Political Films That Sway the Opinions of...No one.

In "Class and Allegory in Contemporary Mass Culture: Dog Day Afternoon as a Political Film", Frederic Jameson argues that the overtly political tones of Dog Day Afternoon will not be effective in their attempts to influence audience opinion. The main reason why? The people who go out of their way to see the film because of its political message don't need to be swayed, because they most likely already agree with what the film has to say. Films such as All the President's Men:

and Wag the Dog:

draw in audiences with their big Hollywood names like Hoffman and De Niro, but also have a decidedly political slant, whether it's serious and factual (All The President's Men) or funny and satirical (Wag the Dog). The political content of such films is lost amid this star quality necessary to make the film a success.

In order for films to be effective in this regard, they must first draw in a mainstream audience, and then inject their message, all without letting the audience realize that they might have actually learned something at the multiplex.