Films and filmmakers have had a long fascination with journalism, capturing and highlighting multiple facets of the profession. For some directors, the idea of freedom of press has been portrayed as something to be celebrated and defended at all cost, while others have focused on the obsessive nature of reporting and media. In recognition of The Highlander’s 75th anniversary, the following is a list of films about journalism worth engaging with.
“The French Dispatch” by Wes Anderson
In what may be the most meticulously crafted film for a director who has made a career out of his formal austerity, Wes Anderson captures his love and romanticism for journalism. Particularly inspired by his appreciation of The New Yorker, many of the characters are loosely based on editors and journalists from the magazine. Anderson’s playfulness beneath rigor fits excellently with the subject matter as the audience is given the impression they are reading from a magazine rather than watching a movie, with absurd amount of ideas being conveyed in such a short amount of time through the detached, deadpan performance shot in Anderson’s signature symmetrical shots.
“Zodiac” by David Fincher
David Fincher’s take on journalism is much grittier, characterized by obsessive nature and the inability to reach the truth. In pursuit of the identity of Zodiac Killer, the film portrays the San Francisco Chronicle’s political cartoonist Robert Graysmith’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) mere fascination slowly turning into obsession. While the more professionally trained reporters like Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) abandon the pursuit entirely, Robert continues to investigate, putting himself in serious danger yet failing to resolve the mystery.
“The Post” by Steven Spielberg
There is something unmistakably American about the spirit of Steven Spielberg’s films, often celebrating different highlighting different pillars that hold up the nation. This becomes increasingly more apparent in Spielberg’s later works such as “Lincoln.” Subsequently, it is only natural that he examines the first amendment, specifically the freedom of press. In “The Post,” journalism is shown to be the very thing holding up American democracy against the systemic failure of intentionally deceitful government. It is no mistake that the setting for the film is during the Vietnam War under the Nixon Administration when the mistrust of the U.S. government reached an unprecedented peak. Spielberg holds the notion that it is the role of the press to inform the public in the face of such injustices.
“France” by Bruno Dumont
In Bruno Dumont’s more overly satirical voice, “France” offers a sharp critique of contemporary media. The character of France de Meurs (Léa Seydoux), a celebrity journalist, highly regarded by the public for her integrity who in reality stages and orchestrates her shots, seems to be asking the question of whether capturing the objective reality through journalism even is a possibility. Furthermore, following an incident which turns France into the very subject for reporting, the film seems to be interrogating the nature of media which appropriates the experience of people for public consumption, ultimately isolating them. Ultimately, the film is largely centered around the discrepancy between what is portrayed in the media and the reality.
“Civil War” by Alex Garland
In A24’s one of commercially most successful films, Alex Garland asks the ethical question of intervention versus detachment for journalists. This is especially explored through juxtaposing Jessie Collin (Cailee Spaeny) to Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), two journalists in different stages of career and Jessie’s eventual resemblance of Lee following moral exhaustion from witnessing the horrors of war which leaves the audience unsettled.
“The End of Tour” by James Ponsoldt
The biographical film based on journalist David Lipsky’s recount of the road trip with David Foster Wallace during his book tour explores the complex nature of the relationship between the reporter and the subject, exploring different aspects such as the inherent inequality in their dynamic as the one asking questions and the one being asked questions, the fear of being reduced down to a stereotype in writing and a lingering genuine connection.
