Director Gillo Pontecorvo cast mostly nonprofessional actors in the film, which helped codify the jangly aesthetic of handheld cinematography. This tense, closely observed drama about the guerrilla war of independence with France is so realistic that it was screened at the Pentagon for counterinsurgency training in 2003. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey’s contest for the Democratic presidential nomination marks a watershed in an emerging documentary form alternately called “cinema verite” and “direct cinema.” However you describe it, this startlingly intimate glimpse of the candidates and the people who surrounded them reminds audiences of a time when media access, brand identity and messaging had yet to be weaponized - and it anticipates another classic, “The War Room” (1993), which captured the presidential campaign of an unknown named Bill Clinton with similar candor. Bonus points for featuring Jason Robards as history’s best big-screen Ben Bradlee. But in the process of untangling the skein of lies, malfeasance and coverups that defined the scandal, Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) wind up exposing the seamy underside of partisan realpolitik, and underline the crucial role of a free press in holding leaders accountable. All the President’s Men (1976)įor many viewers - especially the untold number who became reporters after being inspired by it - this flawlessly crafted Watergate procedural is a journalism movie. And James Stewart’s portrayal of a small-town nobody and his quixotic battle against self-dealing politicians still claims pride of place as Hollywood’s most stirring, convincing and timeless reminder that the Constitution is a sacred trust that all American citizens - and their representatives - have responsibility for bearing. (And by “you,” we mean every sentient being on Capitol Hill.) Frank Capra’s classic is still the granddaddy of America’s small-d democratic, participatory ideals. One person, one vote, just as the framers intended. And we’ve limited this list to 34 films, with the 35th title to be filled in by you. Oliver Stone’s “JFK” isn’t here (it’s more profitably understood as a deeply psychological movie than a political one), nor are classics such as “The Great McGinty,” “The Candidate” and “Lincoln” - not because they aren’t worthy, but to make room for films that may be more obscure but are no less revelatory or fun to watch. ![]() ![]() ![]() There are titles not on this list that are sure to launch a million “How could you leave out … ?” objections. Others are more speculative and metaphorical, taking viewers to the Texas border or an Omaha high school to explore the vagaries of power as they play out within communities and individual relationships. Many are fact-based, set amid the imposing edifices and featureless bureaucracies of Washington. But there’s also the usual collection of thrillers, biopics, satires and straight-ahead dramas.
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