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The Great Man (2015) movie poster

Characters & Themes

The Great Man (2015) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2015 · 107 min · French
Directed by
Sarah Petit

Amidst the harsh terrain of Afghanistan, soldiers Hamilton and Markov develop a surprising connection while confronting the harsh realities of war. A selfless act by Markov to save Hamilton’s life initiates a series of events that challenge their friendship and examines their humanity. The experience forces them to grapple with themes of redemption and the weight of responsibility in a conflict zone.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (3)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (2)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like The Great Man
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Great Man (2015)

Where can you watch The Great Man? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Kanopy and Google Play Movies: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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3 main characters · contains spoilers

The Great Man Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Great Man (2015), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Joe Harris

    Joe Harris is a seasoned radio news reporter characterized by his sharp wit and sarcasm. Initially focused on his career advancement, he undergoes a profound transformation as he grapples with the ethical implications of his reporting. His candid decision during the broadcast marks a pivotal moment in embracing honesty over ambition.

    • 🗞️ Journalism
    • 🎤 Reporting
  • Philip Carleton

    Philip Carleton, the president of the Amalgamated Broadcasting Network, represents the corporate side of media. He is depicted as a strategic leader who recognizes the power of public perception. Carleton's decision to support Harris's truthful broadcast reflects an evolution in his character, valuing integrity over sensationalism.

    • 🏢 Leadership
    • 📺 Media
  • Sid Moore

    Sid Moore, Fuller's long-time producer, is characterized by his knowledge of the darker aspects of Fuller's life. He serves as both a supporter and a manipulator, revealing the intricacies of industry relationships. Moore's actions ultimately serve to highlight the ethical dilemmas faced by those within the media for personal gain.

    • ⚖️ Ethics
    • 🎬 Production

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:50

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Setting

Where and When Does The Great Man Take Place?

The setting of The Great Man (2015): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The film reflects a contemporary setting of the broadcasting industry, hinting at the societal values and norms around media during its time. It evokes a period of transformation in the media landscape, where personal stories and authenticity began to play a more crucial role in public broadcasting.

Location

Amalgamated Broadcasting Network, New England

The Amalgamated Broadcasting Network serves as a central hub for radio news reporting. Known for its influential broadcasts, it holds a significant role in shaping public opinion. New England, where Paul Beaseley’s station is located, is characterized by its rich cultural heritage in radio broadcasting and storytelling.

  • 📻 Radio
  • 🎭 Media

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:50

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2 major themes

The Great Man Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is The Great Man (2015) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Truth vs. Facade

    The struggle between maintaining a charming facade versus revealing the truth is central to the narrative. Joe Harris’s journey highlights the conflict inherent in media portrayal, questioning the ethics of journalism. The film ultimately advocates for transparency and the necessity of confronting uncomfortable realities.

  • Struggles with Addiction

    Herb Fuller’s hidden struggles with alcoholism serve as a stark contrast to his public persona. This theme emphasizes the impact of addiction on personal and professional relationships, showcasing the complexity of the human experience behind the glamour of broadcasting.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:50

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Character & theme questions

The Great Man Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Great Man (2015): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is The Great Man set?

The movie is set primarily at the Amalgamated Broadcasting Network, a major radio news hub. The setting includes New England, where the station is located, as a region known for its rich cultural heritage in radio broadcasting and storytelling.

  • amalgamated broadcasting network
  • new england
  • radio station setting
Q2

What time period does the movie take place in?

The film reflects a contemporary setting within the broadcasting industry. It captures a period of transformation in the media landscape, when personal stories and authenticity began playing a more crucial role in public broadcasting.

  • contemporary
  • media landscape
  • broadcasting era
  • modern period
Q3

What does the Truth vs. Facade theme explore?

The struggle between maintaining a charming facade versus revealing the truth is central to the narrative. Joe Harris's journey highlights the conflict inherent in media portrayal, questioning the ethics of journalism. The film ultimately advocates for transparency and the necessity of confronting uncomfortable realities.

  • truth
  • facade
  • media ethics
  • journalism
  • transparency
Q4

How does the film handle struggles with addiction?

Herb Fuller's hidden struggles with alcoholism serve as a stark contrast to his public persona. This theme emphasizes the impact of addiction on personal and professional relationships, showcasing the complexity of the human experience behind the glamour of broadcasting.

  • alcoholism
  • addiction
  • herb fuller
  • public persona
  • private struggle
Q5

Who is Joe Harris in The Great Man?

Joe Harris is a seasoned radio news reporter characterized by his sharp wit and sarcasm. Initially focused on his career advancement, he undergoes a profound transformation as he grapples with the ethical implications of his reporting. His candid decision during the broadcast marks a pivotal moment in embracing honesty over ambition.

  • joe harris
  • reporter
  • protagonist
  • radio news
  • ethics
Q6

Who is Philip Carleton?

Philip Carleton is the president of the Amalgamated Broadcasting Network, representing the corporate side of media. He is depicted as a strategic leader who recognizes the power of public perception. Carleton's decision to support Harris's truthful broadcast reflects an evolution in his character, valuing integrity over sensationalism.

  • philip carleton
  • network president
  • corporate media
  • leadership
Q7

Who is Sid Moore?

Sid Moore is Fuller's long-time producer, characterized by his knowledge of the darker aspects of Fuller's life. He serves as both a supporter and a manipulator, revealing the intricacies of industry relationships. Moore's actions ultimately serve to highlight the ethical dilemmas faced by those within the media for personal gain.

  • sid moore
  • producer
  • media industry
  • manipulation
  • ethical dilemmas
Q8

Who is Herb Fuller?

Herb Fuller is the deceased broadcaster whose life and death the film investigates. As a prominent radio personality, he maintained a public image that contrasted with his private struggles, particularly with alcoholism. His legacy serves as a central focus for the film's exploration of truth and facade in media.

  • herb fuller
  • broadcaster
  • radio personality
  • deceased figure
Q9

What is the main message of The Great Man?

The film advocates for transparency and honesty in journalism, even at great personal cost. It examines how media figures maintain public facades while battling private demons, and suggests that confronting uncomfortable truths is ultimately more valuable than preserving deceptive charm.

  • main message
  • theme
  • journalism honesty
  • media integrity
  • broadcasting ethics
Q10

How does the movie portray the broadcasting industry?

The film portrays the broadcasting industry as a world where public perception often trumps reality. It highlights the power of radio to shape public opinion and examines the tension between corporate interests and journalistic integrity. The setting reflects a transitional era in media where authenticity started becoming more valued.

  • broadcasting industry
  • radio news
  • media power
  • public opinion
  • corporate media

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Great Man, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Great Man tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Moral Investigation Dramas like The Great Man

Characters who uncover unsettling truths that challenge their own ethics. Discover movies like The Great Man that follow a protagonist's methodical investigation into a complex and morally fraught situation. These films share a steady pacing, a dark tone, and a heavy emotional weight as characters are forced to question their own principles amidst unsettling revelations.

  • investigative
  • morally complex
  • unsettling
  • revelatory
  • atmospheric
  • introspective
  • Tone: dark, cynical, revelatory
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically follow a linear but layered investigation, where each new piece of information complicates the initial premise. The protagonist's arc is one of growing disillusionment and moral reckoning, often culminating in a bittersweet resolution where truth comes at a personal cost.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on an ethical inquiry as the central plot driver. They create a similar viewing experience defined by an atmospheric, cynical, and revelatory mood, where the primary tension stems from moral dilemmas rather than physical danger.

Bittersweet Cynical Dramas like The Great Man

Stories where honesty brings a hollow victory in a compromised system. If you liked the ending of The Great Man, explore films with a similar bittersweet and cynical feel. These movies feature characters making heavy moral choices that lead to a Pyrrhic victory, leaving them with personal redemption but facing an unchanged, often hypocritical world.

  • bittersweet
  • cynical
  • morally complex
  • introspective
  • revelatory
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet, cynical
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a character confronting a powerful, corrupt, or duplicitous system. Their journey leads to a climactic choice to uphold their morals, resulting in a personal win (like self-respect or truth-telling) that is undercut by the realization that the larger problem persists. The emotional arc is one of sobering resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their distinctive combination of a dark, cynical tone with a bittersweet ending. They share a heavy emotional weight and a focus on the cost of integrity, creating a specific and resonant feeling of principled isolation.

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Movies Like The Great Man

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Every angle

The Great Man (2015) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Great Man in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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