Movies about taking on The Man?
February 8, 2018 2:56 PM
Hi - I'm trying to come up with a list of movies that are about people coming together to take on their oppressors. Star Wars is an obvious one, but Norma Rae and Braveheart would work too. The more inspiring the better. Any others that come to mind?
The Matrix, of course. How much more oppressive can you get?
posted by giraffeneckbattle at 3:04 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by giraffeneckbattle at 3:04 PM on February 8, 2018
Red Dawn! A childhood classic...
posted by machinecraig at 3:11 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by machinecraig at 3:11 PM on February 8, 2018
The LEGO movie.
posted by Kafkaesque at 3:19 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Kafkaesque at 3:19 PM on February 8, 2018
Silkwood
North Country
The Help
Red Dawn
V for Vendetta
Spartacus
Lawrence of Arabia
The Ten Commandments
The Hunger Games
Michael Collins
Good Night, and Good Luck
Gandhi
The Planet of the Apes trilogy
Those are just off the top of my head. Some might fit your theme better than others.
posted by xyzzy at 3:21 PM on February 8, 2018
North Country
The Help
Red Dawn
V for Vendetta
Spartacus
Lawrence of Arabia
The Ten Commandments
The Hunger Games
Michael Collins
Good Night, and Good Luck
Gandhi
The Planet of the Apes trilogy
Those are just off the top of my head. Some might fit your theme better than others.
posted by xyzzy at 3:21 PM on February 8, 2018
Pom Poko. A scrappy band of...er...raccoons fights back against heartless greedy land developers with their wits and massive magical testicles. Yeah.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:22 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:22 PM on February 8, 2018
Starship Troopers is about a scrappy cadre of fascist co-ed soldiers in a battle against ugly, bug-like aliens. But seriously, Harlan County USA.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:30 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:30 PM on February 8, 2018
Newsies is a musical based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899.
posted by foxfirefey at 3:34 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by foxfirefey at 3:34 PM on February 8, 2018
The Goonies is about a band of scrappy misfit kids who prevent foreclosure on their parents' houses by pursuing a harrowing adventure that results in the mortgages being paid off with pirate treasure.
posted by XMLicious at 3:41 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by XMLicious at 3:41 PM on February 8, 2018
Ufez - Over the Top?
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:53 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 3:53 PM on February 8, 2018
Ernest Goes to Camp
posted by infinitewindow at 3:55 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by infinitewindow at 3:55 PM on February 8, 2018
Street Fight
Harlan County USA
The Battle for Algiers
posted by brookeb at 4:11 PM on February 8, 2018
Harlan County USA
The Battle for Algiers
posted by brookeb at 4:11 PM on February 8, 2018
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is one of the great anti-institution stories.
posted by wjfitzy at 4:31 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by wjfitzy at 4:31 PM on February 8, 2018
Also, I haven’t seen either of these films yet, but Selma and Pride both qualify unless the descriptions are desperately misleading.
posted by bettafish at 4:49 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by bettafish at 4:49 PM on February 8, 2018
No set in Pinochet's Chile.
Pride about gay activists supporting striking Welsh miners.
Trumbo about the McCarthy era.
posted by Botanizer at 5:06 PM on February 8, 2018
Pride about gay activists supporting striking Welsh miners.
Trumbo about the McCarthy era.
posted by Botanizer at 5:06 PM on February 8, 2018
Battleship Potemkin. It’s a classic Soviet silent film.
posted by FencingGal at 5:27 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by FencingGal at 5:27 PM on February 8, 2018
Angel Unchained hippie commune against a town of rednecks, with a biker gang to the rescue. An early 70s gem.
posted by MovableBookLady at 5:31 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by MovableBookLady at 5:31 PM on February 8, 2018
Vanishing Point
Cool Hand Luke
Shawshank Redemption
Sneakers
Point Break (for both sides of fighting the man)
Pump up the Volume
Heathers
RoboCop
Good lord, so many others. I feel like most of GenX popular cinema could apply here.
(Note:in all cases, the originals, not the remakes)
posted by swngnmonk at 5:41 PM on February 8, 2018
Cool Hand Luke
Shawshank Redemption
Sneakers
Point Break (for both sides of fighting the man)
Pump up the Volume
Heathers
RoboCop
Good lord, so many others. I feel like most of GenX popular cinema could apply here.
(Note:in all cases, the originals, not the remakes)
posted by swngnmonk at 5:41 PM on February 8, 2018
Another vote for Made in Dagenham
When I saw it the entire cinema applauded as it ended
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 5:55 PM on February 8, 2018
When I saw it the entire cinema applauded as it ended
posted by HypotheticalWoman at 5:55 PM on February 8, 2018
Jim Henson's "The Tale Of The Bunny Picnic." I'm not kidding. It's a thinly-veiled parable about workers and middle-management coming together to stand up to bosses.
posted by daisystomper at 6:40 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by daisystomper at 6:40 PM on February 8, 2018
Newsies!!!!
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:52 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:52 PM on February 8, 2018
Dallas Buyers Club -- in the mid-80's when being diagnosed with HIV was a death sentence, a man with HIV takes matters into his own hands to find treatment for himself and others, fighting the FDA in the process.
posted by elmay at 7:28 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by elmay at 7:28 PM on February 8, 2018
Dirty Dancing? (I feel like this movie is the answer to everything)
posted by Sassyfras at 9:04 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by Sassyfras at 9:04 PM on February 8, 2018
Places in the Heart with Sally Field, Danny Glover, and John Malkovich in the only 100% not creepy role he ever had.
posted by janey47 at 11:20 PM on February 8, 2018
posted by janey47 at 11:20 PM on February 8, 2018
The other side of the coin is Leviathan but the little guy (spoiler alert) loses.
posted by WeekendJen at 6:54 AM on February 9, 2018
posted by WeekendJen at 6:54 AM on February 9, 2018
1971, about the break-in and document theft by activists that exposed COINTELPRO.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:02 AM on February 9, 2018
posted by ryanshepard at 7:02 AM on February 9, 2018
UHF
A more serious one and actually a documentary, How to Survive a Plague, which is about how the AIDS activists fought with the government and got changes made to the healthcare system. I read France's book, haven't see the movie, but given the accolades it received, it's got to be worth a look.
posted by Hactar at 10:25 AM on February 9, 2018
A more serious one and actually a documentary, How to Survive a Plague, which is about how the AIDS activists fought with the government and got changes made to the healthcare system. I read France's book, haven't see the movie, but given the accolades it received, it's got to be worth a look.
posted by Hactar at 10:25 AM on February 9, 2018
Les Miserables?
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 11:09 AM on February 9, 2018
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 11:09 AM on February 9, 2018
What about Shaft? He definitely was the man up against 'the man.'
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:42 AM on February 9, 2018
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:42 AM on February 9, 2018
The Milagro Beanfield War
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:46 PM on February 9, 2018
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:46 PM on February 9, 2018
The Legend of Billie Jean!
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:06 PM on February 9, 2018
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:06 PM on February 9, 2018
« Older putting a new hardwood floor into an old house | Instrumental Cover Wedding Processional Songs... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:58 PM on February 8, 2018