| The American Ruling Class | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John Kirby |
| Produced by | Libby Handros |
| Written by | Lewis H. Lapham |
| Starring | Lewis H. Lapham Paul Cantagallo Caton Burwell |
| Music by | Qasim Naqvi Lucas Johnson-Yahraus |
| Cinematography | Mark Benjamin |
| Editing by | John Kirby Leah O'Donnell |
| Distributed by | The Alive Mind |
| Release date(s) | April 26, 2005 |
| Running time | 100 min |
| Country | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The American Ruling Class (2005) is a dramatic documentary film written by Lewis H. Lapham and directed by John Kirby that "explores our country’s most taboo topic: class, power and privilege in our nominally democratic republic."[1] It seeks to answer the question, "Does America have a ruling class?" Its producers consider it the first "dramatic-documentary-musical."[2]
A rough-cut of the film was shown at the 2005 TriBeCa Film Festival, the final version of the film was shown on the Sundance Channel in July 2007, and it had its theatrical premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in April 2008. Currently the film is available for sale by The Alive Mind, veteran film distributor Richard Lorber's new label, and schools colleges, universities and institutions can purchase the film from Bullfrog Films.
Contents |
The film stars Lewis H. Lapham, who plays himself as editor of Harper's Magazine. Lapham opens the film with the question of whether or not America has a "ruling class", a circle of wealthy and powerful families that run the banks, businesses, and government, essentially controlling everything in America.
To answer this question, Lapham devises a fictional scenario following the post-graduation paths of two young Yale graduates, themselves from opposite economic beginnings. The paths they take gradually clue them, and the audience, into the reality posed by the question.
Caton Burwell plays "Jack Bellami", a recent Yale graduate who comes from a rich family. Unlike his family or his friends, Jack seems unsure of what he wants to do with his life and wonders how he could make a difference in the world. Jack ultimately decides to become a banker, working at Goldman Sachs. He chooses the job after coming to the conclusion that the banking industry controls the world and that it would be easier and more effective to become a part of the system in order to change it from within.
Paul Cantagallo plays "Mike Vanzetti", another recent Yale graduate who is best friends with Jack Bellami. Unlike his friend, Mike is from a middle-class background, meaning he isn't wealthy like his friend Jack. Mike wants to change the world from outside the system. He decides to become a writer and goes headfirst into the character renting a studio apartment and getting a job as a waiter. He refuses to "sell out" by way of writing for a major newspaper or by pandering to the masses by writing lowest common denominator material.
Mike's story takes center stage in the second half of the film. A run-in with Jack (now a successful employee at Goldman Sachs) leads to Jack offering Mike a job at the company, an offer Mike initially rejects. However, as his student loan bills start piling up, Mike begins to resent his lack of money and low paying job, as well as the inability of his writing to enact change. Mike's girlfriend, Taylor, later invites him to a wealthy friend's party where she encourages Mike to continue his work. A short time after the party, Lapham invites Mike to take a trip to a "space that used to be called, in another age of man, Mexico." This land was Texas. In Texas Lapham shows Mike how the powerful control the government and that money, in the end, trumps any effort by the non-wealthy to change society.
Ultimately, Mike decides to abandon his dream of becoming a writer and takes up Jack's job offer. During a visit to Taylor's mansion home, Mike plays a game of tennis with his girlfriend and they discuss his decision. Taylor is horrified with his new defeatist attitude. Mike lectures his girlfriend on his new worldview: that money is the only thing that matters; as society goes to hell, being wealthy is the only defense one has against the rich's routine abuse of the poor and working class in America.
The film then splits with two endings; the first ending shows Mike during his first day working as a banker. The film zooms in to Mike at an initiation program showing panic and displeasure as he immediately regrets what he has done.
The second ending (which an on-screen graphic claims was filmed after test audiences reacted poorly to the first ending) has Mike sidetracked when he agrees to watch the stage show, that he stumbled upon, being rehearsed by the lead singer of "THE WHATS?" and a group of children. The number they play discusses the themes of the film. The film ends with Mike in the woods and the viewer never sees if Mike makes it to work or if the song changed his mind about how he will live his life.
The following people are interviewed:
Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Altman both died before the final cut of the film was aired on Sundance Channel.