Movies/Scenes Representing Institutional Evil

• Three Kings (1999)
  • The war machine grinds on after the war has ended. Kuwait may have been freed, but Iraqi rebels are tortured and killed, depending upon an American army which pulls out, having accomplished its task.
• Summer of Sam (1999)
  • The scene where Spike Lee interviews the folks in the black community for "the darker perspective" on the horror of the killings. The Son-of-Sam killings are only news because they are happening in the white neighborhoods. Similar events happen in the black neighborhoods all of the time, but they are "not news".
• The Green Mile (1999)
  • Percy as the Personification of Institutional Evil. (see review at Hollywood Jesus)
• The Confession (1999)
  • The conspiracy about the water - political "buying of others" - joy over others' misfortunes. (DVD ch 5)
  • The death of Stevie because of institutional malpractice, not individual immorality.
• The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
  • Joan is shocked to see the bloodshed her leadership has caused. (Dennis L. Zimmerman)
• Instinct (1999)
  • Institutional evil portrayed by "society" - the prison officials and guards, the "card game", those who hunt the gorillas, Ethan Powell's former participation in a lifestyle that hurt his family, Calder's unexamined participation in society.
• Three Kings (1999)
• Amistad (1997)
  • slavery/slave trade in U.S. history
• Devil's Advocate (1997)
  • Professional oaths are used as a substitute for moral responsibility.
• Dead Man Walking (1995)
  • An interesting exploration of the relationship between corporate and individual sin and evil.
• Shawshank Redemption (1994)
  • Cruelty of guards and of other prisoners as institutional evil within corrupt system.
• Natural Born Killers (1994)
  • Prison system, abusive family cycles, media glorification of violence, environmental violence are all described as contributing to the level of violence in our society.
• Quiz Show (1994)
  • Conversation between Goodwin and Geritol Sponsor: "Who does it hurt?" Lies at congressional committee hearing. (DVD chapter 24)
• The Stand (1994)
  • "The Government" as symbol for institutional evil. The first concern is to cover up the plague (sin/evil), not to attempt to save folks from it. (DVD part 1, chapter 4)
• Schindler's List (1993)
  • Holocaust, war, and Schindler's initial participation in them presented as institutional evil.
• At the River I Stand (1993)
  • "Memphis's 1300 sanitation workers formed the lowest caste of a deeply racist society, earning so little they qualified for welfare. In the film, retired workers recall the fear as they took on the entire white power structure when they struck for higher wages and union recognition...At the River I Stand succeeds in showing that the causes (and possibly the solutions) to our present racial quandary may well be found in what happened in Memphis. Its riveting portrait of the grit and determination of ordinary people will inspire viewers to rededicate themselves to racial and economic justice." (California Newsreel Official Site)
• Dead Poet's Society (1989)
  • Symbolized by the uniformity of the school and by Neil's father's insistence that his son go to medical school.
• Mississippi Burning (1988)
  • Ward: "He was guilty. Anyone's guilty who watches it happen and does nothing. He was guilty. Maybe we all are."
• The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
  • The developers bent on turning everything into a homogenous entity.
• Robocop (1987)
  • Technology and Corporate Evil. Ed209 is the robot that doesn't work but makes money for the developers. (Writer of Robocop understands this as a symbol of the American attitude in Vietnam brought to the urban situation. Names one of the scientists "MacNamara". [DVD commentary])
  • Verhoeven says in DVD commentary that he has RoboCop walk on water to emphasize the parallel with Jesus. Verhoeven is trying to make a comment about institutional religion - people who kill others in the name of Christ and in the name of their faith have somehow perverted God's/Christ's intention. He chuckles that he may not have accomplished what he intended.
• The Wall - Pink Floyd (1982)
  • "All we are is just another brick in the wall."
• Norma Rae (1979)
  • Conditions at the mill.
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
  • Nurse Ratched as the embodiment of the evil inherent in The Establishment, robbing others of humanity by their own complicity.
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
  • The representative of the the worn-out ship's owner insists on running the ship "full steam ahead" even though the ship needs to take on more ballast if it is to survive any kind of storm at all.
• On the Waterfront (1954)
  • See Theresa Shetler's paper, "'I’ll Be Back!' The Battle continues…On the Waterfront: Art Reflects Culture."
• The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
  • Tom Joad: If there was a law, they was workin' with maybe we could take it, but it ain't the law. They're workin' away our spirits, tryin' to make us cringe and crawl, takin' away our decency.

Index of Movie Titles

Index of Movie Themes