The Most Beautiful

Can outright propaganda lead to a great film experience? I think so. Mikhail Kalatozov’s Soy Cuba was nothing but propaganda for the Cuban Revolution, and it’s a remarkable watch. The problem in general, I think, is that the demands of propaganda and drama are almost always diametrically opposed. Drama requires certain stakes and potentialities that propaganda is naturally resistant towards. It also requires a certain level of subtlety that is anathema to propaganda. You don’t need a subtly ...