Those Rand-y Republicans: Nine Films That Espouse The New GOP's Libertarian Mindset
4. Brazil (1985) – Classical Hollywood directors will hold your hand as they methodically walk you through their inviting and delicately lit story worlds. Terry Gillam is not a classical Hollywood director. His off-the-wall acid trip of a story, mise-en-scene, irrational characters and garish set designs plunge the viewer into a deep sense of alienating unease and genuine dread for the protagonists stuck inside this most baroque of totalitarian dystopias.
5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) Free-marketers surely know nothing in life is actually free. And nothing costs this film's protagonist, average Joe Gillis, more than trying to skirt cold economic reality as a kept man in the cushy environs of the eponymous LA thoroughfare. In fact, Joe has been so chastened by this lesson, he has to narrate the prologue to Billy Wilder’s classic noir from beyond the grave. For some, this film is merely a high achievement in genre convention. But libertarians may take unique interest in the perverse justice of the cosmetic, yet real, market forces that push an aging actress to madness and ensnare a struggling writer as her enabler in the deadly-subjective fantasy of a grand Hollywood comeback.
6. Terminator (1984): The government hands vertical authority for nuclear armageddon to autonomous supercomputers. A post-apocalyptic hell-scape populated mostly by invincible skeletal-robot-killing-machines quickly follows. Sounds like something Congress would do.
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I'm pretty sure real Libertarians would be shocked to discover they have taken over the Republican Party... especially since they haven't in the least.
All cineastes know Rocky ended the Cold War with his post-fight "If I can change, you can change" speech.
Gino, you're apparently less familiar with the Republican Party than many would think. The Republican Party of today is nothing even remotely resembling libertarian-leaning. See following article - http://www.examiner.com/article/today-s-republican-party-more-regulation-no-more-free-market-less-freedom
I don't think you understand what Libertarianism is.....
The 1st paragraph is beyond laughable. Libertarians have little to nothing in common w/ romney/ryan/current gop. Whoever wrote that doesnt deserve to have any voice when it comes to news.
To the contrary, you nattering nabobs of negativism, Gino is on to something.
I would agree that Gino is on to something. Having been a Libertarian since the early 80s, there's no doubt that libertarian ideals are more prevalent now than ever. With Ron and Rand Paul in the news regularly and Paul Ryan being a definite admirer of Ayn Rand, there's a lot of objectivism out there right now and much more than in the past. Personally, I like some of Ayn Rand, but not all. I can see how self interest can result in benefits for society, but I am not against altruism like she is. My feeling is that people should be persuaded to be altruistic, not forced by the government through taxation and redistribution of wealth. I'm also not anti-government. I am just more a believer in a small government like the one envisioned by our founders.
However, I have to say that Gino only got about half of these movies right. Brazil is a classic libertarian film--perhaps the top. But Top Gun? This shows a serious ignorance on Gino's part about what libertarians believe. What about Top Gun is libertarian? Libertarians are not pro military. They may be anti-communism, but Top Gun is about as far from our ideology as it gets.
And Wall Street? The faux-libertarian in that film is the villain! He might have been charming, but he's the antagonist in the film. Why would libertarians like that? The Bruce Wayne character is a bit of a Randian character, but TDKR is definitely not a libertarian film (probably simply due to Nolan's muddled and poorly thought out themes in all three films). Terminator is a metaphorical stretch. Sunset Blvd is not really all that libertarian either.
Yes to Casablanca if only because of Rick's vision of self preservation. He's my kind of libertarian. Looks out for himself, but will sacrifice for others when push comes to shove.
GINO! Here's a few films that you should have included on your list:
Enemy of the State (this is libertarian paranoia at it's most Tony Scott-ish)
The Fountainhead and We, The Living (for obvious reasons)
Hombre (Paul Newman as a libertarian native american musing on what a hero is and what their duty is)
The Edge (Anthony Hopkins is the ultimate objectivist hero of all time in this Mamet film)
You should definitely update your list so it's not so off key to what libertarians believe.
Excellent observations, Jake. I would say, though, that what's at the crux of a lot of the critical comments here is that Libertarians --and Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc. --prefer to see themselves in the best, or purest, light possible. And so, critical analysis of their particular ideology tends to rankle even when its presented with wit and intelligence.
You'll get no argument there and what you say is true. And I should add that libertarians are a particularly difficult group to define because they argue within themselves about what a libertarian is all the time. But one thing for sure, Top Gun is definitely too jingoistic to be a libertarian film. It's a major conservative, pro military film. For it to be listed at all is questionable. For it to be first is sort of head scratching. Even reading Gino's justification for including it makes no real sense. I mean, I don't think anyone walked out of Top Gun thinking, "Boy is capitalism really awesome or what?" But I like that these ideas are being talked about on a movie website, so kudos to him for making this article. It helps that I have been involved in numerous libertarian panels discussing libertarian films.
One film I should add, that I don't particularly agree with personally (because I think it is more of an anarchist film) but that most libertarians call their own is V for Vendetta.
Atlas Shrugged Part 2 will be in theaters October 12th, 2012.
You're missing the point with The Dark Knight Rises. He doesn't give himself selflessly. He always valued Gotham highly. In fact, in direct contrast to the Jesus myth, Bruce Wayne finds a way to save the world without giving his life. Then he disappears into obscurity to finally overcome his loneliness. How exactly is giving up the cape (ceasing to fight crime) in favor of romance selfless?
@grandmofhelsing tells me that "Ghostbusters" should be included on our list because, in the movie, the "EPA is the bad guy." True dat.
A lot of people think they understand what Ayn Rand's morality advocates, but actually don't. Here are some brief points about what it really stands for: The Morality of Rational Egoism: Short Notes
Personally, I like some of Ayn Rand, but not all. I can see how self interest can result in benefits for society, but I am not against altruism like she is. I am beautiful woman and I love good man…..inter racial romance is my dream… so I joined —blackwhitеPlanet.С0M—–it's where to- connect with beautiful and excellent people! My feeling is that people should be persuaded to be altruistic, not forced by the government through taxation and redistribution of wealth. I'm also not anti-government.
>Rand preferred to call it "objective self interest,"
I think you mean rational self-interest.
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