The American Ruling Class - 2005

The American Ruling Class

A dramatic, musical, documentary satire on class in America that attempts to answer the question 'Who rules America?'

The American Ruling Class is a 2005 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." It seeks to answer the question, "Does America have a ruling class?" Its producers consider it the first "dramatic-documentary-musical." 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.

"The American Ruling Class k.o.'d me... an astonishing program." Studs Terkel

The American Ruling Class is one of the most unusual films to be made in America in recent years -- both in terms of form and content. The form is a "dramatic-documentary-musical" and the content is our country's most taboo topic: class, power and privilege in our nominally democratic republic.

At bottom the film is a morality tale, the story of two Yale students (played by Harvard men) who seek their opportunities upon graduation. As the renowned essayist, author and longtime Harper's magazine editor Lewis Lapham conducts them through the corridors of power: Pentagon press briefings, the World Economic Forum, philanthropic foundations, Washington law firms, corporations, banks, the Council on Foreign Relations, and New York society dinners--our two representative graduates "one rich and the other not so rich" must struggle with their responsibilities in "a world collaterally damaged by the magic of money and the miracles of science." The real-life luminaries they meet on their journey become characters in a story about power, its responsibilities and abuses.

All the while "the Mighty Wurlitzer" plays on, a reference to the massive propaganda apparatus invented by the CIA's Frank Wisner, here used to signify the nocturnal philosophy of acquisition and imperial hubris which continually calls to the young men, the siren song of careerist myopia that was bred into their bones at school.

As we watch these two young men wend their way through what is only a slight fictionalization of their actual lives and choices, as we meet former Secretaries of State and Defense, directors of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations, the publisher of The New York Times, Kurt Vonnegut, Howard Zinn, Barbara Ehrenreich, Robert Altman and a host of others, we have to ask along with Mr. Lapham: "To what end the genius of the Wall Street banks and the force of the Pentagon's colossal weapons? Where does America discover the wisdom to play with its wonderful toys?" The possible answers move beyond the empty distinction of party affiliation and into the heart of American Oligarchy itself. By film's end, the young men must decide: Should they seek to rule the world, or to save it?

Appearing on the screen are a range of leaders and commentators from across the political spectrum, among them: the late Robert B. Altman, James A. Baker III, Bill Bradley, Harold Brown, Hodding Carter III, William T. Coleman, Jr., Walter Cronkite, Barbara Ehrenreich, Vartan Gregorian, Doug Henwood, Mike Medavoy, Joseph S. Nye, Jr., John Perkins, (a.k.a., the economic hit-man) Samuel Peabody, Pete Seeger, Lawrence H. Summers, Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., William Howard Taft IV, the late Kurt Vonnegut and Howard Zinn.

Reviews

"The American Ruling Class is a crowning achievement of cinematic sociology and a most unique treatment of America's unspoken system of class inequality. Lapham's unprecedented access to the American ruling class, the ability to question these elites directly about how the American ruling class works, and the contrast between the netherworld of the dominating and the grim prospects of the dominated make this a must-see for those concerned about the future of our economy and social order. The ability to do all of this from the perspective of young college graduates is nothing short of remarkable."

Kevin T. Leicht, Professor and Director of the Institute for Inequality Studies, The University of Iowa, Author, Post-Industrial Peasants: The Illusion of Middle Class Prosperity

"A brilliant documentary/comedy, part Monty Python, part Michael Moore; brings to life the question: Can one join the power elite and yet work for the public interest? Well worth watching for the interviews with the likes of James Baker and Hodding Carter."

Joseph A. Soares, Professor of Sociology, Wake Forest University, Author, Power of Privilege: Yale and America's Elite Colleges

"The American Ruling Class is a funny, thought-provoking, and troubling film, one that will surely spark lively and critical discussions...[Its] complexity is a strength - it invites critical discussion, rather than proffering a forceful truth. The American Ruling Class is a fable, yet unlike most fables, it does not offer a clear moral for its tale, nor are good and evil easy to identify. This subtlety demands that the audience engage, and this film would certainly generate good conversation."

Sherry Lee Linkon, Professor of English and American Studies, Co-director, Center for Working-Class Studies, Youngstown State University

"Americans have long debated whether access to wealth and power in their society is open to all who seek success and are willing to work hard for it -- or if, instead, behind the façade of American democratic institutions a small, self-perpetuating elite exercises command over key decisions and national resources. In this musical 'mockumentary,' intellectual provocateur Lewis Lapham poses the question: 'Is there an American ruling class?'...A second question promptly surfaces: 'Can one do good by doing well, or are the interests of the American ruling class fundamentally at odds with the interests of the wider American public and of a majority the world's population?' Students contemplating important career decisions should find this film entertaining, unsettling, and enlightening."

Gary J. Kornblith, Professor of History, Oberlin College, Contributor, Ruling America: A History of Wealth and Power in a Democracy

"I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky film about privilege in American society...Students are inclined to believe that money will be the route to happiness, a belief I hope they will question as they make decisions about their futures. I look forward to using this film as a provocative way to encourage students to think about this relationship."

Linda K. Trevino, Professor of Organizational Behavior, Cook Fellow in Business Ethics, Smeal College of Business, The Pennsylvania State University

"Wow, who'd have thought a stodgy old geezer like Lewis Lapham would produce such a hip and happening video! Guaranteed to stimulate hours of heated--but meaningful--classroom discussion about personal ethical choices, this is must viewing for undergraduate business students and younger MBA candidates."

James O'Toole, Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

"Throughout, Kirby approaches the topic in a light, entertaining manner that holds viewer interest...Recommended for audiences concerned with our future and how others see us."

Library Journal

"Offering unique insights into modern American class structure, The American Ruling Class is an informative, compelling, and strongly recommended examination of how an elite American oligarchy, an integrated political and economic superstructure perpetrates itself, how it recruits its initiates, how it stays in control of American governmental, educational, and commercial organizations, and how it influences the American 'body politic' to abide by the interests of the ruling class -- even when they run counter to the middle class, the working class, and the underclass...Dramatic, superbly produced and directed, thoughtful and thought provoking, [the film] offers a candor rarely glimpsed by ordinary citizens into who really calls the shots in America during these opening years and decades of the 21st Century."

The Midwest Book Review

"One should not mistake the musical treatment as a means to cushion the blows, or as a 'Mark Russell-esque' satire. Holding nothing back, this film goes on a rare and unrepentant crusade...A powerful work with a high recommendation. Highly Recommended."

Michael J. Coffta, Business Librarian, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Educational Media Reviews Online

"Unlike many films that question the current class structure, [The American Ruling Class] does not ambush the powerful...Instead, men who believe that the world is fair as it is are given a chance to present their case...The filmmakers do not take the easy way out and offer simple answers...This will be a fantastic film for college classrooms...The wealth of unanswered questions should provoke intense discussions among students."

Katherine Walker, Virginia Commonwealth University, Anthropology Review Database

"Dances to a different tune than most documentaries...The American Ruling Class tackles a serious topic, but does so humorously without making light of the real problems. Sure to spark discussion, this is highly recommended."

Video Librarian

"Thought provoking and worthy of discussion...An interesting theme to investigate in a class that treats social inequality or social class in depth."

Teaching Sociology

"Provocative...Quirky--a kind of inverted reality show, in which characters are fictional but the circumstances are real...The two young men meet an astonishing number of actual members of the ruling class, most of whom deny the existence of their own kind."

New Labor Forum

Plot

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, after Jack's decision to join Goldman and his subsequent success there. A run-in with Mike leads Jack to offer him a job at the company, an offer Mike initially rejects. As his student-loan bills start piling up, however, 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, invites him to a wealthy friend's party, at which she encourages him 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 how money, in the end, trumps any effort by the non-wealthy to alter society.

Ultimately, Mike decides to abandon his writerly dream 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 all that matters, and that, as society goes to hell, wealth is one's only defense against the routine abuses and corruption of the ruling class.

The film then splits with two endings. The first shows Mike during his first day as a banker, zooming in on him at an initiation program: His panic and displeasure are evident 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 a stage show. It is being rehearsed by the lead singer of "THE WHATS?" and a group of children. The song they play discusses the themes of the film. The film ends with Mike in the woods, leaving the viewer in the dark on the question of whether Mike makes it to work or has his mind changed by the song.

Interviews

The following people are interviewed:

• Robert Altman
• James A. Baker III
• Bill Bradley
• Harold Brown
• Hodding Carter III
• William T. Coleman Jr.
• Walter Cronkite
• Barbara Ehrenreich
• Martin Garbus
• Vartan Gregorian
• Doug Henwood
• Mike Medavoy
• Joseph S. Nye Jr.
• Samuel Peabody
• John Perkins
• Peter G. Peterson
• Peter Seeger
• Lawrence H. Summers
• Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr.
• William Howard Taft IV
• Kurt Vonnegut
• Howard Zinn

Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Altman both died before the final cut of the film was aired on Sundance Channel.