Since almost
everything we consume from our screens or speakers is digital in origin, the
key word in the title of this class becomes “citizenship.” This has ethical,
moral, and legal implications. What does it mean to be, not only a citizen, but
a good citizen? Hopefully, these films will move us closer to an answer.
These titles
are all rentable on Amazon at a low rate. They will figure prominently in many
of our class discussions. Your assignment is to watch all of them by the end of
January. The possibility for extra credit review and analysis will also be made
available based on these viewings.
“All the
President’s Men” (1976)
Sometimes
it’s not all about speaking truth to power, but about seeking truth made
difficult and dangerous to find through a maze of detours and roadblocks thrown
up by the powerful. This film, based on real events, tells the story of two
junior reporters whose investigation eventually led to the resignation of a
U.S. President.
“Ace in the Hole” (1951)
This tale of
an unethical and disgraced journalist is writer/director Billy Wilder at his
cynical and acidic best. Kirk Douglas plays a reporter who sees the chance to
rescue his damaged career in the story of a man trapped in a New Mexico mine.
What follows is a taste of opportunistic exploitation, bitter to the last drop.
“Good Night and Good Luck” (2005)
In 1954,
reporter and television commentator Edward R. Murrow went up against Sen.
Joseph McCarthy and his witch-hunt against perceived Communism in the U.S.
Government. It was not an easy decision to take on the Senator. His popularity
was strong. His tactics had already ruined the careers of many prominent
Americans who found themselves blacklisted because of his demagoguery.
“Nightcrawler”
(2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal plays an ambitious, freelance crime reporter who doesn’t let ethical, moral, or even legal questions stand in his way. This dark, unflinching character study is also a biting satire on the current state of exploitation in modern media.
No comments:
Post a Comment