Political thriller


A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of political power struggle. They usually involve various plots, rarely legal, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him from getting it. They can involve national or international political scenarios. World War II is a favorite scenario, as are US presidential elections. Authors of political thrillers include Jeffrey Archer and Daniel Silva.

The question is often asked "what makes a political thriller?" Eric Erik Lundegaard recently attempted a definition when reviewing the recent film The Interpreter, -

"The basic plot is an ordinary man pulling an innocent thread which leads to a mess of corruption. The corruption should be political or governmental in nature."[1].

Examples

One example of this genre of thriller is the recent film Munich,

"`Munich' is the latest in a long line of political thrillers"

Another more well established movie in this genre is All the President's Men although the book on which it is based is more properly regarded as non-fiction.

It may also be exemplified by the 1980 film "Agency", and in the thriller The Man from Majorca.

Perhaps the most obvious example of the political thriller in film is Oliver Stone’s critically acclaimed box-office hit JFK, which deals with the conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Lundegaard, Erik (1 August 2006). "The Manchurian movie - Who took the politics out of the political thriller?". MSNBC Movie Options. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7547900. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. 






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