The Conversation (0)
Greg Evans
Oct 07, 2020
Donald Trump has been president since January 2017 and whether it will go on any longer after November remains to be seen.
If he is to be ousted from office by Joe Biden it will be interesting to see how people in the arts will document this bizarre period of US politics.
In many ways, the film world has been delivering an ever-increasing damming portrayal of the world in the era of Trump, where nationalism, bigotry, racism and blind faith in the wrong individuals have been rifer than ever.
Seeking to learn what movies best sum up Trump's presidency, A.A. Dowd, a film critic for AV Club, asked Twitter what film best captures the last four years. His selection was the 2018 Korean film Burning by director Lee Chang-dong about a man who descends further into paranoia and destruction after becoming obsessed with a girl.
What movie from the past four years best captures the Tr*mp era? It's not American, but I'd lean towards BURNING, w… https://t.co/UpfktOkRXN— A.A. Dowd (@A.A. Dowd) 1601917817
Dowd was inundated with suggestions, ranging from everything to Joker, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, Adam Sandler's Uncut Gems, the Oscar-winning Parasiteand even the all-female fronted reboot of Ghostbusters.
@AADowd I don't take pleasure in saying this, but JOKER.— Kevin L. Lee 🔜 #Sundance (@Kevin L. Lee 🔜 #Sundance) 1601918006
My answer is JOKER, I'm afraid. https://t.co/mwVTGGr864— Caspar Salmon (@Caspar Salmon) 1602028772
@812filmreviews @AADowd HIGH LIFE sounds right. my other suggestions: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU and THE ASSISTANT.— ✍🏼 roxana | ✊🏼 zivar | ⚒️ hadadi (@✍🏼 roxana | ✊🏼 zivar | ⚒️ hadadi) 1601920255
@AADowd FEELS GOOD MAN THE OATH THE POST BLACKKKLANSMAN AMERICAN DHARMA ON THE BASIS OF SEX SPIRAL— Witney Seibold (@Witney Seibold) 1601919625
A Star is Born but only the scene where Bradley Cooper pisses himself on stage at the Grammys https://t.co/hdpXDRUIuG— John (@John) 1601925520
@AADowd View these in order to witness a linear metamorphosis of the U.S, from past to present & future. • Mid-90's… https://t.co/9p6g1hE4Tj— HΛLF PΛRIΛH (@HΛLF PΛRIΛH) 1601947930
a few of my picks: THE DEAD DON'T DIE THE LAST JEDI KNIVES OUT GET OUT PARASITE https://t.co/ROGcNVBEsW— Brandon Rohwer (@Brandon Rohwer) 1601924427
@AADowd Gotta be Joker. What other film offers a more succinct meta deconstruction of a figure that is pure astheti… https://t.co/N5XyzGVS3X— Alex (go bills) (@Alex (go bills)) 1601918586
@AADowd Not my favorite film by any stretch, but I think Hateful Eight sort of predicted the dynamics that would propel Trump— Paul Deines (@Paul Deines) 1601917977
@AADowd someone already pointed out my top pick FIRST REFORMED, but A HIDDEN LIFE is also a great parallel. and my… https://t.co/nQXmQbvGXC— john (@john) 1601919559
THE PURGE. It’s about a secret plan to exterminate minorities and the poor and indulge white ppl’s worst impulses.… https://t.co/sZRyLofSsC— Cross-My-Heart Cow (@Cross-My-Heart Cow) 1601922808
A very popular choice was Armando Iannucci's 2017 film The Death of Stalin a satirical look at the aftermath of the death of Josef Stalin in the Soviet Union and the absurd situation that created, despite millions suffering as a result. This feels even more pertinent given Trump's recent diagnosis with coronavirus.
This is a solid pick but it's pretty hard to deny the relevance of THE DEATH OF STALIN to our current political and… https://t.co/9B7QWP2eye— Lon Harris (@Lon Harris) 1601924520
Of course, there is no right or wrong answer to this and as long as a film can display things a toxic masculine environment, racism, neglecting responsibilities and just sheer lunacy then it would probably qualify.
This writer's personal choice would be the 2019 film The Assistant, which depicts a Weinstein-like character who is clearly not a decent person to the people who work with him but are either powerless to stop him or are willing to turn a blind eye.
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