Abstract

My objectives with this research were to determine if film could be used as a medium to spread positive change, and whether this could be applied to promote anti-capitalist thought in the future. It is my contention that anti-capitalists should use cinema as a means to spread their ideas to a wider audience, since it has historically been proven to be an effective tool of political persuasion. In my poster I demonstrate this through the analysis of influential films from 1910-1960s Hollywood that were used to sustain traditional American values and systems such as antiquated views of gender and race, hyper-nationalism, and the economic model of capitalism. I determined how successful subversive and radical films in the late 20th and early 21st century that sought to challenge these very structures were in effecting political or social change. A large portion of this research was dedicated to the analysis of modern anti-capitalist films, therefore determining whether cinema is a viable tool for relaying radical messages in an impactful way to viewers. I have determined that film has historically been effective at either sustaining or challenging traditional American values/systems, and radical cinema created before its time helped push the American public towards supporting legislative change. I explain through my analysis of anti-capitalist films that the remarkably deft and rich portrayals of themes such as Marx's Theory of Alienation, negative effects of wealth inequality, and commodity fetishization effectively convey critiques of capitalism in a manner that audiences can emotionally connect with.