The well-known American film critic Roger Ebert once said that good movies make good people. From this perspective, it can also be said that good films create good protesters and good rebels as well—even when those films have no direct connection to politics.
In essence, any idea that challenges a worn-out, ineffective aspect of human life and says no to it is, by definition, an act of rebellion. Likewise, any transformation in a film’s form or content is a gesture of refusal—toward undesirable norms in reality and within cinema itself. From the accumulation of these refusals, awareness and knowledge are born; a protesting and rebellious mindset takes shape and eventually reveals itself somewhere—at home, in school, at work, in the street, and in the very soil of a society.
Any film that lacks a distinct vision and creativity, that does not break clichés or offer a new perspective, becomes static, conservative, and at times reactionary and antiquated. From this standpoint, rigid modes of thinking that cling to preserving their authority, that lack the will or capacity for transformation, that endlessly prescribe repetitive formulas for the world and its mafias, are fundamentally hostile to innovation. Literary, performing, and visual arts—as well as social media—play a crucial role in reshaping perspectives and encouraging new ways of thinking. They cleanse our eyes so that we may see differently.
The function of art is not limited to entertainment or spiritual pleasure; its individual and social impact cannot be dismissed. Progressive cinema—cinema that disrupts every exhausted rule—when placed in the hands of a capable, imaginative, and sensitive artist, can teach us new ways of looking, of refusing submission to dominant conventions, and of seeking fresh horizons. Social uprisings often have economic, intellectual, and cultural roots, and films that reflect and critique aspects of these causes contribute to shaping an ideal mindset for dissatisfaction, criticism, protest, and rebellion. The desire for change and transformation in all spheres is one of the defining traits of cinematic art.
Women—and the depiction of the hardships of their lives, their ideals, and their aspirations—have always been central to cinema. Chantal Akerman portrays the violent rebellion of a housewife against a life of servitude and monotony in Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. Sohrab Shahid Saless places the awakening and uprising of a woman against exploitation and humiliation at the heart of Utopia. Kianoush Ayari, in The Paternal House, recounts decades of oppression and repression endured by women and shows how, sooner or later, the painful memory of the victim—combined with society’s inevitable progress and the fading of prejudice—will seize the oppressor by the collar.
Women’s social movements are inseparable from the knowledge they have absorbed from art and literature—and, of course, cinema. Documentaries on this subject repeatedly present the protesting image of women in various social arenas and their determination to confront discrimination and injustice. Challenging male dominance in Western cinema began long ago alongside the feminist movement, and films such as Thelma & Louise, directed by Ridley Scott, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses, became symbols of female friendship, lawbreaking, and the refusal of masculine order.
A vibrant, life-affirming vision—set against cinema steeped in despair, death, and decay—has been the core of many films. Women, who in the works of the late Bahram Beyzaie often embody resilience, fertility, and resistance, intensify the power of life and human connection in hopeful films. Such works strengthen a rejection of ugliness and brutality and are not without influence in rebelling against social, cultural, and political environments saturated with ruin and desolation.
Through the Olive Trees by Abbas Kiarostami, like the gentle and enchanting melody at its conclusion—which signals the beginning of a new life—transforms love into an indestructible force. Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is an epic of kindness; through Amélie’s generosity, we experience the pure pleasure of friendship and selfless help. Going further back, the musical The Sound of Music, directed by Robert Wise, still carries a near-miraculous vitality. With its breathtaking landscapes, inspiring music, and joyful songs—made even more appealing through Persian dubbing—it revives the spirit. Even when one may object to its romanticism, nothing diminishes the feminine creativity and life-giving presence of Julie Andrews in the role of Maria.
We should not forget that movements and rebellions aimed at protecting nature, preserving the environment, spreading compassion, and rescuing the oppressed are not devoid of romanticism—even when their model is Che Guevara, whose dreamlike image still shines on the T-shirts of young protesters. When cinema is meant to fill the empty moments of our lives, energetic films—even simple comedies—gain value. Laughter drives away tears, and a house of joy replaces the house of mourning.
Freedom and the struggle for it have been central themes in countless films. The suppression of instinct and thought within certain families, and the habitual, ineffective commands imposed by parents and elders on children and adolescents, mark the first step in the alignment of power against bodily and psychological freedom—an alignment that later extends to schools, streets, and political systems. These pressures do not go unanswered. Zero for Conduct by Jean Vigo is a satirical rebellion against authoritarian schooling, while Homework by Abbas Kiarostami protests the infiltration of coercion into educational structures.
Social and political resistance and norm-breaking are equally evident. At times, the rebel believes that the best defense is attack, echoing the famous line from Qeysar: “If you don’t strike, you’ll be struck.” Rebel Without a Cause by Nicholas Ray explores the emotional and moral crises of adolescents who have known nothing from family and society but hypocrisy and selfishness, and who do not hesitate to break the law in their rebellion. In A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick, rebellion erupts through extreme youth violence, only to be crushed with brutal self-righteousness by the dominant system. Padre Padrone, directed by the Taviani brothers, depicts the unbridgeable gulf between father and son, where the humiliated son ultimately rises in defiance and sets out on an independent path.
Charlie Chaplin, in The Great Dictator, delivers a memorable speech urging soldiers not to submit to Nazism or behave like a herd. Sergei Eisenstein, in Battleship Potemkin, celebrates collective mutiny while exposing the brutality of the massacre of defenseless civilians on the Odessa Steps. In Fahrenheit 451 by François Truffaut, Guy Montag awakens from blind obedience, refuses to burn books, and joins those who preserve knowledge through inventive means.
Sometimes the opposite occurs: the rebel betrays and joins the enemy—and must pay the price. Behold a Pale Horse by Fred Zinnemann, set during the Spanish Civil War, portrays a moment when loyalty and betrayal collide, and priority must be given to confronting the traitor. In The Ascent by Larisa Shepitko, a partisan collaborates with Nazi occupiers and is condemned to eternal torment by his own conscience.
Standing firm by one’s convictions, refusing to change principles for convenience, and not being intimidated by ruling power is itself a precious form of resistance against tyranny. A Man for All Seasons, also directed by Fred Zinnemann, and A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick, tell the story of individuals who refuse to surrender and ultimately give their lives rather than abandon their beliefs.
These are only a few small examples selected from among thousands of films that engage with the motives and aims of protest, rebellion, and refusal in both personal and social realms. Such films, alongside other arts and dissenting ideas, may provide the emotional and intellectual nourishment for those who carry colorful dreams within them and who, in different corners of the world, raise their voices of protest and defiance with love, passion, and hope for transformation.
