American History & Culture--SEEN

History, Culture: Media. Loosely based on the Rupert Murdoch of his day, William Randolph Hearst. A movie that changed movies all over the world. Don't miss.

Culture, adapted History: Mafia/organized crime. The trilogy of Godfather films changed cinema forever. Mafia mythology illustrates the shadow side of the American Dream: how some immigrants "make it" in America.

Culture, adapted History: Mafia. The beginning of the Mafia, how poor immigrants from southern Italy got power and respect. Some new actor named Robert DeNiro shows up.

Mafia. The dark culmination of the myth. If you're going to keep it all in the family, you may have to get rid of some family.

History, Civil War. A good adaptation of Gore Vidal's Lincoln. This gives a window into Lincoln as a shrewd politician with a difficult personal life.
Sam Waterston and Mary Tyler Moore are outstanding.

History, Civil War. Political machinations of Lincoln (a moderate) and Thaddeus Stevens (a radical) versus the conservatives over the emancipation of African Americans.

History: Revolutionary War & American Republic. There are very few really good movies or series about the time period of the Revolutionary War. Outstanding cast and script.

History, Culture, Civil War. Great movie. Racist and biased history, but this how the South tells itself how mean Northerners are.

Culture: Law, Racism, The South. A fictionalized look at an event in the 1930s that captures something of the sense of the 1960s Civil Rights movement. Probably one of the greatest movies of all time.

Culture, Law. This is not about a point in time, but this film focuses on something that is the foundation of American law and culture: the assumption that you are innocent until proven guilty. Also a great movie.

Culture. This topical and political comedy series changed American TV forever.

History, 1970s. The end of the Nixon presidency, and the erosion of the law and order candidate.

History: Slavery. This is really about the experience of a free man who is tricked and sold into slavery. Probably the truth was even worse than this shows.

History: Slavery, Civil War. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery and had a head injury. She was also the most successful conductor for the Underground Railroad. This is somewhat fictionalized and Hollywoodized, but is okay as an introduction to this remarkable woman.

History, Vietnam. Made seven years after Apocalypse now. More accessible than Apocalypse now. Like all American movies, more about Americans than Vietnamese.

History, President Kennedy. Fairly watchable, although the history presented is unreliable. Made almost 30 years after Kennedy's assassination, an open wound that continues to affect us now.

Culture. Not many movies set in America explore anti-semitism, which runs deep and hidden.

Cultural landmark and the beginning of gay culture seeping into the mainstream. Talk about LBGTQ?!!!

Very few movies acknowledged the difficulty of adjusting to life after WW2. Oscar-winning and excellent.

History, Culture: the Depression. Adapted from a John Steinbeck novel, also well worth reading.

Culture: Mafia. About a well-meaning guy who's also kind of a sociopath. Changed TV forever.

History: Recent. Funny Michael Moore documentary that is asnapshot of the gutting of working-class America by one of its many reps, Roger B. Smith of GM.

Culture: Culture Wars. The religious right vs. progressives vs. a drug-addicted pregnant mother. A dark comedy.

Culture: Florida, Poverty. How people with few resources get by, living week to week in transient hotels. The Floating World of America.

Culture: Guns. Michael Moore documentary. Like all his work, probably more notable for his chutzpah than accuracy. But asks some interesting questions about the American obsession with guns.