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Though the concept of propaganda does not necessarily imply negative connotations, the very concept of it is traditionally considered with a grain of salt. There are good reasons for that – unlike objective reasoning, propaganda affects people on the subconscious level, implanting specific ideas into their heads without the audience’s recognition of the process.
However, in some cases, propaganda may lack subtlety and at the same time be outstandingly efficient, as the case of Sicko, a Canadian movie rendering the notorious issue of healthcare, shows in a very graphic manner.
Despite using rather simplistic propaganda techniques and devices, such as Beautiful People and Flag-Waving, the movie manages to get the key idea of the major flaws at the very core of the current healthcare system in a very clear and convincing manner. Since the movie incorporates two powerful propaganda techniques, the key idea of the film is conveyed directly to the viewer and spelled out in a rather subtle manner, therefore, making a huge impact on the audience.
A closer look at the propaganda techniques, which were used I the movie, will reveal that the director, in fact, did not invent anything new – the approaches chosen for displaying the problems with the healthcare system of the 21st century have been in existence since the dawn of times.
To be more specific, the strategy known as the Beautiful People propaganda is used quite actively in the movie the film portrays one of its protagonists in an extraordinarily positive manner, turning the real-life person into a near cardboard character.
The case of Tommy Douglas and Tony Bern is depicted in an extraordinarily favorable light for Bern’s character, which makes the argument a touch aggressive Indeed, the character is rather flat; this is the typical hero that will save the day and reinvent the society entirely, therefore, leading to a major change within.
Bern even speaks in clichéd phrases that are supposed to imply more than they actually mean: “If we can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people” (Sicko 00:31:44). One must admit, though, that the given technique is rather efficient; Bern is the kind of character that the audience traditionally roots for, the wise man with intrinsic qualities of a leader and an innovator, who fights for justice and wellbeing of people. Therefore, the propaganda strategy under consideration works impeccably.
Another obvious type of propaganda, which is used in Sicko, concerns the feeling of righteousness. Defined rather sharply as Flag-Waving in the existing nomenclature of propaganda strategies, the above-mentioned approach presupposes that the audience should relate to the character, who discloses a plot against humanity and, therefore, saves the humankind by displaying the truth to all those concerned.
The elements of flag-waving though quite subtle ones, can be spotted in such lines as “Why, in a free country, shouldn’t he be able to have health insurance and exercise his First Amendment right to run me into the ground?” (Sicko 1:15:03).
Despite the fact that the movie does not send any direct messages concerning the subject matter, the ones that are implied are conveyed in a very strong and efficient manner because of the choice of the propaganda technique.
While Sicko cannot be called a very subtle movie, and its premise can be seen miles away, it still manages to make a good impression by choosing the propaganda techniques known as Beautiful People and Flag-Waving. Allowing for creating a powerful message and delivering it to the audience, the specified strategies make the movie a propaganda success.
Works Cited
Sicko. Ed. Prod. Michael Moore. Santa Monica, CA: Lionsgate, 2007 DVD.
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