Many politics is embedded in films and cast. What aspects does it underline?
Social media is a big influence but equally broadcast news, animations, and films. One of the things in the 1940s was a propaganda film. Always a relationship between film, documentary, and fiction. Political messages underline issues but sometimes these are hidden and not obvious.
How are messages used in cinema?
- Subliminal or masked content
- Overt propagandistic intentions
- Persuasive commercial targets such as the coca cola’s commercial. This comes from advertisement or influencers and infiltrates our lives constantly
- Documentary or investigative
- Independent or personal struggle, observation, or experience. Which is no necessary mainstream but individual. They’re partly political in terms of personal struggle
Under the topic of politics in film and media, the key areas are political persuasion, commercial persuasion, race, gender, quality, disability, and ethics.
Also, politics shape history through documentary film, cinema, games, etc.…
Politics also shape what is being made in media through documentary films, cinema, television and advertising, and game
Example of politics affecting media
Exemple of politics affecting media:
- The Crown (Peter Morgan, 2016/still on) is a historical drama streaming television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the life and times of the British monarchy.
However, the series received many complaints about the fourth season, for being – according to the critic – “inaccurate” and “anti-monarchy”. The release of the fourth season of Netflix’s opulent drama about the life and times of The Queen has sparked different kinds of reactions in the British press and social media since the season spans not just a tumultuous period for the royal family, but also a divisive time in British politics.
Political persuasion: We must also underline that the creator of the Crown (Peter Morgan) has really great critical opinions about the monarchy and as much as he tried to approach the subject as an “outsider”, Morgan has ended up being a “fawning” royal biographer.
- The Two Popes (Ferando Meirelles, 2019) is a film set in the Vatican City in the aftermath of the Vatican leaks scandal. The film follows Pope Benedict XVI as he attempts to convince Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to abdicate the papacy.
In the Two Popes, we can underline different key areas under the film’s catholic topic, such as equality – since Bergoglio (Pope Francis) used to be a catholic priest in Buenos Aires, and according to our former Pope (Benedict XVI), he would have not been able to carry the history of the Catholic Church on his shoulders. Throughout his public life, Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God’s mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor, and commitment to interreligious dialogue.
Another key area is gender: the relationship between Pope Francis and the nuns was (and still is) closer than before.
Last but not least there is ethics: almost close to the film’s end, Benedict XVI confesses his awareness of Father Maciel’s long-term sexual misconduct and regrets staying silent, implying that this is the reason why he wants to resign. Today Bergoglio still fights for our human rights, but most of all, for the “weakest ones“.