Politcs, elections and Hollywood's conspiracy films

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in "All the President's Men".

The post-election process of analysis, commentary and spin started me thinking about Hollywood's films about politics, elections and the dark side of these activities that fuel conspiracy fears and theories. The elements usually combine to make for fine entertainment. 

Here’s an alphabetical list of my some of my favorite conspiracy films. Click on a film title to learn more about that movie. I also have included links to video clips when I could find excerpts worth sharing. I hope you enjoy my selections.

All the President’s Men —  (1976) Director Alan J. Pakula's movie about reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and their efforts to cover the Watergate scandal is the only film on this list to be based on true events. Pakula manages to deliver an entertaining and suspenseful yarn even though we know the story’s outcome. Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Jack Warden and Martin Balsam star.

The China Syndrome — (1979) Jane Fonda stars as a feature reporter for a local TV station who witnesses an accident at a nuclear power plant and discovers a conspiracy to cover up the incident. James Bridges directs, and the cast includes Jack Lemon, Michael Douglas and Wilford Brimley.

Conspiracy Theory — (1997) Mel Gibson stars as man who sees government conspiracies everywhere and then finds a real one. Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart are along for the ride, but it’s Mel’s movie. It’s not a great one, but director Richard Donner knows how to entertain an audience.

L.A. Confidential — (1997) Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Guy Pearce head up director Curtis Hanson’s robust story about three LA police officers in the 1950s who stumble upon a crime network within the department. The cast includes Kim Basinger,  James Cromwell, Danny DeVito and David Strathairn.

Marathon Man — (1976) Dustin Hoffman stars as a graduate student who gets pulled in to a conspiracy involving a fugitive Nazi war criminal, a fortune in diamonds and some shady government agents. John Schlesinger directs this nifty story, and Laurence Oliver and William Devane deliver as the bad guys.

The Manchurian Candidate — Frank Sinatra stars as a Korean War soldier who suspects something sinister happened while he and other members of his squad were prisoners of the Chinese and that the soldier credited with saving them all is not what he appears to be to everyone at home. Sinatra is the star, but Angela Lansbury owns this movie.


The Parallax View — (1974) Warren Beatty stars in director Alan J. Pakula’s tale about an ambitious reporter who learns things aren’t always what they appear to be while investigating a senator’s assassination. Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels also star.

RoboCop —  (1987) Director Paul Verhoeven weaves a violent tale about a terminally wounded police officer who is reconstructed as part man, part machine and sent back to the streets of Detroit to fight crime. The story is a hybrid of entertaining action, science fiction, dark humor and corporate conspiracy. Peter Weller and Nancy Allen star, but Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer deliver great supporting performances.

Three Days of the Condor —  (1975) Robert Redford stars as Joseph Turner, code named Condor, the lone survivor of an attack on an obscure little division within the Central Intelligence Agency tasked with reading books. Turner has three days to learn who killed his coworkers and why. Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, John Houseman and Max von Sydow also star.

Witness — (1985) When an Amish boy witnesses a murder tied to police corruption, the detective leading the murder investigation must flee to the boy’s family farm to evade corrupt cops. Harrison Ford stars as the honest cop in director’s Peter Weir’s story that is as much about bridging cultural differences as it is about a criminal conspiracy. The cast includes Danny Glover Josef Sommer, Alexander Godunov and Viggo Mortensen.