Oliver Stone’s recently released movie “Snowden” draws public attention once again to the man who caused uproar when he leaked information regarding the NSA surveillance programs. The problem with movies such as “Snowden” is that it is difficult to discern fact from fiction. As a result, when viewers watch the movie, most are not approaching it with the air of skepticism that they normally would if they knew that people were trying to influence them. Instead the viewers see it as a movie based on true events that can be taken at face value. This phenomenon — where the viewers’ political attitudes are influenced by the movies that they watch — is obviously displayed in “Snowden.” With this is mind, viewers should be cautious in regards to the type of information they are exposing themselves to when watching movies.

To prove this notion, researchers at Notre Dame University ran a study in which they found that movies “possess the ability to change political attitudes.” In this study they had the subjects fill out questionnaires regarding their stance on certain political issues before and after they had watched certain movies in order to gauge how their political attitudes had changed. They found that when the political issue in question isn’t framed by the media, there is a greater chance for the subject to be influenced by what they watched.

In other words, if viewers watch a movie regarding an issue that they are unfamiliar with, they are more likely to be influenced by the  messages sent by that movie. Furthermore, the study also showed that these changes in the political attitude of the viewers are lasting. Two weeks after watching the movie, the subjects were tested again on their stance on the same political issues. Instead of reverting back to their old attitudes, the results from the second round of questionnaires actually correlate more strongly with new attitude.

These findings are worrisome, as they suggest that even in entertainment there is a channel for alien political attitudes to be imposed on the unexpected viewer. This is particularly relevant in movies such as “Snowden,” which almost exclusively attract one of two kinds of people: either ones who have never heard of the NSA leaks that occurred two years ago, or ones that are especially interested in it. While Oliver Stone, the director of the movie, may claim that he has no ulterior political motive, it is quite obvious that he wants to persuade viewers to petition for Snowden’s pardon. Those watching “Snowden” or any other movie with political messages should be aware of the intentions of the director and be ready to consider the movie’s political viewpoints within a larger context.

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Email Hao Ly at [email protected].