Leviathan (2014)
* These views are solely my own. God bless America.
Correlations derived from fictional films can provide greater insight into present situations and those of the impending future. I particularly find unsettling relationships between these selections and the current shift toward the undermining of cultural norms that have previously been steadfast pillars in our democratic American value system. Cautionary themes of corruption, subjugation, mental cruelty and other wrongs are illustrated within these three powerful films.
Leviathan (2014) is directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev. A family living in a waterfront village suffers the indignation of having their property annexed by a corrupt government official and his complicit allies. The injustice leads to the characters’ deep despair and hopelessness. Witnessing the level of greed in Leviathan may result in dreadful melancholy, but it is a worthwhile experience with a lasting impact.
Dogville (2003)
Dogville (2003) is directed by Lars Von Trier, and is the foundation of the Danish filmmaker’s unrealized Land of Opportunity trilogy. Grace escapes to a small isolated town during the Great Depression while being hunted by armed gangsters. The townspeople reluctantly agree to grant her asylum in return for her employment to the collective. Their fears soon mutate into xenophobia and full-blown discrimination. Some of the represented malfeasance comes in the form of mob mentality, exploiting the vulnerable, unjust detainment and denying due process. Trier has cited Dogville as his greatest writing, which is directed much like a classic stage play.
Gaslight (1944)
Gaslight (1944) is directed by George Cukor. After a wife and her husband move into her newly inherited estate, he attempts to maintain control over her through methodical manipulation. The film’s concept made such an impact that the title was adopted as a prevalent psychological term. “Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction and lying, it attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim’s belief.” — Wikipedia
