It's fairly unfortunate that two of the archive films are cut off at the fifteen-minute point, but nonetheless, we get the entirety of a documentary advising folks on how to ensure their society doesn't fall foul of despotism.
These archival films provide no-end of contrast-compare shenanigans. Look how nonplussed those silent film-makers were with regards flingin dead bodies around the frame, look how far the art-form had progressed by the time of Frank Capra's stunning WW2 pictures, and just look at the despotism number, a film that warns of the perils of a select few owning too much land, too many media outlets, the horrors awaiting any society that indulges in political or racial discrimination, a film that paints bosses as laughing demons yacking on about "Around here, I am the law!".
Ten years later the film would never had gotten past the twitchin jowls of McCarthy, and here it is, presented, it appears, as a high-school educational film.
So, Alfie, the bottom line, head's up. War Is Sell. Ignore the "official" version and head straight to the remix, no end of cranial stimulation awaits. And also, turns out Triumph Of The Will ain't the best date-flick ever etched in celluloid.
Thanks folks.
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Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
This review contains what might be known as a brilliant observation, if a fella were so inclined to quantify observations. Phillip finds himself nodding his noggin with great enthusiasm at the realization that many films expressing a dissenting opinion rely most heavily on the idea of skepticism, and yet don't themselves necessarily hold up under the fine standard of skepticism they're asking a fella to employ.
It's ironic, is what!
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Thank you Phillip! yeah, that right there is the central irony, maybe, in, if not all, then at least a large proportion of these typsea documentaries. Which is not to say i don't support the sentiments at least 97%, but still, you'd hope that folks take it upon themselves to examine the information afterwards. Most likely that's the point of the damn things. to get folks to think.