The (Geopolitical) Movies That Made Us

Episode Overview

• The hosts conduct a draft of their all-time favorite geopolitical movies, establishing specific categories to frame their discussion and selections.
• They define a "geopolitical" film as one with a broader strategic or political context, distinguishing it from simple war or action movies.
• The conversation spans a wide variety of genres, from classic dramas like Casablanca and historical epics like The Last of the Mohicans to sci-fi like Dune and modern propaganda like Wolf Warrior 2.
• Throughout the draft, the hosts analyze how these films have both reflected and shaped real-world history, nationalism, and international relations.

Key Concepts

• Defining Geopolitical Cinema: A movie is considered geopolitical if it contains a broader strategic or political context beyond just depicting conflict, focusing on themes like nation-building, ideology, or competition for power.
• Drafting Categories: The hosts classify their movie picks into six primary categories: War, Spies, Collapse, Insurgency, Incompetence, and Flags, with an additional category of Resources proposed for films centered on natural resource competition.
• Nation-Building and Nationalism: A recurring theme is how films like The Last of the Mohicans and Braveheart depict the birth of nations and explore "romantic nationalism" in contrast to the detached calculations of empires.
• Fiction as Geopolitical Allegory: The use of fictional worlds, as seen in Dune, is discussed as a powerful method for exploring complex, large-scale geopolitical concepts without the constraints of real-world history.
• Film's Real-World Impact: The conversation highlights how certain films, such as Braveheart and Wolf Warrior 2, have had tangible effects on real-world politics, influencing national identity and even defining foreign policy terminology.
• Humanizing Espionage: The hosts praise films like The Good Shepherd for portraying intelligence officers as complex human beings, moving beyond the common "tortured man" trope found in the spy genre.
• Historical Turning Points: Several films are chosen for their depiction of pivotal historical events with massive geopolitical consequences, such as the French and Indian War (The Last of the Mohicans) and the Nazi Anschluss (The Sound of Music).

Quotes

• At 0:21 - "...what movies made the biggest imprint on us as geopolitical minds." - The host sets the stage for the episode's theme, explaining they will discuss films that shaped their geopolitical thinking.
• At 1:10 - "A movie that focuses on like a platoon stuck in Afghanistan fighting off Taliban, is that geopolitical? No, it's a good movie... but is it geopolitical? Meh, probably not." - The host clarifies that for a film to be "geopolitical," it must contain a broader strategic or political context beyond just depicting conflict.
• At 2:11 - "What are flags about? Nation building, romantic nationalism, birth of a nation." - The host provides a clear definition for the "Flags" category, one of the six unique frameworks the hosts will use to classify their movie picks.
• At 4:46 - "I think that the greatest movie of all time is also the greatest geopolitical movie of all time... This movie is Casablanca." - Jacob makes his first, bold pick for the draft, equating the film's iconic status with its profound geopolitical significance.
• At 10:07 - "It's very difficult to make a movie about the entire world throughout history forever. You have to create a fake world to do that. And that's what the books do, and what movies try to do. And that's why this is perhaps the greatest geopolitical movie..." - Marko explains why a sci-fi film like Dune is a perfect vehicle for exploring complex, large-scale geopolitical themes in a simulated environment.
• At 26:17 - "It shows America being born on the battlefield between France and the United Kingdom for the control of North America." - The speaker explains his view that The Last of the Mohicans is fundamentally about the birth of a nation.
• At 26:28 - "I personally think the French and Indian War, as it's called, is the most important war perhaps in human history." - The host emphasizes the massive geopolitical consequences of the war depicted in the film, arguing it shaped the modern world.
• At 27:17 - "France and the United Kingdom are fighting as equals, as empires and as gentlemen... Whereas the Americans and the Native Americans are fighting as lovers, as fathers, as patriots, and they're fighting with that romantic nationalism." - Describing the central dichotomy in The Last of the Mohicans between the detached European powers and the personally invested inhabitants of the New World.
• At 29:24 - "When you hear Magua's story, why he's so hell-bent on violence, you sympathize with him." - Discussing the moral complexity of the villain in The Last of the Mohicans, where even the antagonist's motivations are made understandable.
• At 30:02 - "The wild takes you. That's the point of the movie." - Summarizing the film's core theme that the environment and circumstances of the "New World" fundamentally change people, regardless of their European origins.
• At 58:17 - "Fuck like John le Carré or like, oh, I'm a tortured man who must... you know, shut up already for God's sakes." - Marko expresses his dislike for the overly dramatic spy trope while praising The Good Shepherd for its more human approach.
• At 59:04 - "My next one for my palate cleanser... is The Sound of Music." - Jacob announces his surprising but well-received pick for a lighter geopolitical film.
• At 59:35 - "It meant you lose everything. It meant you lose your nice house, you lose your, you know, nice cars, your relationships." - Jacob discusses the real-world stakes of defying the Nazis, a central theme in The Sound of Music.
• At 1:01:34 - "It literally single-handedly increased nationalism in Scotland." - Marko comments on the real-world geopolitical impact of the film Braveheart, despite its historical inaccuracies.
• At 1:07:01 - "If you want to understand the phrase 'Wolf Warrior diplomacy,' you have to go watch Wolf Warrior." - Jacob explains the cultural and political significance of the Chinese action film Wolf Warrior 2 in defining modern Chinese foreign policy.
• At 1:13:11 - "The reality that you need men like me to be on that line." - After playing a famous clip from A Few Good Men, Marko summarizes the core geopolitical argument of the film regarding necessary evils for national security.

Takeaways

• Look beyond a film's surface-level plot to uncover its deeper geopolitical messages about power, ideology, and national identity.
• Recognize that even historically inaccurate films can have a tangible and significant impact on real-world nationalism and political discourse.
• Use science fiction and fantasy films as frameworks for understanding complex geopolitical systems in a simplified, allegorical manner.
• Pay attention to films that, despite not being overt political thrillers, offer profound insight into historic events by focusing on the personal costs of political change.
• To understand modern geopolitical rhetoric, consume the cultural products that coined or popularized key terms, such as China's "Wolf Warrior diplomacy."
• The most insightful geopolitical stories often embrace moral complexity, forcing the audience to understand the motivations of all sides in a conflict.
• Appreciate how a single historical event depicted in a film can be a nexus point with cascading global consequences that shape the modern world.
• Explore a wide variety of genres, from musicals to animated documentaries, as they each provide a unique lens for understanding geopolitical events.
• Acknowledge that personal background and taste heavily influence which geopolitical narratives and themes will resonate most strongly.