Bulworth (1998) and Cradle Will Rock (1999): Critiquing Capitalism in the Late 1990s

The 2008 economic crisis and the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in 2011 produced wide-ranging discussions about the failings of the existing capitalist order and the need to imagine alternatives to it. Since the emergence of Bernie Sanders as a national figure, the term "socialist"...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Film & history 2020-12, Vol.50 (2), p.37-46
Main Author: Halpern, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Capitalism
Communism
Conformity
Demonstrations & protests
Focus
Motion pictures
Rivera, Diego (1886-1957)
Robbins, Tim
Socialism
Theater
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Summary:The 2008 economic crisis and the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in 2011 produced wide-ranging discussions about the failings of the existing capitalist order and the need to imagine alternatives to it. Since the emergence of Bernie Sanders as a national figure, the term "socialist" has been a focal point of discussion. Some of the debate involves little more than redbaiting. Indeed, the combination of climate change, the coronavirus, and the presidency of Donald Trump brought a continuous stream of worrisome news that has left little room for optimistic reflections. Searing film portraits of our anxious times such as Sorry to Bother You seek to awaken viewers to the depths of malevolence through which we are living. Rather than examine the dystopian visions in recent films, I will look back at two films from the late 1990s that explore socialist and communist ideas. Indeed, artistic critiques of capitalism and imagining of alternatives to it have been features of cultural life even in quiescent and conformist periods such as the 1990s.
ISSN:0360-3695
1548-9922
1548-9922
DOI:10.1353/flm.2020.0018