We're broke!  When I first met Stephen (Steve) Bannon at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tennessee in February, I had never heard of his work in the writing and directing of conservative films.  He has worked with various investor groups but more recently with Citizens United and David Bossie.  It was here that he launched his latest project, Generation Zero.

As I learned, Steve is a passionate conservative born out of his experience on Wall Street and the country he served during his military duty.  His staccato style gives you the sense that the mission he is on requires immediate action with no time to stand still.  He is at the same time, affable and intense yet conveys the expectation that you do something more than just talk about the problems facing this nation.  And in that sense, his first engagement with the Tea Party movement fired up his own passion for working with the leadership and the grass roots members of this political force.
 

I found out that Steve Bannon is actually more familiar with conservative subject matter than Generation Zero, the film he debuted and which discusses the reasons for our spectacular and almost catastrophic failure of the financial system.  It's no accident that his experience and his own "baby boomer" upbringing offers a keen insight into the "me generation" and the lack of ethical focus of those running Wall Street.  But more importantly, the film explores the cultural leanings of a post war United States, the separation from failure of our young in the wake of those wars and the concurrent movement towards a liberalizing society while experiencing the break in the social contract so critical to binding one to the other.  It was not capitalism's failure but a failure of the culture!

In addition, he wrote and directed the film, Face of Evil: Reagan's War in Word and Deed and was the executive producer of Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration.   As I wrote in an earlier blog, Steve Bannon has now released the movie Fire From the Heartland, which explores the role of women in the conservative movement.  This film, considered the second in his trilogy beginning with Generation Zero, will be followed by the as yet announced, Battle for America with Dick Morris.  The film will conclude this conservative trilogy by exploring what we must do to take back this White House, ensure the success of conservatism in our politics and begin to reverse the damage done by the leftist and redistributive policies of this administration and progressives. 

In fact, “Battle for America” features Dick Morris offering his insight and clarity on issues important to the conservative movement and the actions required to overcome the progressive agenda and take America back.  The documentary provides actionable requirements to make a difference in this election cycle while sustaining the re-born conservatism that is flowing across the country.

To be sure, it appears that Bannon is becoming the "go to" filmmaker and writer for the conservative genre.  And for those who have taken the time to watch these films, the comment is nearly universal - they rock!  Bannon's style and perspective shines through these three films in particular and he connects the dots so very effectively.  And while they are not really documentaries and not really infotainment, they succeed on both fronts.  As I watched the three films in succession, I found that they were deeply intertwined in the message of responsibility, action and hope.  These films were not simply "emotional hyperbole".  They worked at the intellectual level and the emotional level while examining the real problems this nation faces.

When I asked Steve why he decided to do these three films this year, his response was clear.  "Now is the time to take action and to effectively beat back the leftist policies of this administration.  We no longer have the luxury of taking our time and so I felt compelled to bring this message to the big screen through what I hope people will find informative and entertaining."

In the end, these three films produce a visual context for conservatism that is unmatched in the dramatic perspective, details and facts and the overarching premise that we must do more than simply complain.  We must take action.  Steve Bannon points out that while he is passionate about making movies, he is more passionate about moving the electorate to action.  After having watched these three films, I am inclined to believe even he underestimates the power of this message. Taken together, this "trilogy" represents the raison d'être of the Tea Party and the conservative movement.