Fascism on Film Podcast

In the Season 2 finale of "Fascism on Film," James and Teal break down the 2024 film, "I'm Still Here." Walter Salles' look at Brazil under military dictatorship in the 1970s is a chilling reminder that what was once another nation's past, strikes an eerily similar note to what we've allowed ourselves to occur in the present. "I'm Still Here" tells the true story of one Brazilian family that seemingly has it all until one day, authoritarianism catches up with them. Enjoy this episode, and James and Teal will return in 2026 with an all new season. 

 1977's "A Special Day" is a heartfelt romance of Hitler and Mussolini’s infamous cementing of their two nations culminated in a 24-hour Roman holiday. No, but it is set on the same day as that day-long event. However, in the Roman suburbs, we get a different meeting of two mismatched strangers, Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren bring a story of humanity and heartbreak set amidst the backdrop of a political ideology that doesn’t allow homosexuality. "A Special Day" is a masterwork of cinema, and a dive into a world under fascism's rule.

In this episode, James and Teal tackle Ari Aster’s "Eddington," a dark, surprising film set in the earliest days of COVID—when fear, isolation, and conspiracy thinking were reshaping the country in real time. They discuss Joaquin Phoenix’s unraveling sheriff, the town’s descent into misinformation, and the chaotic final act that blurs the line between protest and false-flag operation. It’s one of Aster’s most unsettling films, and a direct reflection on the world we’re living in now.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" is both a thrilling action film, and a mirror-holding look at current American society. Baked into its absurdist right vs. leftist fantasy are truths about how each side views the other. Anderson doesn't let anyone off the hook, as he finds the humor in taking each side to a comical extreme.  Make no mistake, through the humor of "One Battle After Another," it's clear who the villains are, and who pulls the strings. As we see our country move closer and closer to one ruled by a small number of wealthy white elites, some of the craziness that unfolds in this movie doesn't feel quite so far-fetched.  Although filmed prior to the current administration, Anderson clearly knew where the country was headed, and he becomes one of the first filmmakers to tackle our current political situation head-on.  This week we examine the first of two modern U.S. filmmaker takes on America today. We'll break down the other in our next episode.

Released just months after Hitler came to power, "Hans Westmar" stands as one of the earliest cinematic expressions of Nazi ideology. Ostensibly a biopic of Horst Wessel—the Sturmabteilung (SA) activist turned martyr whose death became a rallying cry for the Nazi movement—the film dramatizes the transformation of a young man from aimless nationalist to disciplined Nazi believer. But more than a tale of political awakening, "Hans Westmar" is a ritualized myth of sacrifice: a cinematic hymn to obedience, struggle, and death in the service of the Volk. This episode dissects the film’s calculated use of martyrdom, racialized othering, and aestheticized violence to forge the ideal fascist subject. What does it mean to “die for Germany”? Who is seen as the enemy within? And how does the myth of redemptive bloodshed sustain fascist ideology on screen?