pro-capitalist films:
i can't think of any feature films that directly name the beast. but perhaps virtually any MTV rap video extolling the glam lifestyle of the rapper, or lyrics from a "destiny's child" song about the emanicipation of women thru financial gain could be seen as completely identifying with the ideology in a fundamentalist fashion?
for films i would suggest the neo-fascist "who dares wins" (dir. ian sharp), which BBC2 showed the other week (in the same time slot as Rambo II the week before...) the film continually posits the qualities of the free western world (the USuk in this instance) in response to the activities of the fatally naive and soviet-infiltrated radical leftist groups (with which, nevertheless, the film seems utterly fascinated). i've no proof, but i wouldn't be surprised if the film was an offshoot of the keystone kops-like anti-communist business alliance (robert maxwell / jimmy goldsmith and fellow asset-strippers of the 70s) of this period. one of their objectives was to "expose" peace groups.
my second suggestion is the recent chinese film "balzac and the little chinese seamstress". the films shifts from scenes of the cultural revolution to contemporary urban capitalist china. it exudes nostalgia for the former and remains utterly unperturbed by the latter. yet the shift is so jarring that one is forced to consider the cultural revolution in the context of contemporary urban chinese society, something which exposes the lack of any critical dimension. it's seemingly a product of the beijing government mindset and in that respect can only be entirely for the chinese gov pro-capitalist line.
ben
----Original Message-----
From: Film-Philosophy Salon on behalf of Benjamin Noys
Sent: Wed 15/12/2004 13:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: Pro-Capitalist films
A colleague reminded me of Zizek's argument that the really dangerous
individuals are those who identify fully with an ideology without
compromise. She then asked have there be any films that fully identify
with capitalism and defend it as an ideology? Not just, as she said,
advertising (which sells particular products) or films which conform to
capitalism/neo-liberalism as an ideology (which is then decoded by the
critic/viewer), but films that really promote capitalism as a whole?
I know this is a film list question but as I am working on film and
representations of capitalism it interests me if anyone can suggest a
totally pro-capitalist film (and why it is).
Thanks
Ben Noys
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