1. Politics around film Citizen Kane – Pressure from William Randolph Hearst – Delay release – Orson Welles black listed Threats to boycott Disney over Fahrenheit 9/11 Protests over The Last Temptation of Christ and The Passion of Christ

2. Franklin “To what extent do films guide or reflect American Political Culture?” What direction is the influence of Film? Film on politics, politics on film, or the economy on film? – Example: Master and Commander: On the Far Side of the World (2003) – Feed back loop (David Easton) Who controls the content of film? – The public, media moguls?

3. What type of tales are told? What type of tale is Citizen Kane? – Melodrama – Story about the media? – Megalomaniac – Critical of politics Political machine is corrupt but the reformers aren’t much better

4. Tales in Hollywood (Franklin) Small government Capitalism (both positive &negative) No socialism (few exceptions) – Reds (1981); Dr. Zhivago (1965) Negative elements of history ignored (slavery; racism; genocide) The immigrant experience – The Coneheads

5. Tales in Hollywood (cont.) Foreign films get limited release Judeo-Christian ethic American exceptionalism Value of democracy Liberalism Individualism Rags to riches (capitalism)