Foreword to the Second Edition
Introduction
Feature Film: Fifty Shades of Grey
1. Movies, the Media, and American Tales
Feature Film: San Andreas
2. Industry and Bias: The Political Economy of Film
Feature Film: Furious 7
3. Who Makes ‘Em and Who Watches ‘Em
Feature Film: Avatar
4. Film Content: Cause or Effect?
Feature Film: Taxi Driver
5. Film Criticism: What Is a Bad Movie?
Feature Film: Up in the Air
6. Why They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To
Feature Film: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
7. Movies, Censorship, and the Law
Feature Film: Spotlight
Conclusion
Feature Film: The Hateful Eight
Index
Daniel P. Franklin is associate professor of political science at Georgia State University. His areas of specialization are American Chief Executives, budgeting and the legislative process. He is currently director of the Georgia Legislative Internship Program and a former Distinguished Honors Professor. He is the author of four books, numerous articles and reviews. His latest book, Pitiful Giants: Presidents in their Final Terms, is on the politics of presidential transitions from the perspective of leaving administrations.
In this second edition of a volume first published in 2006,
Franklin some examples and sprinkles in discussion…of television as
‘film,’ but he keeps to his central thesis surrounding the
interactive relationship between US political culture and the
content of US films. Franklin explores cause and effect, looking at
how films project the interests and events of the times during
which they are made while responding to the economics of what the
author projects as the changing audience for films. He argues that
filmmaking can be thought of in terms of three eras of
‘monopolies’: the Edison Trust era; the ‘golden era,’ controlled by
the studio system; and the modern era, with its disparate markets
and responses to them (e.g., the rise of independent productions).
In addition to exploring the relationship of political philosophies
and movies, Franklin looks at the politics of censorship. Examples
appear throughout, and each chapter concludes with a brief case
study….
Summing Up:Optional. Graduate students, researchers/faculty;
general readers.
*Choice Reviews*
Students, citizens, and scholars are increasingly aware that films'
stories and metaphors—'American Tales,' if you will—influence our
perception of politics. Daniel Franklin's Politics and Film is a
welcome contribution to our ongoing conversation about the evolving
relationship between entertainment, art, commerce, and politics—and
how this in turn affects the shape, style, and bias of our
political attitudes and collective memory. Those who wish to
connect the dots between the reel world of Hollywood and the real
world of American political culture will find some serious food for
thought in this engaging, entertaining book.
*Kevan M. Yenerall, Clarion University and co-author, Seeing the
Bigger Picture: Understanding Politics Through Film and
Television*
This is a fun book to read, hard to put down, and spiked with
intriguing information that will be unfamiliar to most readers.
Students of all ages will love it.
*Political Science Quarterly*
With technological advances, movies are increasingly accessible to
more and more viewers. As movie audiences continue to grow and
evolve, questions naturally arise about the ability of the medium
to influence its audience and the ability of the audience to
influence the medium. In Daniel Franklin’s new and nicely updated
edition of Politics and Film, he delves into the relationship
between politics, culture, and film. His highly readable text is
accessible to a wide range of audiences interested in these
fundamental and vital questions. With a seamless integration of
seminal concepts, existing research, survey data, and contemporary
film examples, this book is a must read.
*Michelle Pautz, associate professor of Political Science,
University of Dayton*
Updated and with new films, Daniel Franklin takes us safely through
American culture, film and politics, showing how new social and
technological developments interact with contemporary politics to
shape the way films are made and seen. A must read for students
interested in the politics of film.
*Lasse Thomassen, Reader, School of Politics and International
Relations, Queen Mary University of London, UK*
In this new edition, Dan Franklin carefully weaves together two
important subjects often thought to exist in separate vacuums:
politics and culture. Franklin expertly takes on the task of
demonstrating how culture and politics exist together in a
symbiotic circle, each driving the other. Franklin walks readers
through an remarkable analysis of modern film. Politics and Film is
a must have for anyone interested in political culture or film.
*Joseph E. Uscinski, University of Miami*
For any serious-minded person with a curiosity about Hollywood,
Professor Franklin’s Politics and Film offers three great virtues.
First, it is not the usual star-struck, disorganized wander through
anecdote and speculation, but a rigorous application of a theory
that explains why movies turn out as they do. Second, Franklin
offers a wealth of several different kinds of evidence to buttress
his explanation. And third, the book is so clearly and charmingly
written that the reader often forgets that it was produced by a
scholar. Like any movie lover, Franklin has strong opinions about
which of Hollywood’s products are great art, and which of them are
stinkers. But his evaluations are so strongly embedded in his
theory that the reader will have to think hard to try to refute
them. Thus, the opportunity to silently argue with Franklin’s
judgments is an additional pleasure offered by this fine book.
*David F. Prindle, Professor of Government, University of Texas at
Austin*
Revised to include developments in technology and viewing
conditions, Daniel Franklin’s second edition of Film and Politics
dares to stand by its initial premise that the audience determines
the content of the film. With his clear prose and numerous
up-to-date examples, Franklin offers a balanced and nuanced view on
the politics of commercial filmmaking in the United States. An
indispensable read for those who want a comprehensive take on the
relations of contemporary cinema and politics.
*Eleftheria Thanouli, Associate Professor in Film Theory, School of
Film Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki*
Daniel P. Franklin’s second edition of Politics and Film: The
Political Culture of Television and Movies offers a broad overview
of the dynamic relation between politics and film. This edition
includes references to the latest Hollywood blockbusters (including
Avatars and Furious 7) and TV series (House of Cards) and examines
how these films contribute to the construction of shared cultural
and political values in America while also drawing attention to
films as political objects. Franklin shows how films can be used to
promote American studies and vice versa, opening up avenues for
further reflection at the end of each chapter. The book offers
stimulating insight into the political culture that surrounds the
industry of filmmaking; Franklin makes us aware of films as
political tools serving the expansion of American ideals and
fueling the democratic debate.
*Delphine Letort, Associate Professor of English at the Université
du Maine in Le Mans, France*
Like its predecessor, Daniel Franklin’s new edition of Politics and
Film is as detailed and as provocative as ever. Resisting the
temptation to merely ‘read’ the political messages and intent in
films, Franklin looks to all the deeper meanings and conditions
that inform the birth, production and reception of movies. From the
off, he signposts Seth Rogan, James Franco, Selma, and David’s
Death of Marat in a wide-ranging and effusive opening that signals
this book’s content which is choc-full of insight, argument and
analysis. Accessible, informative and lucid, Politics and Film
remains a great primer for those interested in the way American
cinema operates as well as a fascinating insight into the way all
culture influences our world in the 21st century.
*Ian Scott, University of Manchester, England, author of American
Politics in Hollywood Film*
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