I would argue that there is a thesis—one that is fairly explicit, shared among various Curtis works, and not even particularly controversial, although it can so

I would argue that there is a thesis—one that is fairly explicit, shared among various Curtis works, and not even particularly controversial, although it can sometimes feel slippery when presented via Curtis' cinematic techniques. He suggests that the 20th century was a period of intensely competing utopian ideologies, all of which ended in chaos, disaster, and disillusion as they intersected with problems of individual freedom and weakness. What proved most "stable" for Western societies were cynical policies in which the health of financial markets, and the suppression of contra-modern movements through overwhelming military force, were prioritized over sweeping social reforms that reeked of the old failed ideologies. This led to a period of brief peace and prosperity in the West during the 1990s which is sometimes called "The End of History," and which led some people to believe that financialization was not merely a cynical tool, but in fact the best means to also ensure individual happiness and prosperity. However, he argues that Western political leaders have proven unable or unwilling to change these policies in the face of the increasingly serious crises of the 21st Century, as they believe their personal fortunes and the stability of the societies they manage are tethered to the goodwill of markets. In the face of this stasis, various elements of Western societies most affected by repressed upheaval have turned to nostalgic or otherwise magical thinking, recalling the old failed ideologies of the previous century. Both those who govern and the governed seem trapped, unable to conceive of anything genuinely new. Curtis' documentaries, in particular "Can't Get You Out of My Head," attempt a kind of psycho-history of 20th Century ideologies, their ultimate failure, and the consolidation of forces that led to the End of History. They further attempt to restore a sense of absurdity to present-day political and social thrashing-about, and ultimately suggest that none of our present conditions are inevitable, and can be changed through will, imagination, and consciousness of our past. (Happy to be corrected by any Curtis obsessives if I've missed anything.)