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Depends on how you define "anti-establishment."

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In Reply to: Steve or anyone. Those anti-establishment films. Which are great? posted by edta on July 10, 2000 at 18:47:03:

If the establishment = media, then anti = "Network" and "Natural Born Killers".
= submissive female perspective, then anti = "Thelma and Louise".
= military, then anti = "M*A*S*H".
= Christianity/organized religion, then anti = "Life of Brian".
= structured narrative, then anti = "Un Chien Andalou" or "Lost Highway".
= adults over forty, then anti = "Billy Jack".
= big studio money, then anti = "El Mariachi" or "Blair Witch Project".
= highway patrol, then anti = "Vanishing Point".
The only way I could conceive of "Star Wars" as being anti-establishment is if the establishment was moderate budget, moderate profit films. "Star Wars" showed that it was possible to spend big money and get even bigger money in return: the big bottom line became the new establishment. Studios think: why make ten films like "Midnight Cowboy" when we can make one like "E.T."?

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Re: Depends on how you define "anti-establishment." edta 20:38:41 07/11/00 (2)
Yes, I see what you are getting at. Star Wars was a stretch. Guess I was thinking about the rebels and the evil empire thing.
I did find enlightenment in a post below though. The Anti Establishment lifestyle portrayed sympathetically is what I'm after.
- Re: Depends on how you define "anti-establishment." AudioHead 08:52:57 07/12/00 (1)
  If I recall correctly, during the 1950s, the establishment was called
  the "military-industrial complex", referring to Eisenhower as U.S.
  President( Head
  Military Honcho) and his relationship with big corporations.
  - Re: Depends on how you define "anti-establishment." edta 11:36:01 07/12/00 (0)
    Yes, indeed and that's where I was coming from. I think, though, that Steve is right in indicating that this was not the total establishment. And probably during the time of Eisenhower, The MIC was pretty much accepted by most people as being ok and necessary.

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