On this episode, we're leaving the 1960's behind and jumping to South Korea in 1980. In Jang Hoon's A Taxi Driver (2017) we get a wild sampling of genres in a remarkably well balanced film. It's an action film. A single father supporting his daughter story. It’s dramatic and also quite goofy. It’s based on a actual events, but it’s also highly fictionalized. It documents political history while being oddly apolitical at times. And it's a journalism film too. International treasure Song Kang-ho s...
May 30, 2025•57 min•Season 15Ep. 11
On this episode, we're staying in the late sixties for one more film as we watch Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows (1969). A haunting portrayal of the French Resistance during the early days of World War II that serves as an existential reflection on what it really takes to fight an occupying force. Melville's muted color palette and precise framing underscore the suffocating atmosphere of occupied France, while also highlighting the moral complexity faced by those fighting fascism. The fil...
Mar 28, 2025•54 min•Season 15Ep. 10
On this episode, we're staying in the late sixties as we watch Luchino Visconti's The Damned (1969). Following our exploration rising authoritarianism in Costa-Gavras' Z (1969) and reactionary Brazilian politics in Glauber Rocha's Entranced Earth (1967), we're heading right into the Nazi den that is the von Essenbeck family in late 1930's Germany. A scathing critique of the German industrial elite's seduction by (and complicity in) the rise of Nazism, Visconti shows how a wealthy family's greed ...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr•Season 15Ep. 9
On this episode, we're heading to Brazil and discussing Glauber Rocha's Entranced Earth (1967), a pivotal work of the Cinema Novo movement. Following our exploration of Costa-Gavras' Z (1969), we're delving into the turbulent world of Brazilian filmmaking in the wake of the 1964 military coup. Entranced Earth isn't just a film; it's a cinematic rebellion against political corruption and authoritarianism. Rocha's work, along with the broader Cinema Novo movement, redefined Brazilian cinema with i...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 15Ep. 8
Given the results of the US elections, we thought it would be a good idea to look at a great work of art to help with context and see how filmmakers can play a role in confronting state repression. It's a film we should have discussed at some point over the last four years: Costa-Gavras's political thriller Z (1969) . To state the obvious, this depiction of government conspiracies, assassination attempts, rising authoritarianism, the deep state, and a sprawling cover-up feels quite prescient. Ho...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 15Ep. 7
For the last three years we've observed the month long celebration know as Noirvember, and this year is no exception. In 2021 we recorded an episode called Film Noir & Capitalism . For 2022 we went over to Japan and did two episodes looking at Yakuza Noir via Tokyo Drifter (1966) and A Colt is My Passport (1967) . Last year we focused in on Neo-Noir with and episode on Killing them Softly (2012) and the roll of the 2008 economic crisis on modern American crime. This year, we're returning to ...
Nov 15, 2024•50 min•Season 15Ep. 6
October has arrived and as we are wont to do here at The Politics of Cinema, we are diving into an approiate theme within the horror genre to celebrate. In the past we've looked at; Fascism in Green Room (2015) , Humans Hunting Humans , Art House Horror , and the career of George Romero . This year we are heading into the thick of the woods to explore Folk Horror. We discuss a few classics of the genre, such as Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), The Wicker Man (1973), ...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 15Ep. 5
It's our 100th episode and to celebrate we're doing something a little different. This is a syncable commentary of one of the films that inspired this podcast - Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You (2018). Sync up this episode with the film to watch along and hang out with us while we geek out over this brilliant directorial debut and biting social satire. Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Oct 04, 2024•2 hr 9 min•Season 15Ep. 4
American cinema of the 1970's is generally known as the golden age of the paranoid thirller. Specifically, the paranoid political thriller. The genearl idealism of the 1960's was met with increasing cynicism by the 1970's, but do these films actually go for the politics of the era or are they just dealing with vibes? In this episode, we focus on two films of the era; The Parallax View (1974) and Good Guys Wear Black (1978). Is it possible that an early Chuck Norris film has more to say about Ame...
Sep 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 15Ep. 3
When it comes to great political films, subtlety is vastly overrated. Why not go all in and express a point of view? Or better yet, throw in a bunch of competing viewpoints and see how they bounce off each other. Sounds like the recipe for conflict, insight, drama, action-packed set pieces, and maybe a few killer needle drops. Alex Garland's Civil War (2024) teeters on the edge of greatness, and it’s maddening becasue it's so close. On this episode, we argue that this films was just one screenpl...
Aug 16, 2024•59 min•Season 15Ep. 2
On this episode, we take a look at Park Chan-wook's breakthrough film Joint Security Area (2000). Upon release, this film was the highest grossing film at the South Korean box office. Now, in 2024, it ranks at number 65. This really illustrates just how popular cinema is in South Korea. Along with this film, we discus the rise of South Korean cinema around the world since 2000. From Oldboy to The Handmaiden to The Wailing to I Saw the Devil to Squid Game to Parasite...there's no shortage of dyna...
Jul 19, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 15Ep. 1
On this episode we dive into one of Isaac's favorite films of the 2020's, Michael Sarnoski's Pig (2021). Sure, on the surface it's a simple story of a man who just wants his beloved pig back. But, as Robin and Amir journey through the Portland culinary scene to find said pig, the film explores what it means to live a life true to oneself, the importance of rejecting marketplace expectations, and finding authentic human connections. Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Faceb...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 14Ep. 13
As we celebrate 3 years of the show, we decided to take a look at one of our favorite eras of American film - the 1970's. We're specifically looking at the Vietnam Anti-War Movement as captured by a fictional film and a documentary; Milestones (1975) and F.T.A. (1972). On this episode we discuss Francine Parker's documenatry, F.T.A. (1972). Once again, we're also joined by special guest Jim Miller. As we celebrate Parker's film as well as Jane Fonda's career, Jim helps us to tie together alot of...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr•Season 14Ep. 12
As we celebrate 3 years of the show, we decided to take a look at one of our favorite eras of American film - the 1970's. We're specifically looking at the Vietnam Anti-War Movement as captured by a fictional film and a documentary; Milestones (1975) and F.T.A. (1972). On this episode we discuss Robert Kramer's experimental opus, Milestones , and are joined by special guest Jim Miller. Jim was an organizer during this period and provides key insights into just what was going on in that space at ...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 14Ep. 11
Luis Buñuel was a master at creating lasting images that stay in the viewers brain long after the film is over. He had a career that spanned multiple decades and working in multiple countries, yet he consistantly took aim at political and social elites. In his 1962 masterpiece, The Exterminating Angel , the acclaimed filmmaker crafts an allegorical comedy that confronts the socio-political realities of Franco's Spain. Infused with a surrealistic touch and a substantial dose of satire, the film a...
Jan 12, 2024•52 min•Season 14Ep. 10
On this episode, we're looking at two cinematic exampoles of the Palestinian expereince. One documentary and one fictionalized portrayal. The documentary, Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Palestinian Family (1985), captures exactly what the title implies. We get the lived experiences from grandmother down to grandchildren as they recount their experiences ranging from the 1948 exile to the 1967 war to the 1971 “pacification campaign”. The fiction film is the very poorly titled, The Dupes (1973). It's ...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 14Ep. 9
The fallout 2008 financial crisis has been portrayed on film in a number of ways; from documentary's like Iniside Job (2010) and Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) to ficiton films "inspired" by the events like The Big Short (2015) and Margin Call (2011). Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly (2012) takes a different approach. It starts with George V. Higgins' 1974 crime novel, itself the third in a series, that centers on a lower level crime syndicate in Boston. Then Dominik places that story in a ...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 14Ep. 8
This Halloween season we take a look at a recent film we hope gets to cult status soon, Green Room (2015). Anton Yelchin and his bandmates are forced to battle against Patrick Stewart and his group of Neo-Nazis. We get into the pros and cons of non-political punk bands, why the Pacific Northwest is such a haven for white ethnonationalists and when it's okay to swap out character arcs for a pure survival narrative. Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 14Ep. 7
One of the topics that first inspired us to start this podcast, Resource Frontiers. Back in 2016, when Hell or High Water was released, Isaac and I were still working at our beloved art house theatre and our discussion of the film kept coming back to its multi-layered resource frontier setting. Settler colonial zones and the effects on indigenous populations were regular topics of conversations and, of course, Wages of Fear (1953) kept coming up too. Since it took us so long to finally cover thi...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Season 14Ep. 6
On this Double Feature episode, we take a look at films about strikes. As the WGA and SAG continue to strike, we thought it would be a good time to examine how Hollywood has protrayed strikes throughout the years. We discuss; Norma Rae (1979), The Pajama Game (1957), Sorry to Bother You (2018), Harlan County, USA (1976), The Organizer (1963) and Chi-Raq (2015) and then put together a double feature (actually two) recommendation. Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 14Ep. 5
While Isaac is immersed in his Arabic language summer camp, we're rebraodcasting our very first episode. In 2027, after 18 years of global human infertility and depression, the world is on the brink of collapse and humanity faces extinction. The United Kingdom, one of the few nations with a functioning government (Stiff upper lip chap!), is deluged by asylum seekers fleeing radiation and plague. In response, the UK has become a police state as the British Army rounds up and executes immigrants. ...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 14Ep. 5
This July 4th, celebrate with a true Leftist film that will have you on the edge of you seat with suspense, a pulsing score and politics that will have you debating the need for a diversity of tactics when fighitng the evils of capitalism. We're discussing the film Daniel Goldhaber's How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Jul 04, 2023•52 min•Season 14Ep. 4
This year we celebrated May Day (a little late) by watching a Latvian worker-revenge-horror-film. Aik Karapetian's The Man in the Orage Jacket (2014). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
May 26, 2023•38 min•Season 14Ep. 3
Isaac finally make Aaron sit down and enjoy some DTV action, focusing on the John Hyams' last two entries in the Universal Soldier franchise. Regeneration (2010) and Day of Reckoning (2012). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 14Ep. 2
On this Double Feature episode, we take a look at two of the greats from the best era for cinematic action - 1980's Hong Kong. On this episode we discuss the art of action and (oftentimes) convoluted politics of In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) & Righting Wrongs (1986). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Apr 21, 2023•58 min•Season 14Ep. 1
We conclude our 2023 series on independent African American auteurs that made landmark films with Claudine (1974). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook Sources: White Balance: How Hollywood Shaped Colorblind Ideology and Undermined Civil Rights by Justin Gomer Daniel Amir Jackson article on Claudine...
Mar 24, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 13Ep. 3
We continue our 2023 series on independent African American auteurs that made landmark films with Jamaa Fanaka's Welcome Home Brother Charles (1975). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Mar 03, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 13Ep. 2
We kick off our 2023 series on independent African American auteurs that made landmark films with podcast favorite Ivan Dixon's The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Season 13Ep. 1
With the voluntary passing of Jean-Luc Godard in 2022, we decided that it's long overdue to take a look at one of his classics. Alphaville (1965) is a dystopian science-fiction film shot in black & white on the streets of Paris and is infused with Godard's politics of the moment. But, can Aaron convince Isaac that he actually liked this one? Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 12Ep. 4
It's masterpiece time here at Politics of Cinema. We're finally discussing Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri (1962). Follow us at: Patreon / Twitter / Instagram / Letterboxd / Facebook
Dec 25, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 12Ep. 3
