Films by season & age - Power (Ages 15-18)

Seasons are a great way to explore different ideas through watching a group of films. Why not try watching all the films in a season and make some time for discussion. Topics and discussion points are included.

When used by unselfish people for positive ends, power can be a wonderful tool - but when it isn't, it can be destructive to everyone who comes into contact with it. In this FILM CLUB season based on the idea of Power, we present a collection of classic movies telling the stories of men and women who have held great power - kings and queens, businessmen and politicians - and what that power has done to them, and to the people around them.

In some, we find true heroes - for example, no-one who sees Gandhi will ever be able to forget the inspirational nature of the film. In others, however, we see what happens when power falls into the hands of less noble characters. And in classic films like Citizen Kane, what is portrayed is the result when someone sets out in life with the best intentions, only for power to get in the way.

Suggested Pair:

Why not watch Kevin MacDonald's brilliant The Last King of Scotland followed by Ian McKellan's incredible performance as Richard III, to see how power can corrupt two men alive almost 500 years apart - or contrast either with the powerful and uplifting Gandhi?

Talking Points:

In Citizen Kane, did you think that power changed Charles Foster Kane for the better or the worse?

In The Great Dictator, did you feel that the dictator "Hynkel" was a figure of fun, or did his ridiculous behaviour only make the power he had more frightening?

In Elizabeth, do you think Queen Elizabeth I used her power differently as a woman than she might have done as a man?

Guidance:
FILM CLUB would not recommend this season for a very young audience, but slightly older children should be able to deal with the films' themes much more easily.