Image credit: Wildwood Enterprises, MGM, Harbor Productions, Paramount Pictures, Warwick Film Productions, Fantasy Films, Artists Entertainment Complex, Columbia Pictures
70s were an era filled, perhaps surprisingly, with some really gripping political dramas.
These films may be oldies, but they're still goodies, especially in today's context.
1. All the President's Men (1976) This classic stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. They stumble upon a burglary at the Democratic National Committee HQ and gradually unveil a massive conspiracy that reaches all the way to the White House. They're guided by the mysterious informant "Deep Throat," who urges them to "follow the money."
The duo faces threats, dubious editors, and a maze of deception, but journalism prevails.
2. Network (1976) Ever screamed, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore"? That line originates from this film. Anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch) goes bonkers on live television after learning he's about to be fired. Instead of sinking into oblivion, the ratings soar.
The media executives, led by Diane Christensen (Faye Dunaway), decide to exploit Howard's newfound "prophet of the airwaves" persona for their own gains. Howard's rants become increasingly unhinged, but hey, as long as the ratings are good, who cares about ethics, right?
3. The Parallax View (1974) Warren Beatty plays Joe Frady, a journalist investigating a suspicious organization called the Parallax Corporation. Joe's old flame Lee has witnessed a political assassination and suspects she's next on the hit list. Joe dives into the rabbit hole after her death, uncovering a chilling recruitment process for political assassins. The deeper he goes, the crazier it gets.
4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Jack Nicholson stars as Randle McMurphy, a convict who fakes insanity to avoid hard labor and gets sent to a mental institution. There he encounters Nurse Ratched, a tyrannical figure embodying the repressive system. McMurphy tries to rally the patients, encouraging rebellious acts like secret parties and fishing trips.
The climax is intense, involving electroshock therapy and a tragic escape attempt that'll leave you heartbroken. The power dynamics here are a biting critique of the system.
5. Serpico (1973) Al Pacino plays Frank Serpico, an NYPD cop who simply won't stand for corruption within the force. He tries to blow the whistle but faces isolation and scorn from his colleagues. From drug money skimming to unwarranted police brutality, the extent of corruption is sickening. He eventually takes his case to The New York Times, risking his life in the process.
6. The China Syndrome (1979) Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, and a nuclear power plant mishap. Fonda plays a TV reporter, Kimberly Wells, and Douglas is her cameraman, Richard Adams. They witness an accident at a nuclear plant but find their footage seized. Lo and behold, they discover that a meltdown (the "China Syndrome") could "render an area the size of Pennsylvania uninhabitable."
Corporate greed and public safety clash as the duo races against time to expose the truth, facing everything from legal threats to car chases.
7. The Conversation (1974) Good old Gene Hackman, playing Harry Caul, a surveillance expert. He records a seemingly benign conversation between a couple in a park. But as he listens repeatedly, he becomes convinced that the couple is in danger. Harry, who usually remains detached from his work, finds his morality and paranoia wrestling with each other. The tension peaks when he discovers a hidden layer in the recording that hints at a murder plot.
Cue sleepless nights and a dismantled apartment in Harry's quest to solve the puzzle.
8. Three Days of the Condor (1975) Robert Redford is back, but this time as a CIA researcher Joe Turner (code name: Condor). After returning from lunch, he finds all his co-workers dead. Panicked and on the run, he kidnaps a woman, Kathy, played by Faye Dunaway, and holes up in her apartment.
The CIA is onto him, but who in the agency can he trust? He starts decoding the conspiracy — one involving Middle Eastern oil fields — and it's a race against time as the noose tightens.
9. The Day of the Jackal (1973) "The Jackal" is a professional killer hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. We follow his meticulous planning, from crafting a custom sniper rifle to adopting disguises. Meanwhile, the French police, led by detective Lebel, scramble to catch him. The tension is culminating in a showdown during a public event where de Gaulle is present. Will the Jackal pull off the unthinkable?
10. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Al Pacino stars as Sonny, a guy who tries to rob a bank to fund his lover's gender transition surgery. However, the robbery goes hilariously south. Sonny finds himself in a hostage situation with a bank full of eccentric characters. As the media and police surround the bank, Sonny becomes a folk hero. The situation escalates, negotiations are botched, and it all ends in a police shootout.
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