Don’t miss Chomsky’s spellbinding dissection of American oligarchy and the erosion of democracy
“In the U.S., the business class have long seen themselves as fighting a bitter class war, except they don’t want anybody else to know about it.”
― Noam Chomsky
With a staggering $16 billion spent on the 2024 election, including record-shattering cash infusions into both parties from undisclosed “dark money” sources, it’s no wonder so many people are asking whether the U.S. has devolved into a full-fledged oligarchy.¹
If you’re looking for some historical background on how we got here, be sure to check out Requiem for the American Dream, featuring Noam Chomsky. The film, which earned rave reviews and became a surprise hit, remains the gold standard for unpacking how business interests and wealthy elites have been gaming the system and waging systematic class war on ordinary Americans for decades.
Requiem for the American Dream is now available to purchase in a variety of formats.
Through profoundly personal, accessible, and thought-provoking interviews filmed with Chomsky over a period of four years, award-winning filmmakers Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott lay bare how U.S. policymakers beholden to corporate interests and billionaire donors have allowed inordinate power to accrue to a tiny minority of wealthy elites at the expense of most Americans and the most basic functioning of democracy.
Combining Chomsky’s rare explanatory powers with breathtaking footage and stunning motion graphics, Requiem for the American Dream is at once a remarkable piece of cinema and an extraordinary teaching tool, ideal for classroom use and grassroots organizing.
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Praise for Requiem for the American Dream
“Brilliant. Chomsky is a master of distilling complex histories and powers into their most essential elements.”
— Dr. Wendy Brown | Author, In the Ruins of Neoliberalism
“Requiem for the American Dream could very well be embraced as the final word on economic inequality in the United States. The vicious cycle of wealth influencing power and therefore influencing legislation is effectively illustrated in a series of episodic, easily digestible vignettes.”
— RogerEbert.com
“[Chomsky] melds history, philosophy and ideology into a sobering vision of a society in an accelerating decline.”
— The New York Times
“Chomsky tells this compelling horror story with moral authority and charismatic calm. The camera seems to speak his mind, moving back and forth between his memorable face, historical footage, vivid images, and collages cut from the currency of greed.”
— Dr. Nancy Folbre | Author, Greed, Lust and Gender: A History of Economic Ideas
“This short, sharp, smart film serves as one of the best entry points to the discussion of inequality.”
— The Hollywood Reporter
“Chomsky’s critique extends beyond left and right, resulting in a lucid analysis that’s breathtaking in its simplicity, and all the more scary for it.”
— TimeOutNy
“If you want to understand neoliberalism in the U.S. over the past 40 years, you must watch Requiem for the American Dream.”
— Dr. Robert Pollin | Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
(1) “Outside spending on 2024 elections shatters records, fueled by billion-dollar ‘dark money’ infusion,” by Anna Massoglia, OpenSecrets.com, November 5, 2024.
“Sanders Says There Is No Choice: ‘We Must Defeat the Oligarchs’,” by Jon Queally, Common Dreams, Nov. 30, 2024
