(1941). Orson Welles’s investigation of the life of a media mogul is matchless Citizen Kane moviemaking. (1933). The Marx Brothers’ anarchic send-up of the incompetence and hypocrisy of Duck Soup governments and of the folly of war. Groucho becomes leader of the country of Freedonia and leads it into a comedic war. (2005). Based on the real-life conflict in the 1950s in which television Good Night and Good Luck newsman Edward R. Murrow defied corporate pressure and brought down demagogic senator Joseph McCarthy. (1939). In this wise-cracking comedy, cynical editor (Cary Grant) uses his wiles to His Girl Friday keep his star reporter and ex-wife (Rosalind Russell) from leaving the newspaper. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Director John Ford’s meditative western in which the news makes the myth that establishes the wrong man as the hero and successful politician. (1976). Television company executives exploit an anchorman’s madness on the air to Network boost ratings. (1992). Robert Altman’s delightful satire of Hollywood, its filmmakers, and its films. The Player (1950). Four versions of an ambush, rape, and murder are shown in Japanese director Rashomon Akira Kurosawa’s famous exploration of the elusive nature of truth. (2003). Fictionalized version of the true story of a journalist who is fired Shattered Glass from magazine when it is discovered that he has fabricated many of his stories. The New Republic The Social Network (2010). A fascinating account, partly factual and partly fictional, of the founding of Facebook. (1977). The first of the multipart saga applies themes from the American Revolution to Star Wars planetary political systems. (1941). Director Preston Sturges’s tale of a director of mindless Hollywood Sullivan’s Travels studio films who wants to make films of social commentary but discovers the value of comedy. (1935). Hitler’s favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, made this propaganda Triumph of the Will documentary of the 1934 Nazi party rally in Nuremberg, a celebration of the fascist state. Chapter 2
Citizen Kane (1941). Orson Welles’s investigation of the life of a media mogul is matchless moviemaking. Duck Soup (1933). The Marx Brothers’ anarchic send-up of the incompetence and hypocrisy of governments and of the folly of war. Groucho becomes leader of the country of Freedonia and leads it into a comedic war. Good Night and Good Luck (2005). Based on the real-life conflict in the 1950s in which television newsman Edward R. Murrow defied corporate pressure and brought down demagogic senator Joseph McCarthy. His Girl Friday (1939). In this wise-cracking comedy, cynical editor (Cary Grant) uses his wiles to keep his star reporter and ex-wife (Rosalind Russell) from leaving the newspaper. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Director John Ford’s meditative western in which the news makes the myth that establishes the wrong man as the hero and successful politician. Network (1976). Television company executives exploit an anchorman’s madness on the air to boost ratings. The Player (1992). Robert Altman’s delightful satire of Hollywood, its filmmakers, and its films. Rashomon (1950). Four versions of an ambush, rape, and murder are shown in Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s famous exploration of the elusive nature of truth. Shattered Glass (2003). Fictionalized version of the true story of a journalist who is fired from The New Republic magazine when it is discovered that he has fabricated many of his stories. The Social Network (2010). A fascinating account, partly factual and partly fictional, of the founding of Facebook. Star Wars (1977). The first of the multipart saga applies themes from the American Revolution to planetary political systems. Sullivan’s Travels (1941). Director Preston Sturges’s tale of a director of mindless Hollywood studio films who wants to make films of social commentary but discovers the value of comedy. Triumph of the Will (1935). Hitler’s favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, made this propaganda documentary of the 1934 Nazi party rally in Nuremberg, a celebration of the fascist state. Chapter 2