Culture and reviews

Nico Padrón reviews the latest film from director Adam McKay, Vice, which attempts to provide a comic retelling of the life of one of recent political history’s most notoriously unscrupulous figures.

Steve Jones reviews the re-release of an inspiring film about the life and ideas of Rosa Luxemburg, the great revolutionary leader and founder of the German Communist Party.

A new documentary sheds light on an incredible true tale of international solidarity, demonstrating the potential power of the organised working class. This provides valuable lessons for the labour movement today.

Boots Riley’s debut film shines a light on capitalism’s exploitation and oppression, demonstrating how surreal and absurd this broken system is.

Felix Lighter reviews the latest offering by British director Mike Leigh, who provides a shocking and emotional portrayal of the infamous massacre that took place in Manchester almost two centuries ago.

A current West End play about the life of the Roman orator Cicero demonstrates the validity of the Marxist explanation about the role of the individual in history.

Rob Sewell reviews Raoul Peck’s excellent film about the early years of Marx and Engels, which is worthy of a far wider audience.

Stephen Agnew reviews the recent documentary by UK rapper Professor Green, which provides a revealing insight into the alienation and extreme difficulties facing the working class in broken Britain.

Adam Booth reviews The Jungle, a moving but devastating play that depicts events at the Calais refugee camp – once home to thousands of migrants fleeing the horrors of war and poverty.

Young Marx is a new comedic play at the Bridge Theatre, set in Soho London, revolving around Karl Marx’s struggle to provide for his family, and fend off spies, creditors, political enemies, and the police, all whilst completing his economic magnum opus, Das Kapital. We publish here a review by members of the Marxist Student Federation, who recently attended one of the first performances.

Owen Walsh of the Leeds Marxists reviews the latest book by science fiction writer and socialist China Miéville: an exciting and inspiring account of revolutionary Russia in 1917 – a wholly worthy effort that deserves to be on any comrade’s reading list in this centenary year of the Russian Revolution.