In wake of the recent turmoil involving the indictment and possible jail sentence of a former president, here is your movie playlist for your indictment party. These are movies where the president, VP or a high-level politician was implicated in a serious crime, often high crimes and treason. Sadly, several of these movie are based on true stories. While most politicians are good (kinda) some go off the rails. Power does corrupt. Let the film roll...
1 - All The President's Men (1976) with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. Tells the story of the Republican Watergate scandal and the crime Nixon is implicated in.
2 - Absolute Power (1997) Clint Eastwood. An expert thief robs a house where a murder has occurred. The president may have been involved. The thief is forced to go on the run but may hold evidence that could convict the president.
3 - Seven Days in May (1964) stars Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. A planned coup to overturn the elected office and take over the presidency. Fiction sixty years old, but all too real in current times.
4 - Farenheit 9/11 - a Roger Moore documentary about the Bush and Cheney involvement in pushing a war based on lies or twisted pseudo-facts. They got rich on a war against the wrong country.
5 - No Way Out (1987) Kevin Costner. An excellent, edge of your seat thriller about a Russian spy infiltrating the US government.
6 - Downfall (2004) relates the corruption within the Third Reich that led to the end of the Nazis in World War II.
7 - Wag the Dog (1997) A fake War is needed to drum up support from the public.
8 - Frost/Nixon (2008) Frank Langella plays a convincing Nixon role. A fascinating movie with witty dialog based on the actual interviews.
9 - Power (1986) - Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, Richard Gere. A powerful political consultant had to face the reality that he is exploiting others, as do his political clients.
10 - American Hustle (2013) Based on real events. Irvin Rosenfeld was forced to cooperate with the FBI in a political game of entrapment.
11 - All the King's Men (2006) Corrupt politics in the 1930s.
12 - Enemy of the State (2009) Gene Hackman, Wil Smith. Corrupt factions of the government want to take down a potential whistleblower who has what they want.
13 - The Last King of Scotland (2006) Is the story of the corrupt Ugandan President Idi Amin.
14 - Z (1969) about the corrupt government of Greece.
15 - Il Divo (2008) Tells of the criminal enterprises of a former Italian Prime Minister.
16 - Fair Game (2010) tells of Dick Cheney's outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. It was a crime that went unpunished.
17 - The Contender (2000) A senator and VP candidate faces turmoil.
See also:
18 - The Constant Gardner (2005) The British Government is implicated in this screen version of the John LeCarre novel.
19 - Nixon (1995) directed by Oliver Stone. The republican corruption of the 70s.
20 - W. (2008) About George W. Bush and the crimes he is alleged to have committed from the oval office. The film alleges many indiscretions in what is intended to be comedy-drama with (like all comedy) some truth. Directed by Oliver Stone.
Note:
Three Days of the Condor (1975) isn't specifically about presidential corruption, but it's a top-notch thriller involving high echelons of government. Robert Redford stars in this one, like so many others.
That may be enough political thrillers to get you started on your ex-President indictment party. arraignment party or whatever floats your boat. Or any film festival on the subject of dirty politicians. It's time to clean it up.
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