The Ministry of Film

Carolina and Robin go down under to discuss the feminist classic that is Jane Campion's The Piano (1993). Politics include: life in the 1800s being pretty sucky for women, the unbearable weight of English cricket club politics being transferred to a small village in New Zealand, the on-the-ground horrors of colonialism, and how falling in love with Harvey Keitel may be harder than it seems. Plus the most haunting music you've ever heard played on an empty beach. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina take a detour from the usual schedule to talk about THE blockbuster of the summer, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Politics include: 3,000 of theorising about Odysseus' motives, the MAGA right-wing press going bonkers at the film, and the small matter of the politics of the Olympus getting in the way of our hero getting back to Ithaca. Plus that Trojan horse. If you want to keep engaging with the Cyclops-style amount of commentary about the film and the epic poem, here are some recommendations from R+C: Classicist and Translator Emily Wilson's review of the Odyssey film (spoiler, she didn't love it) The film The Return for those looking for a more faithful adaptation of the second part of the poem (or at least Ralph Fiennes looking stacked) The film O'Brother Where Art Thou? by the Coen Brothers, a satirical, loosely adapted version of the Odyssey The BBC's In Our Time episode on The Odyssey - A classic on a classic If you liked the Odyssey and want to delve deeper into the classics, Robin recommends Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid as follow up epic poems to follow For the mega nerds out there, check out the oldest piece of narrative literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh - Hollywood: you know what to do. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin come back for part two of their deep dive into the heart of darkness of New York City, a young angry man, and rampant capitalism. Politics include: Bobby de Niro raging his own Vietnam War on the streets of New York during the grossest-looking bin strike; young prostitute Iris creeping the heck out of viewers; the slimy US politics of the mid 1970s, which have not changed all that much; and a load of over-glamourised military paraphernalia. Plus Carolina's rant about making these films disappear off our screens for a bit. Please. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina stay in the depths of New York City, this time looking at all-time loser incel Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese's seminal Taxi Driver. There was so much to say that, for the first time, the episode will be split into two parts. Politics include: Bobby de Niro raging his own Vietnam War on the streets of New York during the grossest-looking bin strike; young prostitute Iris creeping the heck out of viewers; the slimy US politics of the mid 1970s, which have not changed all that much; and a load of over-glamourised military paraphernalia. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin step into the world of the 90s New York Italian mafia (with a side of daddy issues) in Luc Besson's 'Léon: The Professional'. Politics include: Italians called Fat Tony leading the New York underworld; corrupt cops played by Gary Oldman skimming off the top of said underworld; and a deserved swipe at the Donald Trump types sitting comfortably on top of all that. And a 12-year-old girl learning to become a killer. For the first time, we're not just in your ears but also your eyes! Tell us how you like it, and as ever, thank you for bearing with us while we get our heads around this incredibly new technology. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

'Alice had got so much into the way of expecting nothing but out-of-the-way things to happen, that it seemed quite dull for life to go on in the common way' Robin and Carolina come back from their brief hiatus to discuss not one, but two Alice's Adventures in Wonderland adaptations: Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland' (1951) and Jan Švankmajer's 'Alice' (1988). Politics include: Victorian satire, logic that isn't logic (but maybe is), how growing up is scary but exciting, the value of wonderment to the human experience, and a bucket of dead oysters. More cool, psychedelic writing about the meaning of Alice: 'Female identity in Wonderland' by Anna Cermakova (you knew there would be one about feminism) ' Alice's adventures in algebra' by Melanie Bayley (really rather good, actually) 'Carroll's satirical vision of the age' by Ansam Khyoon (more politics, for you nerds) If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina is joined by UK Member of Parliament and Junior Minister Jeevun Sandher to discuss the ultimate blast from the past political historical drama Lincoln (2012), from Steven Spielberg. Because who better to discuss a jobbing politician than... a jobbing politician. Politics include: Daniel Day-Lewis acting his absolute socks off, something about the purity of the democratic process (remember that, USA?), the undeniable need to master words in politics, the even more undeniable need to master force in politics, and maybe a bit about why ending slavery is great but what about universal suffrage. You can expect great speeches and even better facial hair. Ready to read some tomes about the great Abe? 'Team of Rivals' (2009) by Doris Kearns Goodwin, on which the film is based 'Abraham Lincoln: A life' (2008) by Michael Burlingame, if you don't fear neck pain in bed 'Battle cry of freedom' (1988) by James M. McPherson, for those wanting an even more depressing read If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina are joined by writer and former British Army soldier Matthew Palmer to discuss the best (and hammiest) film about Napoleon Bonaparte. Politics include: everything you needed to know about the egomaniac, manipulative, completely genius character of Bonaparte; how Wellington was a massive dick, but so was everyone else; the nuts story behind how the film came into existence, and how it literally couldn't be made today; and of course the politics of the battlefield at Waterloo. Plus some of the best one-liners committed to film in the history of cinema. Hold on to your horses: it's going to be a good one. Need more Bonaparte in your life? Check some of these monumental works - there are many, many, many others 'Napoleon the Great' by Andrew Roberts 'Napoleon: the Myth of the Saviour' by Jean Tulard 'The Greatest Movie Never Made: Kubrik's Napoleon vs Bondarchuk's Waterloo' by Matthew Shadbolt If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina join the wonderful Lily Austin and James Brailsford from the Groovy Movies podcast for a discussion on the most swoony, heartachy British film of all time, Brief Encounter (1945). Politics include: the very universal feeling of having to say no to the thing you want most; the class politics of being able to cheat on your partner if you're working class but not if you're middle class; how director David Lean having six wives is actually pretty relevant here; and how arguably the most romantic film of all time was shot during the Blitz in WWII, and was all the better for it. Check out Groovy Movies on: Apple Podcasts Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! They're also on Instagram and TikTok, so check them out there! If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin celebrate ONE WHOLE YEAR of The Ministry of Film with Ridley Scott's 'oh-god-the-terror-of-childbirth' haunted-house Halloween special Alien (1979). Politics include: the insane gender dynamics of a film about motherhood, domestic violence and female revenge in the context of a monster flick in space; how this film is sort of about 16th-century colonial ships; and how the Weyland Yutani Corporation is the perfect allegory for rapacious capitalism and labour uprisings. Plus a xenomorph with a penis head. You will want to read more because oh boy: That 2h BTS documentary about the making of Alien: 'The Beast Within' Eleanor Johnson's brilliant Substack essay about how we could interpret the film as being about the Alien, and humans as the deadly colonisers: 'Speaking the Monster' Go deep into the theory of capitalism as an unstoppable, amoral beast in 'On the reproduction of capitalism: Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses' by Louis Althusser If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

This spooky season, Robin and Carolina delve into the mystical forest of fauns and folklore with Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro's modern classic tale from 2006. Politics include: why you would never find Franco inside Pan's Labyrinth, how the church in 1940s Spain may have consisted of a bunch of sellouts, and how you can portray the coolest, greenest imaginary world a 10-year-old girl could wish for. Plus a load of Spanish Civil War, WWII and fascist soldiers. But we'll make it fun, promise. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin revisit our collective childhoods with Toy Story, the ultimate Pixar classic, where Marx's theory of the proletariat meets the best Mr Potato gags you've ever seen. Politics include: surveillance capitalism, the rise of the enslaved worker class, the American 'end of history' obsession with alternative realities, and a hero who is a toy but turns into a man by realising he is in fact a toy. Also, for the ultra fans, you will be glad to hear that The Truman Show and the white picket fence are heavily referenced. You are welcome. No links this week, just go watch this film again: with your kids, your neighbour's kids, on your own, however you can. It is magnificent. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina get into the autumn spirit with the incredibly successful Iranian domestic drama 'A Separation'. Politics include: why not every Iranian film has to be about Iranian politics, how every Iranian film necessarily ends up being at least a little bit about Iranian politics, and the very universal need for directors to pick beautiful actors to portray normal people going about their normal lives. More about Iranian cinema, Director Ashgar Farhadi being very oblique about his film and Iranian politics in this 2012 interview How women are actually treated in Iran these days Why Simin was not alone in wanting to leave the country If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin take you back to 31st July 2025, when the Lionesses won the UEFA Women's Euros (again!), by way of the brilliantly prophetic Bend it Like Beckham (2002). Politics include: the hypocrisy of families from all cultures, how an Indian wedding can look like a scene from The Godfather via Bollywood, and how a generation of girls grew up wishing and hoping that they too could bend it like Beckham... and then they did. More about Gurindher Chadha, the Lionesses, and directing good comedies: Youtube's ' Every frame a painting' on directing visual comedy 'Bend it like Beckham is still relevant to South Asian kids today' via MyLondon A short interview with director Gurinder Chadha about growing up as a South Asian child in London And the Soundtrack right here - the perfect pairing to Trainspotting. If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina choose life, choose dental insurance, choose the best f*cking Scottish film ever made. Politics include: the working-class communities of Scotland in the 1980s that turned to drugs as a form of protest, Danny Boyle creating a film that straddles the Thatcher and Blair years (sorry, John Major), and the most perfect soundtrack ever produced. Come get (musically) high with us: Listen to the whole soundtrack, stat . An interview with Andrew McDonald and Robert Carlisle on the BBC Trainspotting and the cultural politics of the 90s - Thatcher-tastic If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin go on a summer blockbuster adventure, comparing the totemic dinosaur film Jurassic Park (1993) with its on-paper extremely similar reboot Jurassic World (2015). Politics include: why a film about dinosaurs that (initially) can't reproduce is actually a film about a human couple deciding to have children after all; the evolution of our idea of the billionaire in society; and why Dennis the IT guy in Jurassic Park is basically Elon Musk. Dino-diversions and readings: Youtube's 'Every frame a painting' masterclass in blocking (and why Marvel films look boring) Also on Youtube, the evolution of the cinema dinosaur (hello King Kong!) That Oppenheimer cameo If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina embrace the surreal with Eraserhead, the film featuring possibly the creepiest baby in cinematic history. Politics include: honestly, not very many - but the baby really is very scary. And there's a lot about Christian morality. And horniness. A lot of horniness. Continue the surrealist journey: Gorgeous, if short-lived, podcast series about Lynch - ON LYNCH (truly wonderful work) From the horse's mouth - Lynch's autobiography 'Catching the big fish' Eraserhead at 40: a print re-review with delightful insight - The Guardian If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin talk about Spirited Away, Japan's most successful film of all time, and likely one of the best films about life in a ghost bathhouse. Politics include: how said bathhouse is maybe a metaphor for oppression, but also a really lovely-looking place; the post-80s economic bubble haze in Japan; and a very cool radish ghost. Continue the reverie: *That* review of Spirited Away by Nigel Andrews from the FT A Youtube love letter to Ghibli, with an interview with the man himself What Hayao Miyazaki really thinks of AI (it's not pretty) If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Robin and Carolina discuss the Wizard of Oz, the most-watched film of all time, and likely the children's film with the most religious, LGBTQ+ and feminist theories around it. Politics include: how Dorothy is the ultimate feminist, queer queen, how the yellow brick road may be a metaphor for the gold standard (?!) and how you can genuinely spot a bit of Plato's Republic in this fantasy musical from 80 years ago. More wizarding nerdery, just for you: A runthrough of the (completely mental) making of The Wizard of Oz The three Witches are feminist heroes, of course Queerness in the Wizard of Oz books , just for you If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social

Carolina and Robin are back in your ears for a bonus episode to mark the best real-life sleepover that is the Papal Conclave. Politics include: faith and politics being quite icky together, how the West Wing really did dictate political art through the 2010s, and how electing a Pope is actually not that dissimilar to electing your Constituency Labour Party Secretary. Genuinely. Conclave nerds, rejoice: A Conclave expert runs you through the election process (The Spectator) The best print review of Conclave out there (Michael Wood for the LRB) The OG Patrick Harris covers the politics of Pope Francis' funeral (The Observer) If you like what you hear, please rate and subscribe to the show wherever you're listening, it will help others find the pod. You will hopefully be able to see us as well as hear us, and we would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment wherever you're listening to this! Follow us on: Instagram @ministryoffilmpod Bluesky @ministryoffilmpod.bskyb.social