Five Movies to Consider on The Fourth of July
Nope, Independence Day isn’t on this list. That would be just too brutally obvious. (Frankly, I’m not even fond of the movie.) Instead, here are five movies to consider while thinking about freedom and revolution this July 4th:
:: The Battleship Potemkin (1925)
This mainstay of Film 101 courses is an important example of film propaganda, as director Sergei Eisenstein has his say about a pivotal Russian uprising — and its bloody aftermath. The famous “Odessa Steps” sequence is both unsettling and influential, even today.
Battleship Potemkin: The Ultimate Edition on DVD
:: Revolutionary Road (2008)
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio decide to buck the rote life of 1950s suburbia, forming the framework for what would probably become free-thinking 1960s bohemians. But something goes drastically wrong along the way. Sam Mendes’ heartbreaking film makes a lot of couples question their choices and own levels of independence.
Revolutionary Road on DVD
:: Goodbye Lenin! (2003)
This overlooked gem really conveys what it must’ve felt like to be in Germany when East and West became one in the early 1990s. A young man (Daniel Bruhl) is forced to convince his mother — just awake from her comatose state — that Communist East Germany is still alive and well. Which it’s not. Very funny, with just the right amount of melancholy.
Good Bye, Lenin! on DVD
:: Woodstock (1970)
You say you want a revolution? Watch this extensive documentary about that legendary weekend before you catch Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock. A celebration of music and all sorts of personal freedoms. My favorite trivia about the film: Martin Scorsese was an assistant director and editor.
Woodstock: Director’s Cut 40th Anniversary Edition on DVD
:: The Declaration of Independence (1938)
Here’s one you may not be aware of. A 19-minute short (shorts were far more common in past eras) about the vote that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. You can find it as part of a giant Warner Brothers’ box set collection entitled Tough Guys Collection, highlighting Warner stars like Cagney, Bogart and Edward G. Robinson.
Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guy Collection on DVD
Share your comments
Like this post? DIGG IT
Other Posts of Interest
- That’s Independence! JOHN ADAMS July 4th Marathon
- JOHN ADAMS Leads an Emmy Revolution
- New Movie Preview: JOHN ADAMS Miniseries
- Will Smith: July 4th Hero AND Christmas Savior?
- New Movie Poster: PIRATE RADIO
3 Comments
Leave a comment
I always watch “1776″ with William Daniels and Howard DaSilva right around the 4th…talk about obvious, but it’s a great historical musical and the songs annoyingly stick in your head after you watch it. It’s a bit slow in parts, but overall it paints a pretty good picture as to how difficult it was to get this country started…
I actually watched goodbye lenin on the fourth and it got me going. great post, i nominated you for a BoB award that could win you 1000 bucks.
[…] The film: Nation’s Pride, or if you prefer, Stolz der Nation. It’s a Nazi propagandist piece featured in Basterds, the familiar film-within-the-film device. In real-life, Nation’s Pride was directed by Quentin’s buddy Eli Roth, director of Cabin Fever and Hostel (he also had a small role as one of the bar boys in Grindhouse). The lead actor you see in the Nation’s Pride trailer is Daniel Brühl, star of one of my personal favorites, Goodbye, Lenin! […]