Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

Fighting Against the System

T h e P a r a l l a x V i e w a n d C a p t a i n A m e r i c a : T h e W i n t e r So l d i e r a s
Po l i t i c a l T h r i l l e r s
In comparison to other film genres, the political thriller is difficult to define and even

more challenging to analyse. Film critic Erik Lundegaard attempted to codify the genre as

“an ordinary individual pulling an innocent thread which leads to a mess of corruption.” 1

However, this definition could equally be applied to an espionage thriller or even film noir,

and excludes the idea of political conflict central to any political thriller’s plot. Another

attempt to formalize the genre places the political thriller within the broader and equally

nebulous genre of a thriller, defining it as “a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a

political power struggle.”2 This sweeping definition identifies the key component of all

political thriller plots, but simultaneously raises the thorny question of what exactly a

“thriller” constitutes.

To me, the most effective way to approach the genre is to isolate key elements and

themes that unite political thrillers across contexts, from the establishment of in genre with

Richard Cordon’s The Manchurian Candidate to the post-9/11 thrillers of the late 00s. As

viewers, we know a political thriller when we see one: the discovery of political corruption in

the highest levels of authority, the car chase through the city, the assassination attempt on

a powerful individual, the themes of betrayal and revenge, and the final stand-off, among

other conventions serve as the distinctive characteristics of the genre. Linking all of this is

the pervading theme of a lone individual fighting a corrupt system, motivated by a desire to

1 Lundegaard, Eric. "The Manchurian Movie." TODAY.com. TODAY, 02 Aug. 2006. Web. 11 June 2015.

2 "Spy Thrillers or Political Thrillers." Eleanor London Cte SaintLuc Public Library. Eleanor London Côte Saint-
Luc Public Library, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

expose corruption or uphold certain moral values. It is this specific idea of the individual

versus the system that connects Alan J. Pakula’s classic The Parallax View (1974) and the

Marvel Studios superhero blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Although

immensely different in tone, style, and artistic intent, both films serve as prime examples of

the political thriller genre. Through a critical analysis of one selected scene from each film,

it becomes clear that both films use the same formal elements of filmmaking in different

ways to hark back to the shared idea of the idealistic individual struggling against the

institutions of power that confine him.

Before delving into close analysis, it is important to first understand the political

context of each film. The Parallax View is the second installment of Pakula's “Political

Paranoia” trilogy, along with Klute (1971) and All the President's Men (1976). The three films

address similar themes, and can be viewed as a product of the cynicism and

disenfranchisement felt by many in a decade defined by events such as the Watergate

Scandal and the Vietnam War. The Parallax View begins with the murder of a politician on

the campaign trail in Seattle's Space Needle, followed by the near-instant death of the

alleged assassin. An investigative journalist digs deeper into the seemingly closed case and

discovers a shadowy organization, the Parallax Corporation, which is revealed to arrange

political assassinations.

Filmed 40 years later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an American superhero

blockbuster featuring the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the sequel to

2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and the ninth installment in the incredibly

successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It is important to note that the film was in

part inspired by the American political thrillers of the 70s. Speaking about the dual nature of
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

The Winter Soldier as a modern superhero film (itself a distinct genre) and a retro political

thriller, the president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige stated that “…There’s an opportunity to

graft almost sub-genres onto them. Our first Captain America film was a World War II

picture, and the next is a political thriller. They all have their own textures and patinas, and

that’s what is exciting about it.” Although The Winter Soldier certainly contains the one-

liners and fight scenes that one would expect from a superhero film, it also deals with

serious themes of omnipresent surveillance, drone strikes, and governmental misuse of

personal data that polarize the American political landscape today.

The chosen scenes both occur at similar points in each film. The protagonist has just

discovered the web of deceit and corruption within his respective institution. As a result, he

has become a target. The scenes show an attempt by the corrupt institution to silence or kill

the uncooperative protagonist. In The Parallax View, the protagonist is newspaper reporter

Joe Frady (Warren Beatty), who goes to the small town of Salmontail and narrowly survives

an attempt on his life below a dam. The scene opens with a extreme long establishing shot

showing the interesting location choice of a rocky riverbank with a huge grey dam looming

in the background. The rocks and the dam dwarf Joe and the sheriff, perhaps suggesting

implicitly that they are involved in a conspiracy of a huge scale involving a great number of

powerful people. Color is predominantly monotone, while the lighting creates sharp, dark

shadows on the sides of the rocks which dominate the visual frame. This has the effect of

making the landscape appear hostile, perhaps foreshadowing the conflict that Joe is about

to face. The choice of having a conflict scene at a distinctive landmark is one of the

conventions of the political thriller genre, whether it is the UN and Mount Rushmore in

Hitchcock’s North by Northwest or the Palace of Westminster in James McTeigue’s V for

Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

Vendetta. By setting this particular fight next to a huge dam, The Parallax View is no

different.

A cut to a medium shot of the sheriff from Joe’s point of view shows his appearance

in detail. His costume, with the wide-brimmed hat and the golden star on his chest

encourage the audience to instantly associate him with all the connotations associated with

a sheriff. Safety, justice, and the rule of law. However, the man’s smile tells another story. It

seems almost too wide. Pakula likely instructed the actor to intentionally adopt a fake smile

and exaggerated body movements. This is an example of “acting out acting”, and is a

feature of most political thrillers, due to the frequently hidden intentions of characters.

Shot reverse shot is then used to show Joe and the sheriff engaging in friendly

conversation. The sheriff even throws a bag with “lunch” to Joe as a gesture of wellbeing.

The high key lighting, the diegetic sound of the flowing stream and the relaxed, joking

voices of the characters create the illusion of cordiality, even when the audience is likely

aware that there are more

sinister forces at play due to

the context of the location (it

was where a witness to the

opening assassination died)

Scene from The Parallax View 27:01 to 30:16
and the peculiar behavior of the sheriff.

The tone of the scene abruptly changes with the introduction of a loud, blaring siren

emanating from the dam. The diegetic sound is presented as a warning siren before the

dam’s floodgates open, but it also serves as a literal warning to audiences, signalling that

something is amiss. The timbre of the siren is harsh and urgent, dominating our attention.
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

We see an establishing shot of the dam, presumably from Joe’s point of view, before cutting

to a close up of his face as he visibly becomes suspicious. We hear the sheriff’s voice but the

camera remains fixed on Joe’s face, highlighting his slow realization of the situation. The

use of sound coming from offscreen introduces another level of tension, as audiences are

prevented from seeing the body language and facial expressions of the sheriff, which would

have provided more clues regarding his intentions. At the same time, the blares of the siren

become subtly more frequent, mirroring the tension building up in the scene.

We return to two consecutive long shots showing that the floodgates on the dam

opening and water gushing out. At this point it is obvious what the sheriff wants, and both

characters know that the game is up. However, Joe delays the inevitable with the question

“Hey, what’s the news on your friend Buster?”, setting the sheriff up for his reply “Well…

actually there just ain’t no Buster.” This is followed by a medium shot of the sheriff pointing

his gun at Joe. The specific scenario of multiple characters knowing each other’s intentions

but still putting on a façade of ignorance is a very common feature of political thrillers, as it

serves to mount dramatic tension, which is used by screenwriters to drive the plot forward.

A rapid series of cuts follows, showing Joe injure the sheriff with his fishing pole. In

the sequence that follows, both Joe and the sheriff are swept down the river by the water

from the dam. The deafening sound of gushing water envelops everything, so that

audiences are able to hear nothing else. The shot of Joe struggling against the current is

profoundly symbolic, evoking his mighty struggle as an idealistic individual against an

entire corrupt system. As a journalist investigating a seemingly closed case, he is swept up

against his will into a conspiracy that stretches to the highest levels of the US government.

Like the river, the Parallax Corporation has no regard for anyone who gets in their way. The
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

use of a long, still shot almost reminds viewers of a nature documentary. It is only by closely

examining the shot that one can see the tiny splashes and flailing limbs of Joe and the

sheriff. The use of a telescoping lens also creates the illusion that the two men are covering

very little distance when in fact they are being propelled quite rapidly down the river,

completely out of control. It is as if Pakula wanted to distance the audience from the

struggle of the protagonist, perhaps to provide audiences with a sense of how the faceless

corporation sees individuals like Joe as insignificant pawns.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier contains an analogous scene that contains many

of the same elements as the scene described above. Around a third of the way into the film,

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is confronted by Defense Secretary Alexander Pierce (played by

Robert Redford in another nod to the political thrillers of the 70s), and asked to reveal

information regarding Nick Fury’s mysterious assassination. Remembering Fury’s dying

words of not trusting anybody, Steve refuses, and leaves Pierce’s office in a glass elevator.

The scene in question begins, like the scene in The Parallax View, with a long shot that

serves to establish the unique setting of a ultramodern, glass-panelled elevator in a high-

rise. One interesting visual element is the placement of Steve’s large iconic shield, which he

wears on his back in full view of everyone around him. Captain America is the embodiment

of the traditional American values of individual freedom and moral integrity. His costume

makes this extremely clear. This makes him the ideal counterweight to the utilitarian,

faceless, morally hazardous institution that he finds himself fighting against. In a sense, Joe

Frady in Parallax also fulfils this role. He is a reporter dedicated to the journalistic values of

finding the truth no matter what. Like Captain America, his values are clear and simple

when compared to the shadowy, complex motivations of those in the Parallax Corporation.
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

Before the elevator doors close, a handful of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including one that

the audience recognizes fought alongside Steve in the opening scene, walk into the

elevator, addressing Steve casually. Like the first shot of the sheriff in Parallax, the audience

is nudged to believe that something is amiss. The actor playing Rumlow, the lead agent,

displays an underlying sense of nervousness that audiences can pick up on, while the

regular reaction shots of Steve show that he too is sensing that something is wrong. Close

shots are used throughout this sequence, with a wide-angle lens and a shallow depth of

field. This serves to crowd the

frame with bodies, emphasizing

the lack of space inside the

confined elevator and evoking a

sense of claustrophobia in the audience. The

Scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier
45:55 to 49:05
sense of confinement, like the river in

Parallax, reflects the experience of Steve as he continues to be pressured by S.H.I.E.L.D to

conduct tasks that he is not comfortable with. It could also be interpreted as a symbol for

the gradual tightening of Hydra’s hold on S.H.I.E.L.D.

The elevator stops several more times, and more agents enter. There are several

brief point of view shots that show Steve noticing various aspects of the agents that signal

impending danger. A hand tightening on a pistol, a bead of sweat dripping down an agent’s

face. Each shot serves the same function as the blaring siren in Parallax, alerting audiences

to the inevitable attack and building dramatic tension. Interspersed between these point of

view shots are shots of Rumlow “casually” chatting with Steve, who replies with stiff, one

word answers. The deliberate contrast between the nonchalant conversation and the

obvious incoming danger plays on audience expectations. Like Joe and the sheriff in
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

Parallax, both parties are merely putting on a façade, leaving their true intentions hidden

for now. This idea of hidden intentions is reinforced visually by the constant movement of

bodies and heads in front of the camera, obscuring Steve’s face. We never see Steve in a

direct, frontal, close shot. Part of the frame is always obscured in some way, and the

framing is slightly off centre.

Just like in Parallax, after the door closes for the last time on the packed elevator,

Chris delays the inevitable fight with the line “Before we get started. Does anyone want to

get out?” as a means of subverting the element of surprise of the agents. This is

immediately followed by a visually intense fight scene between Chris and the 8 agents

within the confines of the elevator. While the choreography and editing of the fight is

stunning and worthy of close analysis, we will focus here on the fight’s relationship with the

political thriller genre. Steve is quite literally swarmed by the agents, who attempt to hold

him and take turns stabbing him with electric weapons. They are all wearing the same black

costume, and aside from Rumlow, they audiences have no knowledge of their names,

identities or backgrounds. Captain America, on the other hand, stands out as a beacon of

red, white and blue. He is instantly recognizable both within the movie universe and in

reality. Instead of relying on technologically advanced weapons, he is using one of the

oldest pieces of equipment used in battle, the shield. The entire fight can be interpreted as

a condensed representation of the idealistic individual versus the faceless system. In the

end, Captain America emerges triumphant, forshadowing his victory over Hydra at the end

of the movie.

The Parallax View and Captain America: The Winter Soldier may be movies that seem

wildly different at first glance, but they both adhere closely to the rules of the same genre.
Joshua Lam – Introduction to Film – James Rosenow

Through this analysis it is evident that even a close look at a single key scene is sufficient to

reveal a number of similarities in terms of theme and film elements. Both films present a

disguised assassination attempt on the protagonist as a symbolic representation of the

individual fighting against the system.

Sources
Lundegaard, Eric. "The Manchurian Movie." TODAY.com. TODAY, 02 Aug. 2006. Web. 11 June 2015.

"Spy Thrillers or Political Thrillers." Eleanor London Cte SaintLuc Public Library. Eleanor London Côte
Saint-Luc Public Library, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015.

Hill, John. "Hidden Agenda: Politics and the Thriller." Circa No. 57 (1991): 36-41. JSTOR. Web. 12 June 2015

Aguado, Virginia Luzón. "FILM GENRE AND ITS VICISSITUDES: THE CASE OF THE
PSYCHOTHRILLER." Atlantis 24.1 (2002): 163-72. JSTOR. Web. 12 June 2015.