Hello my followers and anyone else who happens upon this post. Welcome to a new entry in a new series where I recommend great movies for anarchists.
About "Movies for Anarchists"
In this series, I won't just be exploring films with an overt pro-liberty message. All of them will at least contains seeds of that message, but the most important factor I'll be looking for is whether the movie challenges the audience to think about freedom.
I'm going to try to keep these reviews generally spoiler-free because I want you to watch these movies. But I also want to give you a taste of each film's libertarian content, so mild spoilers will follow.
Without any further ado, here's today's entry:
Captain America: Civil War (2017)
It's been catastrophe after catastrophe in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many people are becoming afraid because of the actions of super heroes. The government decides to push for the Sokovia Accords, named after the city that was destroyed in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The new law would limit a superhero's actions and demand that the Avengers can only go on missions that have U.N. approval.
This causes a rift in The Avengers, some heroes side with the government and others believe that they should remain autonomous. Iron Man stands with this Accords, claiming that their actions must be kept in check otherwise they're "no different from the bad guys", but Captain America believes that the "safest hands" are still their own. The disagreement escalates into a battle between Team Iron Man (Iron Man, Black Panther, Vision, Black Widow, War Machine, and Spider-Man) and Team Captain America (Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant Man) while a new villain emerges.
What makes this a great movie for anarchists?
If Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the movie where Steve Rogers becomes a libertarian, this is the movie where he becomes an anarchist.
Rogers has learned from his past experience with S.H.I.E.L.D. that governments cannot be trusted to make the right call, as he demonstrates in this conversation where the Avengers are debating the Accords.
James Rhodes: I'm sorry. Steve. That... That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA.
Steve Rogers: No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change.
Tony Stark: That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing.
Steve Rogers: Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.
Rogers clearly recognizes the supremacy of individual choice. Individuals still make mistakes, but freedom is worth those mistakes. Without their freedom to choose, they're nothing more than super cops. They may be made to enforce laws and decrees that they disagree with. They may not be allowed to save some people who need saving. They would be at the mercy of a committee with its own agendas.
I know I wouldn't be comfortable handing any government a weapon as powerful as The Avengers, and neither is Captain America.
Of course, Rogers is right. They meet a new challenge in the film that isn't what the government think it is and they're forced to act outside of the law to keep the wrong man from getting arrested, or worse, killed.
Later in the movie, Clint Barton (Hawkeye) remarks:
Clint Barton: The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you, whether your like it or not.
The comment is directed at Stark, but could easily be made at any governing body. Governments are only there to make choices for us, because they think they know what's best (whether we like it or not.)
Spoilers Ahead!
I know I said I want to keep these articles as spoiler-free as possible, but I would miss some of the best anarchist content in the film if I didn't talk about the end.
After the fight has ended and the dust has settled, Captain America realizes something: He isn't Captain America. In a petty attempt to gain back some ground after being bested, Iron Man demand that Rogers gives him the shield: "My father made that shield" he says. Steve drops his star-spangled shield without any hesitation, because that isn't who he is anymore. In his final words to Tony Stark, he says (in a letter):
Steve Rogers: I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere, even in the army. My faith's in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but maybe they shouldn't. [...] Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do. I know you're doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should...
Steve Rogers believes in individuals and individual action. He doesn't represent The Avengers, he doesn't represent America, he doesn't represent anyone but himself, and he will fight for what he believes in. That's all anyone can do.
It looks like the next movie (Avengers: Infinity War) proves me right. Steve Rogers has dropped the mantle of Captain America: he no longer has the shield and the star is torn out of his suit.
He's just an individual trying to do what's right.
~Seth
Other Movies for Anarchists:
- Serenity (2005)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)