10 memorable on-screen portrayals of US politics

When the blockbuster US series "House of Cards" premiered in 2013, many still believed that reality could not get this bad. But the election of Donald Trump has changed that way of thinking. As "House of Cards" has relentlessly focused on the machinations of campaign politics, today the series appears to many observers to be too realistic.

Almost 80 years ago, politics were perceived differently in Hollywood. At the time, directors and producers portrayed politicians that were still marked by heroism and idealism. A classic example of such "hopeful" political films of the time was "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" (1939), starring James Stewart.

In addition to James Stewart, Henry Fonda in particular ensured that cinema-goers were given a rather positive picture of their politicians in the cinema. Playing the lead role in the film "Young Mr. Lincoln," also released in 1939, Fonda portrayed a future president full of kindness and humanity.

In the 1972 film "The Candidate," idealism was balanced with pessimism about the political process. Robert Redford played the role of the sympathetic Democratic Party candidate who wins in the end, but along the way reveals much about the depravity of politics.

The 1998 film "Primary Colors" provided some of most realistic insights into political electioneering on the big screen. Based on an autobiographical novel by political journalist Joe Klein, who followed Bill Clinton's run for the White House, the film dealt candidly with a cynical election campaign and gave Hollywood food for political thought.

In 1997, director Barry Levinson sparked a fireworks at political gags and satirical side notes in "Wag the Dog." A filmmaker (Dustin Hoffman) and a campaign manager (played by Robert de Niro) have all the means to keep the US president in office in a film that blatantly exposes the corrupt underside of American politics.

America's television producers and series writers have also discovered politics in recent years. Before "House of Cards" became a much-celebrated TV series, cable network ABC presented a sensational political scenario in "Commander in Chief," a show in which Geena Davis portrayed the first female US president.

The series "The West Wing," about the everyday intrigues of a US president, was a great success in the years 1999 to 2006, collecting numerous awards (including four Emmys for best drama series) and drawing in millions of viewers. Running for seven seasons, the series also received critical kudos for its realistic portrayal of backroom machinations in the Oval Office.

In the tradition of the engaged political films of the 1970s came George Clooney's 2011 film, "The Ides of March." Clooney, who plays a Democratic presidential candidate, is assisted by the young election campaigner Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling). "The Ides of March" presented an intelligent and complex picture of the inside workings of American election campaigns.

Just a few weeks before Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States, Michael Moore released his prescient documentary film, "Michael Moore in Trumpland." The popular and often contentious director gets to the heart of Trump and his election campaign in a documentary that lets the images and voices speak for themselves.