Midweek Movie Mouth-off: Let's get political

Apart from iconic celebrity deaths, 2016 has been full of political turmoil, in South Africa and abroad. State Capture, Brexit, the US presidential elections, whatever North Korea is threatening at the moment… In fact, you may go to the movies to escape all the power plays, corruption and bold-faced lying that dominates our news. However, today there’s no escape as we’re discussing political movies.

Politics and the movies make strange bedfellows. But they have a long relationship, especially when it comes to acclaimed, Academy Award-winning cinema. Think All the President’s Men, which dealt with Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Consider how playing a complicated political figure can win Oscars for actors, like Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, or Daniel Day-Lewis as a non-vampire-slaying Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. Closer to home, we’ve seen sport and politics mix in Invictus, with Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, and Madiba’s own life story reach the screen as Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with Idris Elba.

It’s not all heavy prestige cinema when it comes to political movies, though. Wag The Dog, Bulworth and, of course, Dr. Strangelove all offer dark satirical looks at the insanity intertwined with the desire for power at all costs

So today we’re asking: do you have a favourite politics-themed movie? Or TV series for that matter? House of Cards, anyone? The West Wing? Madam Secretary? Here are some options to jog your memory. And some more here.

Alternatively,  do you find political movies and shows incredibly boring, and try to avoid them… unless the politicians in question are going to be bitch slapped by Wesley Snipes? Or prove themselves adept at fighting off terrorists in the White House?

Let us know in the comments below.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.

Last Updated: November 9, 2016