State as the Ultimate Oppressor

Carrying on on the same note as in my previous post - corporations as powerful antagonists in films -, I'd like to point out another "nemesis pattern" that has been given much attention in recent films (and not only) and which I can mark as one of my favourites: the state as the ultimate oppressive force and one of the most powerful adversaries imaginable. Not necessarily rigid in definition, state as a non-individual entity, an either limited or extended group of actors that in most cases hold a firm, over-authoritative control over a larger, subdued group, whose many of the human rights are severely jeopardized or brutally violated. A totalitarian regime, that is, which can go far beyond the political scope, as we'll see in some examples further on.

There are basically two types of movies that use the state as the instrument for creating the antagonist: on one side, movies based on real totalitarian regimes (including documentaries) or extensions of those regimes that can still be placed on the realm of non-fiction, while on the other side are movies that depict fictional regimes, many of them based on George Orwell's vision of a "perfect" totalitarian society and which, not surprisingly, have a strong presence of the science-fiction element, taking place in the future. 

Many of the films in the first category have become landmarks in cinematography and will probably remain so for decades to come: "Schindler's List", "The Pianist", "The Killing Fields", "The Lives of Others" are all examples of great movies that show what real fascism and communism looked like. The filmmakers' attitude is sharply pronounced, not hesitating to show the horrors endured by the victims in some of the most memorable scenes of all times. The usual outcome of the stories in these movies is rather grim, there's rarely any heroic action from the protagonists that induce severe blows to the regime (except perhaps in Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds", which can be placed in a genre of its own). Instead, the characters take part in a survival story, in a world of helplessness, where the truth is that you, as an individual, have no chance of taking down the regime and fixing all the injustice that has been done and instead you're forced to hide and survive in whatever ways possible. This lack of "vendetta" and the inability to make things right, to punish and get rid of the evil, leaves a profound feeling of revolt in many viewers. I am myself one of those viewers, for whom this kind of films stir the most powerful emotions - and, leaving aside the financial aspect, what's the most sought-after trait that a film can hope to achieve, if not that?

As if to make up for this induced frustration, movies in the second category - fictional regimes - have a different outcome. Although not a general rule, their stories revolve around one or a few exceptional individuals who, after surpassing enormous obstacles, manage eventually to defeat the regime or at least to ignite a powerful spark that will irreversibly lead to its downfall. Two shining examples of such stories can be found in the "Star Wars" and "The Matrix" series. Both focus on a protagonist unaware of its potential but who will become, aided by rebel factions, an essential element in destabilizing the ruling structures. Although "Star Wars" features a political, human-ruled regime (a galactic empire), "The Matrix" puts in charge a much darker and subtler ruler in the form of advanced robots that keep almost the entire human race in a completely docile state, unaware of its fate. What's even more fascinating about this story is shown in the complementary "Animatrix": the robots themselves had been slaves for humanity but eventually emancipated and took their turn as rulers.

A significant influence for the fictional totalitarian regimes is George Orwell's book, "Nineteen Eighty-Four", published back in 1949. If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend you to do so: you'll be amazed, shocked, furious and mind-blown at the same time. It's almost a textbook for implementing a truly dehumanizing totalitarian society, one which some filmmakers were eager to follow. There are even two film adaptations of the book, released in 1956 and 1984, respectively. My favourite two films inspired from the "1984" universe are "Brazil (1985)" (widely regarded as a classic masterpiece) and "V for Vendetta (2005)", the latter emphasizing once again Wachowski brothers' (who directed "The Matrix" as well) fascination with slavery and other forms of societal oppression. Other good examples in this category are "Equilibrium", "Dark City" and "THX 1138". These stories do not always have a happy ending: sometimes, the main character is a victim of their own delusions or futile efforts in overthrowing the system and escaping the society they hate so much, a pessimistic outcome which adds to the image of the totalitarian state as an inescapable monster which leaves no hope for the common citizen entrapped by it.

To conclude, I'd like again to list the movies that have been mentioned throughout this post and others that fit this topic. I'll split the list in two sections, real and fictional regimes. For each entry, I'll mention the character focus (whether the protagonist fighting against the regime is an individual or part of a group) and the final outcome (whether the regime is defeated or not as a result of the protagonists' actions). Since this may be my favourite movie topic, I would greatly appreciate any other suggestions, both as entries that should belong on the list and movies to watch.

Movie Title	Character Focus	Outcome
Real Regimes
Schindler’s List (1993)	Individual	Regime undefeated
The Pianist (2002)	Individual	Regime undefeated
The Killing Fields (1984)	Group	Regime undefeated
The Lives of Others (2006)	Group	Regime undefeated
The Grey Zone (2001)	Group	Regime undefeated
Shogun Assassin (1980)	Individual	Regime undefeated
The Tunnel (2001)	Group	Regime undefeated
Europa Europa (1990)	Individual	Regime undefeated
Defiance (2008)	Group	Regime undefeated
Valkyrie (2008)	Group	Regime undefeated
Train of Life (1998)	Group	Regime undefeated
La vita è bella (1997)	Group	Regime undefeated
Apocalypto (2006)	Individual	Regime undefeated
Braveheart (1995)	Individual	Regime undefeated
Fictional Regimes
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1956/1984)	Individual	Regime undefeated
V for Vendetta (2005)	Group	Regime overthrown
“Star Wars” series	Group	Regime overthrown
“The Matrix” series	Group	Regime overthrown
Brazil (1985)	Individual	Regime undefeated
Dark City (1998)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Equilibrium (2002)	Individual	Regime overthrown
The Hunger Games (2012)	Group	Regime undefeated
TRON: Legacy (2010)	Group	Regime overthrown
THX 1138 (1971)	Individual	Regime undefeated
They Live (1988)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Cloud Atlas (2012)	Group	Regime overthrown

Last but not least, video games too have their say when it comes to this topic. Many of them can rival films and books in terms of storytelling, especially since the story unfolds through the eyes of the main character, which is you, the player; it's more or less an interactive movie. Of the games in the "totalitarian state" topic that I've played, "Half-Life 2" truly stands out as one of the most beautiful and inspiring stories of its kind. The list below contains only games that I've played, so I'm sure there are plenty of other titles that belong there. As usual, your help is greatly appreciated!

Game Title	Character Focus	Outcome
Half-Life 2 (2004)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Dishonored (2012)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Fallout 3 (2008)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Rage (2011)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Outcast (1999)	Individual	Regime overthrown
Fable III (2010)	Individual	Regime overthrown
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)	Individual	Depends on player’s actions
Mirror’s Edge (2008)	Individual	Regime undefeated