Movies where the thematic elements revolve around a group of people banding together against an oppressive force, but not really a chosen one style story. I have Braveheart in mind but I don't know if that really hits the same notes, because so much of it is also a love revenge story.
Luke Skywalker's story is definitely a chosen one style story. He's the son of the big bad guy!
Kinda? His arc is mostly self contained. He doesn't have any particular role in actually destroying the second death star. That's one of the things i like about the ot - the space wizard plot and the military plot move in tandem but aren't really dependent on one another.
There's The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) about the Irish war of independence. Tierra y Libertad (1995) is good too, about the Spanish civil war. Both are directed by Ken Loach even. Good movies, very level depictions of them without showing anyone as being a superhero. Ken Loach is good at showing humanity.
I've not seen any other of Ken Loach's films, but The Wind that Shakes the Barley is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching movies I've ever seen. I'm not a big crier but I was in tears at the end of it.
Ken was expelled from the Labour party as part of the leftwing purge following Sir Keith's coronation, so that gives you a decent idea of his beliefs.
He is one of the most important directors of recent times, his films (and tv work) are acute depictions of the struggles and fight facing the working classes. Brutally emotional at times but never mawkish, just utterly honest.
There’s The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
Just watched this today on your rec. It was very good.
Thank you, I appreciate that! It really is a beautiful movie. Art is best when it makes you feel empty.
Braveheart gets so close - as long as you don't think too hard about how all of the named characters are nobles and all of the people dying by the hundreds are peasants.
Altered Carbon was pretty good. Maybe Handmaid's Tale too? Haven't seen enough to know aboot that.e: didn't know about the bigotry of the authors of those properties- ignore my suggestion.
How the fuck can you write a story about people swapping bodies and genders like used condoms and be a terf?
Eclipse Phase draws heavily on Takeshi Kovacs. It differs in being explicitly pro-trans and directly discussing how transhumanism and specifically the ability to change bodies or drasticly re-work your existing body resulted in a great deal of gender liberation. But it's a horror setting, so the psychological shock of being sleeved in to a body that doesn't fit your self-identity, or for some people the experience of sleeving in a cybernetic or entirely machine body, can be extremely distressing with serious psychological consequences. It's the only game or sci-fi setting I've ever heard of where a standard combat action is doing time-accelerated therapy with your ai psychologist so you can cope with the horrific thing you just witnessed and get back in to the firefight instead of going in to shock.
Oof that sucks. I saw Altered Carbon on Netflix a long while ago and thought it was decent story; it's hard pressed to find media about revolutionary resistance to fascist regimes or dystopias. Resistance is always individualized against "bad actors" or finding coping mechanisms of living under despotic regimes in entertainment media.
(e:Netflix's Rebellion might be more of the revolutionary taste)
How in god's name can you write an entire story about body-swapping and be a terf?!?! Jfc is there something in the water?!
It also pulls the goes too far cliche for anyone trying to stop the bad things from happening and it almost instantly goes full :awooga: :libertarian-alert: :hypersus: from the start and presents it Gambo style.
:im-doing-my-part: Starship Troopers!
Serious suggestion: The Battle for Algiers
The Battle for Algiers
Apparently the writer for this is the same as the writer for State of Siege, which was recommended elsewhere in the replies. Neat link.
Elysium is a really bad good movie or a really good bad movie. I find myself thinking about it frequently despite being aware of its many shortfalls (white savior complex and Jodie Foster's career-worst performance as a rightwinger's vision of Hilldawg for instance).
The Bader-Meinhof Complex (2008) is about the Red Army Faction
Shock Troops (1967) is about the Maquis in Vichy France
State of Siege (1972) is about the Tupamaros in Uruguay abducting Dan Mitrione.
Out of these three, State of Siege is the by far the coolest.
I did watch Baader Meinhof many, many years ago. I was probably too young to get it at the time and maybe it merits a rewatch.
State of Siege sounds very intriguing and I hadn't heard of the event that it's based on.
Ty for the recs.
