Florida's Film, Television and the Arts Magazine
The Last Class - Movie Review by Lisa Blanck
Robert Reich has an impressive bio. He worked in the administrations of both Ford and Carter. He’s written 19 books about the American political economy, many of which were best-sellers. He was Secretary of Labor for Clinton for four years and has the Cabinet chair in his UC Berkeley office to prove it. He was a member of Obama’s economic transition advisory board. He’s absolutely devoted to saving Democracy in the U.S. and sends out an extensive well-thought-out daily newsletter, complete with cartoon, called Inequality Media, to keep people informed of complex ideas but in clear terms. He hosts a podcast called Coffee Klatch. And Reich still maintains a life away from analyzing the missteps and failures of the current administration, as an educator and lecturer.
What this dynamo has been absolutely devoted to for almost 20 years is serving as a professor at UC Berkeley. The shaping of young minds is one of his passions. Two years ago, he retired from teaching. The Last Class is a documentary that examines the curriculum of his course, Wealth and Poverty, the intent of the course and the lasting impact he’s made on two decades of American students.
His collaborator on the podcast, Heather Lofthouse, partnered with filmmaker Elliot Kirschner to create this informative, almost hopeful documentary. Reich explains that one of his earliest friends growing up was Michael Schwerner, one of the three civil rights workers murdered by the Klan in Mississippi in 1964, for the work he did in trying to register African-American voters. Schwerner came to his aid many times in school when Riech was being picked on by bullies; Reich never forgot this and carries on his belief in equality for all to this day.
The commitment he has with decades of students, which number more than 40,000, is exemplary. Students Reich hasn’t seen for years gather to give him the proper sendoff in The Last Class, and he remembers most of them, especially those who were his TA’s. The esteem they hold him in is of the highest order, and it shows. He’s advised Presidents on everything from health care reform, deficit reduction and budgeting for various administrations. If you’re going to learn, learn from the best; that’s the takeaway for his students. Learn from someone who’s been in the trenches of politics, on both sides of the aisle. Reich firmly believes in the power of education, especially in public education.
Reich is admittedly a packrat. His office is cluttered with decades of memorabilia. Luckily for America, his mind and his intent are crystal clear. He believes the country at large is still committed to ensuring that American Democracy survives the current crisis. Let’s hope he’s correct and that the students he’s sent out into the world take on the fight.
