External Site On Narratives Of Revolution
Brzechczyn (2012) portrays the Solidarnosc 1980-1981 activity as an
ultimately failed attempt to build an egalitarian society, with its
ideological legacy being quenched by the Martial Law (1981-1983) and
replaced with the neoliberal capitalist enthusiasm present in the US and
Western Europe. This replacement of the ideological “high” with the
capitalist hunger as the leading force behind the Polish society’s
political (voting) decisions ultimately deepened the divergence of
socio-economic statuses and ultimately (a few decades later) contributed
to the present-day silent acceptance of the abandonment of the liberal
democracy tenets.
Similarly, Cilento (2015) points to the characterization of Saavedra, the protagonist of No,
as an early predictor of the disillusionment that is to come after the
celebration of Pinochet’s defeat during the 1989 referendum. As he
writes, “Saavedra demonstrates a … lack of passion for his country’s
future,” which manifests itself in his detached disposition towards “the
cheering crowds in the streets of Santiago”; “he remains impassible and
detached” (Cilento, 2015). The author claims the protagonist is already
aware of “the sociopolitical vacuum he helped to create” (ibid.).
In this assignment, please try to navigate the discourses of revolutionary narratives on the basis of the three films. What
fuels the revolutionary hope for egalitarianism (for anything else?)?
What is enticing to you (if there’s anything like that) about such
stories since, despite their appeal, the real-life political choices (of
the groups holding power and of the voters) cancel out the possibility
of such a change to happen? What other narratives of revolutions can you
find in film?
A helpful source might be Michel Foucault’s short text “It is useless
to revolt?” (1979). You will find the official version at
library.webster.edu, or, optionally, you may access it here (Links to an external site.).
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Length: at least two pages
References: to the three films, Cilento (2015), Brzechczyn (2012), and at least one more text source
Formatting: Times New Roman 12, single spaced, online submission only, APA formatting.