What are some of the best movies with Marxist themes? Kind of like how Avatar is anti-imperialist or A Bug's Life. Basically movies that aren't necessarily explicitly Marxist but have Marxist themes.
A lot of old film noir basically had a premise of "there are no ethical or humane choices a person can make in this fucked up world". From what I recall though, quite a few of the people writing and directing these did actually have socialist politics, a lot coming from Europe during the world wars. But the way they created these bleak, inescapable capitalist hellscapes is very effective at getting some complex ideas across.
Great list to start with: http://eddiemuller.com/top25noir.html
A place to look next: https://theyshootpictures.com/noir1000director.htm
Edit - Jules Dassin was blacklisted after making several great noirs. Samuel Fuller certainly seems comradely at times - check out Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss. Billy Wilder's more cynical movies, like Ace in the Hole, qualify.
I agree with you!
That's not what's it's promoted as/commonly thought of, which is what I'm looking for.
Baffles my mind how things have gotten worse for labor since
I'm not good with history, so some regulations may very well have been put into place between now and the time the film was released, but it's all too relatable
off the top of my head:
Sorry to Bother You
Snowpiercer
Parasite
Soy Cubathey are all great in their own ways. (I may have misread you, those have pretty explicit Marxist themes)
some that others haven't said:
Bacurau is more anti-imperialist, but there are def some class concerns.
Pride shows how intersectionalism between working class and queer people can help make things better for everyone, especially in reaction to neoliberalism.
you could argue Nightcrawler as a critique of hyper individualism/ pul-yourself-up bullshit.
I love Pride, it always cheers me up. Mark Ashton, rest in power.
I definitely agree about Nightcrawler. It shows how the more vicious and uncaring you are, the farther ahead you get.
Fantastic movie, exceptionally hard to find. If you mean the 1986 pbs one
Pan's Labryinth (and more overtly it's prequel The Devil's Backbone)
This isn't Marxist, but if you have an opportunity to see Alexander Nevsky with a live orchestra, take it! It's some of Prokofiev's finest work.
It's kinda anti-imperialist. In the history of eastern Europe, the Teutonic and other crusader orders were a menace
Really incredible film, regardless of political reading though
Little shop of horrors is about how the pursuit of wealth will destroy the world.
