Lens on America: Political Perspectives (Film Criticism)
Elections and City Politics: America Is Hard to See and The Last Hurrah
American film historian Annette Insdorf introduces a screening of two political films: America is Hard to See (1970) and The Last Hurrah (1958). Following the screenings, she moderates a conversation with politician John V. Lindsay about the The Last Hurrah (1958). Lindsay was a congressman from 1959 to 1965 and the mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973. The Last Hurrah, directed by John Ford, is a political satire about a several-term Irish-American mayor running for re-election. Lindsay compares the events of the film to his own experience campaigning. He notes that the film portrays an old-fashioned campaign without extensive media coverage and political advertising. He contends that modern politics “has become so much of a spectator sport that it has become non-participatory” and that “the guy who gets elected is a product not a person.” The discussion is followed with questions from the audience.
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