Here’s the Friday open comments post. Today’s suggested topic is ‘favorite scenes from film or television that illustrate and American right or principle.’ Speech, religion, association, mere liberty — any scenes that describe or illustrate fundamental American rights.
One site that I visit often for movie information, with information and quotations from films, is the popular Internet Movie Database.
The use of pseudonyms and anonymous postings will be fine.
Although the template has a space for a name, email address, and website, those who want to leave a field blank can do so. Comments will be moderated, against profanity or trolls. Otherwise, have at it.
I’ll keep the post open through Sunday afternoon.
Here’s my clip — from Amistad (1997).
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJwD5km_VrQ
Internet Movie Database Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118607/
A great first amendment movie on the value of a free press would be “All the President’s Men” about Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein. I’ve seen it a few times and it’s still a great movie.
Hello,
a website written by someone who calls himself John Adams should have a mention of the HBO series called John Adams. My favorite part is even before the revolution, where Adams defends some British soldiers after the Boston massacre. The whole series is good but that’s a great scene.
I’m not sure if it’s in a movie, but it probably is – A scene where Patrick Henry says “give me liberty or death” would qualify as a movie about freedom and rights. Don’t know if it’s been filmed.
I pick “Glory”. Glory is a movie about the fight for freedom and equality. In the movie, ex-slaves fight for the union army against salvery while also having to prove to white soldiers that they’re just as good at fighting for the union. Morgan Freeman is in Glory and Amistad. He’s had quite a career!
My favorite scene is where Freeman explains to Denzel Washington (who is a new soldier) that whites and blacks are fighting for the same goals.
Looking through the Intenet Movie Database, I can see that The Howards of Virginia, a 1940 film starring Cary Grant and Martha Scott, has mention of Patrick Henry in the list of characters.
I’ve not seen film, so I don’t know if the film has him delivering his most famous lines. Still, it may be a promising lead.
Another historical film that talks about liberty is Gettysburg. It’s a long film that centers on military strategy with a backdrop of politics, especially the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation. In one scene a Confederate general tells an English soldier who’s there as an observer that the North will never surrender once the Emancipation Proclamation was announced. Gettysburg has a states rights vs. liberty theme crops up in many scenes.
Even if it doesn’t take place in America, the greatest American film of all time about liberty is Star Wars. Think about it, there’s no film that describes an epic battle across a galaxy that’s also so much fun. Fans still dress up like their favorite characters. They dress up as heroic characters fighting a war against an brutal galactic empire. Star Wars wins, hands down.
May the Force be with You!!!
The Fountainhead as a book or a movie, no doubt about it.