THE GREEN MILE SHOWS THE BLACKNESS OF THE DEATH PENALTY Only one film provoked the British public to repeal the death penalty—5 Rillington Place (1971). Several films have tried to shake up the American public in a similar manner, most recently Dead Man Walking (1996) and True Crime (1999). Now director Frank Darabont ups the […]
Political Film Review #61 Read More »
LIGHT IT UP ILLUMINATES THE NEED TO END STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE When Light It Up begins, we view run-down Lincoln High School in Queens. Principal Armstrong (played by Glynn Turman) has assigned Dante Jackson (played by Forest Whitaker), a highly decorated police officer who is on leave due to family stress, to deter school violence by making his presence
LIGHT IT UP ILLUMINATES THE NEED TO END STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE When Light It Up begins, we view run-down Lincoln High School in Queens. Principal Armstrong (played by Glynn Turman) has assigned Dante Jackson (played by Forest Whitaker), a highly decorated police officer who is on leave due to family stress, to deter school violence by
Political Film Review #60 Read More »
SALVADORANS FALL INTO TRAPS SET BY SOCIAL WORKERS IN EAST OF HOPE STREET As the film begins, we are informed that 73,000 persons are under the care of Child and Family Services, a County of Los Angeles agency. As the film proceeds, we see some of the 73,000 as well as a few social workers
East of Hope Street Read More »
SALVADORANS FALL INTO TRAPS SET BY SOCIAL WORKERS IN EAST OF HOPE STREET As the film begins, we are informed that 73,000 persons are under the care of Child and Family Services, a County of Los Angeles agency. As the film proceeds, we see some of the 73,000 as well as a few social workers
Political Film Review #59 Read More »
The Castle, immensely popular when it was released during 1997 in Australia, is designed as a comedy about a situation more serious than the one depicted, and our laughter at the satire quickly diminishes as the plot thickens. Good-natured working-class tow truck operator Darryl Kerrigan (played by Michael Caton) has built a house, with many additions
THE INSIDER EXPOSES HOW “60 MINUTES” BOWED TO 30 PIECES OF SILVER Publicity about The Insider stresses the courage of a whistleblowing research scientist, formerly employed by a tobacco company, who in 1995 exposed the fact that cigarettes have been altered in recent decades to enhance their addictivity. As a result of his testimony, there
THE INSIDER EXPOSES HOW “60 MINUTES” BOWED TO 30 PIECES OF SILVER Publicity about The Insider stresses the courage of a whistleblowing research scientist, formerly employed by a tobacco company, who in 1995 exposed the fact that cigarettes have been altered in recent decades to enhance their addictivity. As a result of his testimony, there
Political Film Review #58 Read More »
DEMOCRATIC VALUES ARE CHALLENGED AS FIGHT CLUB TURNS INTO PROJECT MAYHEM Fight Club appears to be a sequel to Clockwork Orange (1971) for the yuppie X Generation, half of whom see their parents get a divorce and are fatherless teenagers. (The word “clockwork” is in the script!) Jack (played by Edward Norton) narrates the film,