10 Greatest Movies About American Politics

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A Face In The Crowd is the story of a media personality who ascends in the world of politics by saying outrageous things that the public lap up because it’s such a difference from the norm. As he rises, he becomes a power-crazed egomaniac, a loose cannon who berates his staff and isolates those around him.

In this version of the unlikely political superpower, the folksy Larry Rhodes eventually gets his comeuppance after one offhand remark too many, so the realism slips away a little there, but Elia Kazan’s 1957 drama can be extrapolated to many political figures past, present, and no doubt future.

A pre-superstardom Andy Griffith stars as the kingmaking Larry Rhodes, and the performance is a superbly sinister twist on the folksy charm he leaned on for the rest of his career. Patricia Neal is also terrific as the radio journalist who makes Rhodes a star, then trembles over what she has unleashed on the world.

It’s not a subtle film, but the melodrama vibe is hugely enjoyable. We probably know everything A Face In The Crowd has to tell us, but it’s fascinating how little we’ve taken on board.