we can get more out of things than what was originally intended.

I'm reading too much into it, but they're getting more out of the films than was intended? Nice. I do understand what you're getting at though, and to some extent I agree.

The point is, the magazine claims that the conservative ideals present in these films match up with everyone who is conservative, rather than just the editorial team or those whose opinions were sought when writing the piece. Otherwise why would they use a line like "Conservatives enjoy these films because they are great movies that offer compelling messages about freedom, families, patriotism, traditions, and more"?

Dob74 · 05-06-2009 02:17PM

Number one has to be--Those things I believe---the pro vitenam movie with John Wayne from the 60's.
Its hilarious by today's standards.
Red Dawn a close second,

uncleoswald · 05-06-2009 02:57PM

Dob74 wrote: »

Number one has to be--Those things I believe---the pro vitenam movie with John Wayne from the 60's.
Its hilarious by today's standards.
Red Dawn a close second,

Do you mean John Wayne's The Green Beret's, another pro-Vietnam movie?
But I'm very surprised Rio Bravo wasn't on the list, infact the omission of ANY western is very strange as it is probably the most conservative of genre.

Originally Posted by mike65 Must read the logic behind Brazil being a conservative movie, that it looks like a skewed version of Soviet Russia doesn't mean Gilliam is attacking the commies!.

I think it is simply because it criticises Soviet Russia. This is a good example of someone fixating on one theme in a film and ignoring the rest of it. In fact the use of torture by the government in the film and using fear of terrorism as a way to control the populace could retrospectively be applied as a criticism of the last conservative American government.

And why is United 93 on there? Its a movie with no political biases whatsoever.

Originally Posted by senordingdong Art and politics really should be kept at arms length of one another at all times.

No 1984?

mike65 · 05-06-2009 02:59PM

Art and politics are happy bedfellows.

Manach · 05-06-2009 03:06PM

Historically art has been mostly a reflection of the dominant political culture,e.g. Austen's works or Mozart's Don Giovanni.

I'm suprised, as a conservative, they did not have Bladerunner on the list - megacorps running the world ....

senordingdong · 05-06-2009 03:12PM

I find political themes in art to be rather annoying.

Joycey · 05-06-2009 03:20PM

Manach wrote: »

Historically art has been mostly a reflection of the dominant political culture,e.g. Austen's works or Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Lyotard distinguishes between "realist" art and "avant-garde" art.

Realist art serves to perpetuate whatever whatever power structures are currently dominant in society because of its representation of things as they currently appear, or through conventional modes of representation whereby this mode is taken for granted and never questioned.

Avant garde art either represents reality as other from the way it appears to us, or establishes some new mode of representation/critiques the operative mode of expression.

To say "historically art has been mostly a reflection of the dominant political culture" is a massive oversimplification. If I knew more about Austin's works id try to make a case that she is actually engaged in a critique of the uptight/bourgeoise codes of behaviour which she is constantly examining and using for comedic effect (ive only ever actually read Pride and Prejudice though and I cant remember it

). All one needs to do is look at someone like Ezra Pound, who had fascist leanings (he was a fascist, = very slightly right of conservative), and you will see that he is by no means reflecting the dominant political paradigm of his time.

To simplify Lyotard (and do violence to his theory) in order to give my own opinion: sh1te art reflects the dominant structures of power in a given society, good art seeks always to question/represent alternatives, insofar as it is attempting to represent reality at all.

Dob74 · 05-06-2009 03:49PM

uncleoswald wrote: »

Do you mean John Wayne's The Green Beret's, another pro-Vietnam movie?
But I'm very surprised Rio Bravo wasn't on the list, infact the omission of ANY western is very strange as it is probably the most conservative of genre.

I think it is simply because it criticises Soviet Russia. This is a good example of someone fixating on one theme in a film and ignoring the rest of it. In fact the use of torture by the government in the film and using fear of terrorism as a way to control the populace could retrospectively be applied as a criticism of the last conservative American government.

And why is United 93 on there? Its a movie with no political biases whatsoever.

No 1984?

Sorry Green Beret's is what I meant.

I must be a stupid commie

greendom · 05-06-2009 03:56PM

uncleoswald wrote: »

No 1984?

I don't imagine they would have been too impressed with the idea of the US being a communist state

Fysh · 05-06-2009 04:24PM

mike65 wrote: »

Must read the logic behind Brazil being a conservative movie, that it looks like a skewed version of Soviet Russia doesn't mean Gilliam is attacking the commies!.

Hell, if anything I interpreted aspects of that film to be outright criticism of the UK governments fetish for pointless bureaucracy. You would've thought they'd pick up on the criticism of consumerism in there, though...

The Top 25 Conservative Movies

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