Charlie Chaplin on the Villainy of War

Staff / Truthdig Sep 4, 2007 Now seems as good a time as any to revisit the genius of Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator." In this climactic scene, Chaplin rails against the menace of war and hopes for a world where people actually care about each other. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Real-Life Violence

Staff / Truthdig Sep 3, 2007 Director Brian DePalma says "Pictures are what will stop the war," and he's out to prove it. His new film "Redacted," which focuses on the brutal rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and the killing of her family, uses graphic images from the war that he says media outlets have been too timid to show. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oliver Stone Preps My Lai Movie

Staff / Truthdig Aug 30, 2007 Bruce Willis will star in an Oliver Stone film about the My Lai massacre, perhaps the most infamous atrocity to emerge from the Vietnam War. In other Stone news, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he has "no objection, generally speaking," to the director's rumored desire to make a biopic about him but that Stone would need to "let me know what are the frameworks." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Legendary Director Ingmar Bergman Dies

Staff / Truthdig Jul 30, 2007 Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who burst upon the '50s cinema scene with films like "Wild Strawberries" and "The Seventh Seal" and went on to become one of the world's most highly acclaimed auteurs, died Monday on the Baltic island of Faro at age 89. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

To Iran, He’s Just Another Devil

Staff / Truthdig Jul 3, 2007 Plans by director Oliver Stone (pictured) to make a film focusing on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have met with opposition from the Iranian government, which, according to a spokesperson, considers Stone's movies to be "part of the 'Great Satan.' " Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Oliver Stone of Iran

Reese Erlich / Truthdig Apr 25, 2007 The veteran journalist and Mideast traveler profiles Jafar Panahi (above), whose socially conscious films have earned him critical acclaim, box-office success and the unwelcome scrutiny of his government. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

In Cold Blood Money: All The Journalists’ Men

Staff / Truthdig Apr 6, 2007 Film historian and author Ed Rampell registers a shift in popular depictions of journalists on big and small screens since 9/11, linking the recent skeptical, critical portrayals of iconic media figures like Truman Capote (played by Toby Jones, above) to the evaluation of mainstream journalism's performance. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

And the Oscar Goes to … Al Gore

Staff / Truthdig Feb 26, 2007 "An Inconvenient Truth" took home two Academy Awards on Sunday, one for best documentary and the other for Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up" (best song). In case you missed it, here's a video summary of Al Gore's night at the Oscars. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Cameron Finds Jesus

Staff / Truthdig Feb 25, 2007 Film director James Cameron is gearing up for another epic release. Once again, Cameron is turning his lens on a historical event, but he's thinking even bigger than his monolithic "Titanic": This time, the self-declared "King of the World" is taking on the King of the Jews. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Oliver Stone on the Future of Political Cinema

Staff / Truthdig Feb 18, 2007 In a video interview with Counterpunch magazine, the legendary filmmaker discusses the power of movies to engender social change on a grass-roots level. (Fellow director Tao Ruspoli conducts this street-level interview on the eve of his own Ken Kesey-esque bus trip across America to shoot socially conscious films.) Watch it Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Redford Demands Bush Apology for War

Staff / Truthdig Jan 19, 2007 Robert Redford opened the Sundance Film Festival by demanding an apology for the war in Iraq. The festival features several decidedly political films, including "Chicago 10," which centers on demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic convention, and "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Children of Men’: Universal’s Orphaned Masterpiece

Sheerly Avni / Truthdig Jan 9, 2007 How do you make the best movie of the year -- possibly the decade -- and still get pummeled at the box office by Ben Stiller and a CGI dinosaur? Sheerly Avni, Truthdig's movie critic, lays it out in 10 easy steps. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )