The New Republic recently produced a list of what it called « The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time, » based on a compilation of lists created by some 70 critics. (What constitutes a « political » film is, of course, debatable, and may explain why some films made or didn’t make the list.)
Regrettably, since I am not a critic, I have only seen about one-quarter of the films (and only four of TNR’s top 10). So from that limited list, I have come up with my own preferred collection favorite political films, to which I have added a few others that were not on TNR’s list.
For those on the list, I have kept TNR’s numbering. I have listed them roughly in the order of my preference as most significant, although, as usual, I am not comfortable making such precise distinctions and don’t necessarily consider distinctions between first and second place or ninth and tenth place, for example, to be of world historical significance. They reflect rather a more general, less precise ranking of preferences.
55. Grand Illusion
(1937) Dir: Jean Renoir
24. Lincoln
(2012) Dir: Steven Spielberg
(1976) DIR: Alan J. Pakula
19. The Lives of Others
(2006) Dir: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
41. Reds
(1981) Dir: Warren Beatty
45. All Quiet on the Western Front
(1930) Dir: Lewis Milestone
82. American Sniper
(2014) Dir: Clint Eastwood
59. All the King’s Men
(1949) Dir: Robert Rossen
56. The Fog of War
(2003) Dir: Errol Morris
81. The Times of Harvey Milk
(1984) Dir: Rob Epstein
11. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939) Dir: Frank Capra
To these I have added the following films not on TNR’s list:
Casablanca
(1942)
1917
(2019)
The King’s Speech
(2010)
Benediction
(2021)
