Abstract

In this paper I deal with the whistleblower film as a possible stand alone genre. Hollywood has a longstanding tradition of the whistleblower film, which is albeit “officially” not recognized as such, despite the fact that most of these films are well known classics. According to a list made by The Hollywood Reporter, there are around 20 films that can be considered whistleblower films, from On the Waterfront in the 1950s to Snowden in 2000s. They are rarely, if at all, described as whistleblowers films and not considered to belong to the same genre. It is therefore important to take a look at these films in order to examine the way whistleblowers are depicted, and thereby also take into account the ideologico-political context: do these films undermine the status quo of capitalism, or do they rather conform to it?