Welcome to The Movie Racket, a new Filmspotting production hosted by Michael Phillips.

Each week, we’ll test a so-called "law" of cinema — a bit of received wisdom about how movies work, or don’t. For our debut episode, actor Michael Shannon joins the show to examine a provocative claim from François Truffaut: that every film about war ends up being pro-war.

Is it true that a movie about combat, survival, and heroism can never escape the pull of spectacle and the way cinema inevitably renders violence compelling? Shannon reflects on that inherent tension and revisits his experience working on Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor, a film that presents this question of representation head-on.

So: was Truffaut right? Or does cinema allow for something more complicated than a binary verdict? Join the conversation at movieracket@filmspotting.net.

Welcome to The Movie Racket, a new Filmspotting production hosted by Michael Phillips.
Each week, we&rsquo;ll test a so-called "law" of cinema &mdash; a bit of received wisdom about how movies work, or don&rsquo;t.&nbsp;For our debut episode, actor Michael Shannon joins the show to examine a provocative claim from Fran&ccedil;ois Truffaut: that every film about war ends up being pro-war.
Is it true that a movie about combat, survival, and heroism can never escape the pull of spectacle and the way cinema inevitably renders violence compelling?&nbsp;Shannon reflects on that inherent tension and revisits his experience working on Michael Bay&rsquo;s&nbsp;Pearl Harbor, a film that presents this question of representation head-on.
So: was Truffaut right? Or does cinema allow for something more complicated than a binary verdict? Join the conversation at <a href="mailto:movieracket@filmspotting.net">movieracket@filmspotting.net</a>.

Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).

New and classic movie reviews and top 5 lists.

Filmspotting

Is there really no such thing as an anti-war movie?

"Every film about war ends up being pro-war" with Michael Shannon | The Movie Racket

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f5bd550f-dfcb-48c5-8ef6-b4850027c9dc/transcript